Washington, D.C. â On the brink of its expiration date, Congress has chosen to add a one-year extension to the Black Lung Excise Tax, which funds the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, to its 2021 Omnibus spending bill. This is the second year that a one-year extension has been included in the spending bill. Legislation to extend the excise tax for ten years rather than tacking on one-year extensions have languished in Congress. These include House Resolution 3876 and Senate Bill 3172. Though it only covers one year, the extension is a great relief to Black Lung Associations and other advocates, who have met with representatives and senators and written petitions for another one-year extension in the absence of a ten-year renewal.