Bituminous Coal Act, United States
In response to the abolition of the Bituminous Coal Conservation Act of 1935, U.S. Congress passed the Bituminous Coal Act of 1937, also known as the Guffey-Vinson Act. The new act greatly resembled the previous one in that it regulated marketing rules and trade in the bituminous coal industry; however, Congress deleted or rewrote many provisions of the 1935 Act that they found unconstitutional. The 1937 Act retained the price-fixing and punitive taxes sections, but removed the labor provisions.
The 1937 Act also established the second National Bituminous Coal Commission (1937-39), which absorbed many of the responsibilities held by the first National Bituminous Coal Commission (1935-37), established by the Bituminous Coal Conservation Act of 1935. The Reorganization Act of 1939 abolished the second Commission, forcing President Franklin D. Roosevelt to later establish the Bituminous Coal Division in the Department of the Interior. The 1937 Act also defined Coal Producing Districts, which later became known as the Bureau of Mines Districts. Producers and buyers of coal were in these districts frequently since many contained coal transport routes.
Further Reading
- Glossary of Coal Industry Terms (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
