Improving and Eliminating Regulations: Permissible Lamps in Underground Coal Mines

What it does

• •Removes and reserves 30 CFR 75.1703-1, which contained requirements for electric cap lamps and other electric lamps in underground coal mines.
• •Eliminates duplicative regulatory language while maintaining miner protections through existing requirements elsewhere in the Code of Federal Regulations.
• •Streamlines Part 75 of MSHA regulations by clarifying permissibility standards for electric lamps without reducing safety requirements.

Why it matters

• •Reduces regulatory complexity and duplicate requirements without compromising miner safety protections, as equivalent standards exist in 30 CFR parts 19 and 20 and the definition of 'permissible' in 30 CFR 75.2.
• •Implements Executive Order 14192 directing agencies to alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens while maintaining substantive health and safety standards for underground coal miners.

Who is affected

• •Underground coal mine operators and miners using electric cap lamps and portable electric lamps in underground coal mines.
• •MSHA and regulatory reviewers interpreting Part 75 standards for lamp permissibility.

What happens next

The final rule becomes effective December 14, 2026.