Mine Health And Safety State Grants

The U.S. Department of Labor, through the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), has announced the availability of funding under the Mine Health and Safety State Grants program for fiscal year 2025. This program is authorized under Section 503 of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, as amended, and provides financial assistance to state, tribal, and territorial governments to help them enforce mining safety laws, strengthen workers’ compensation and occupational disease programs, and improve health and safety conditions in mines nationwide. The program emphasizes training and education efforts, particularly those that address emergency preparedness, mine rescue, electrical safety, contract and truck driver safety, pillar safety in underground mines, and prevention of falls from heights. Applicants are also encouraged to prioritize training for new mines, small mining operations, and the statutory rights of miners, such as the right to a safe workplace and the right to refuse unsafe tasks. The 2025 funding cycle reflects MSHA’s strong interest in supporting training programs that address new regulatory requirements, including rules to reduce exposure to respirable crystalline silica, improve respiratory protection, and enhance safety for surface mobile equipment. Grantees will be expected to incorporate compliance assistance materials and develop training tailored to these regulations. In addition, the President’s 2025 executive orders addressing critical mineral production and designating coal as a critical mineral underscore the importance of training initiatives related to reopening idled mines, developing new mines, and retraining miners to extract critical resources. Grantees are encouraged to focus their programs on both new and experienced miners who will be working in this changing industrial landscape. MSHA anticipates awarding approximately 56 grants totaling $10,537,000. The period of performance will cover October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025, with possible no-cost extensions of up to one year based on project success. Funds may be used for a variety of allowable costs, including training and educational materials, recruitment of participants, compliance assistance, and specialized equipment such as mine rescue devices or virtual training tools. Program income generated by grant activities must be reported and applied toward program purposes, and grantees are required to ensure that federal funds supplement, rather than replace, existing state mining safety programs. Eligibility is restricted to states in which mining activities occur, and applications must be submitted on behalf of the state by a governor-designated agency or organization. Eligible entities include state governments, county and municipal governments, special districts, public and state-controlled higher education institutions, and Native American tribal governments and organizations. Applicants must demonstrate their fiscal and administrative capacity to manage federal funds, and states must provide a minimum 20 percent cost share match, which can be met with cash contributions or program income. MSHA encourages states to rely primarily on cash funding rather than in-kind support to satisfy this requirement. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov by September 9, 2025. Required submission components include the SF-424 application form, SF-424A budget form with a detailed budget narrative, a project narrative outlining the action plan, a supplemental lobbying certification, a project abstract, and a certification of accounting system adequacy for smaller organizations. The project narrative must include a clear statement of need, detailed training goals, a work plan, expected outcomes, and evaluation methods. Applications must also document organizational capacity and describe compliance with federal administrative and policy requirements. MSHA reserves the right to review all training and educational materials created with grant funds for technical accuracy and copyright compliance. Successful applicants will be required to submit quarterly financial and performance reports, as well as a final comprehensive report within 120 days of the end of the grant period. Performance reports must measure outcomes such as the number of miners trained and the effectiveness of the training. Grantees are expected to maintain records for at least three years following the conclusion of the award. MSHA will make award announcements on its website, and all grant-funded materials must include a standard federal disclaimer. For further guidance, applicants may contact Elif Evrim Polat, Grants Management Specialist at Polat.Elif.E@dol.gov or (202) 693-9570, or Ursula A. Frazier, Management Officer, at Frazier.Ursula@dol.gov or (202) 693-9883. Additional oversight is provided by Shundreka R. Mims-Randolph, Supervisory Grants Management Specialist, at Mimsrandolph.Shundreka.R@dol.gov or (202) 693-9358.