Assistance to States

The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of the Interior, is authorized to make grants in accordance with an application approved under this section to any State in which coal or other mining takes place— The Secretary shall approve any application or any modification thereof, submitted under this section by a State, through its official coal or other mine inspection or safety agency, which— The Secretary shall not finally disapprove any State application or modification thereof without first affording the State agency reasonable notice and opportunity for a public hearing. Any State aggrieved by a decision of the Secretary under subsection (b) or (c) of this section may file within thirty days from the date of such decision with the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia a petition praying that such action be modified or set aside in whole or in part. The court shall hear such appeal on the record made before the Secretary. The decision of the Secretary incorporating his findings of fact therein, if supported by substantial evidence on the record considered as a whole, shall be conclusive. The court may affirm, vacate, or remand the proceedings to the Secretary for such further action as it directs. The filing of a petition under this subsection shall not stay the application of the decision of the Secretary, unless the court so orders. The provisions of section 816(a), (b), and (c) of this title shall not be applicable to this section. Any State application or modification thereof submitted to the Secretary under this section may include a program to train State inspectors. The Secretary shall cooperate with such State in carrying out the application or modification thereof and shall, as appropriate, develop and, where appropriate, construct facilities for, and finance a program of, training of Federal and State inspectors jointly. The Secretary shall also cooperate with such State in establishing a system by which State and Federal inspection reports of coal or other mines located in the State are exchanged for the purpose of improving health and safety conditions in such mines. The amount granted to any coal or other mining State for a fiscal year under this section shall not exceed 80 per centum of the amount expended by such State in such year for carrying out such application. There is authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000 for fiscal year 1970, and $10,000,000 annually in each succeeding fiscal year to carry out the provisions of this section, which shall remain available until expended. The Secretary shall provide for an equitable distribution of sums appropriated for grants under this section to the States where there is an approved application, except that no less than one-half of such sum shall be allocated to coal-producing States.