120 STAT. 502
PUBLIC LAW 109–236—JUNE 15, 2006
prior to the sine die adjournment of the second session of the 109th Congress. ‘‘(c) QUALIFICATIONS.—Four of the six individuals appointed to the Panel under subsection (b) shall possess a masters or doctoral level degree in mining engineering or another scientific field demonstrably related to the subject of the report. No individual appointed to the Panel shall be an employee of any coal or other mine, or of any labor organization, or of any State or Federal agency primarily responsible for regulating the mining industry. ‘‘(d) REPORT.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date on which all members of the Panel are appointed under subsection (b), the Panel shall prepare and submit to the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, and the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives a report concerning the utilization of belt air and the composition and fire retardant properties of belt materials in underground coal mining. ‘‘(2) RESPONSE BY SECRETARY.—Not later than 180 days after the receipt of the report under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Labor shall provide a response to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives containing a description of the actions, if any, that the Secretary intends to take based upon the report, including proposing regulatory changes, and the reasons for such actions. ‘‘(e) COMPENSATION.—Members appointed to the Panel, while carrying out the duties of the Panel shall be entitled to receive compensation, per diem in lieu of subsistence, and travel expenses in the same manner and under the same conditions as that prescribed under section 208(c) of the Public Health Service Act.’’. SEC. 12. SCHOLARSHIPS.
Title V of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 951 et seq.), as amended by section 11, is further amended by adding at the end the following: 30 USC 964.
‘‘SEC. 515. SCHOLARSHIPS.
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Education (referred to in this section as the ‘Secretary’), in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall establish a program to provide scholarships to eligible individuals to increase the skilled workforce for both private sector coal mine operators and mine safety inspectors and other regulatory personnel for the Mine Safety and Health Administration. ‘‘(b) FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS SCHOLARSHIPS.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Under the program under subsection (a), the Secretary may award scholarship to fully or partially pay the tuition costs of eligible individuals enrolled in 2-year associate’s degree programs at community colleges or other colleges and universities that focus on providing the fundamental skills and training that is of immediate use to a beginning coal miner. ‘‘(2) SKILLS.—The skills described in paragraph (1) shall include basic math, basic health and safety, business principles, management and supervisory skills, skills related to electric
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