As Introduced

131st General Assembly

Regular Session S. C. R. No. 17

2015-2016

Senator Gentile

Cosponsors: Senators Yuko, Cafaro, Skindell, Thomas, Tavares, Schiavoni

A c o n c u r r e n t R E S O L U T I O N

To urge the Congress of the United States to enact the Miners Protection Act of 2015.

BE IT Resolved by the SENATE of the state of ohio (the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES concurring):

WHEREAS, The Miners Protection Act of 2015 (S. 1714) is important federal legislation that re-purposes excess money previously designated for use by the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) for coal miner retiree healthcare programs and allows these funds to be used both for retiree healthcare and to preserve coal miner pensions. S. 1714, if enacted, would guarantee the solvency of these pension plans; and

WHEREAS, S. 1714 ensures that UMWA retirees who lose benefits following the bankruptcy or insolvency of the retiree's employer are eligible for an existing benefit plan established under the bill; and

WHEREAS, S. 1714 is bipartisan legislation that protects healthcare benefits and pensions for approximately 120,000 American coal miners and retirees who are threatened by difficulties in the coal mining industry; and

WHEREAS, Without this legislation, the UMWA pension fund could go bankrupt. As a result, the burden of paying out pensions and healthcare costs of UMWA retirees would shift to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). The additional burden on the PBGC could be catastrophic, threatening the pensions of millions of American steelworkers, construction workers, and others; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 131st General Assembly of the State of Ohio, in adopting this resolution, urge the Congress of the United States to enact S. 1714, the Miners Protection Act of 2015; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the President Pro Tempore and Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, each member of the Ohio Congressional delegation, and the news media of Ohio.