Pub. L. 91-173, tit. IV, pt. B, sec. 411

Sec. 411. (a) The Secretary shall, in accordance with the provisions of this part, and the regulations promulgated by him under this part, make payments of benefits in respect of total disability of any miner due to pneumoconiosis, and in respect of the death of any miner whose death was due to pneumoconiosis. (b) The Secretary shall by regulation prescribe standards for determining for purposes of section 411(a) whether a miner is totally disabled due to pneumoconiosis and for determining whether the death of a miner was due to pneumoconiosis. Regulations required by this subsection shall be promulgated and published in the Federal Register at the earliest practicable date after the date of enactment of this title, and in no event later than the end of the third month following the month in which this title is enacted. Such regulations may be modified or additional regulations promulgated from time to time thereafter. (c) For purposes of this section— (1) if a miner who is suffering or suffered from pneumoconiosis was employed for ten years or more in one or more undergound coal mines there shall be a rebuttable presumption that his pneumoconiosis arose out of such employment; (2) if a deceased miner was employed for ten years or more in one or more underground coal mines and died from a respirable disease there shall be a rebuttable presumption that his death was due to pneumoconiosis; and (3) if a miner is suffering or suffered from a chronic dust disease of the lung which (A) when diagnosed by chest roentgenogram, yields one or more large opacities (greater than one centimeter in diameter) and would be classified in category A, B, or C in the International Classification of Radiographs of the Pneumoconioses by the International Labor Organization, (B) when diagnosed by biopsy or autopsy, yields massive lesions in the lung, or (C) when diagnosis is made by other means, would be a condition which could reasonably be expected to yield results described in clause (A) or (B) if diagnosis had been made in the manner prescribed in clause (A) or (B), then there shall be an irrebuttable presumption that he is totally disabled due to pneumoconiosis or that his death was due to pneumoconiosis, as the case may be. 83 Stat. 794 (d) Nothing in subsection (c) shall be deemed to affect the applicability of subsection (a) in the case of a claim where the presumptions provided for therein are inapplicable.