{"argument_date":"2001-11-07T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2001-11-07T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2001","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","paragraphs":["Mr. Wolfson stated the Coal Act aimed to prevent the collapse of a private health care system.","Mr. Wolfson argued section 9701(c)(2) targets signatory operators and related successors.","Mr. Woodrum noted lower courts addressed successor liability before the Eastern Enterprises case.","Mr. Woodrum claimed the Commissioner argued the Coal Act did not provide for successor liability."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 45-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 45-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 23-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 23-37"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 11-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 11-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 41-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 41-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 19-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 19-19"}]}],"caption":"Massanari v. Sigmon Coal Co.","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:32.925489Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:32.952650Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"The dispute centers on whether a coal company's successor must fund retiree health benefits under federal law.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 45-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 45-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 23-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 23-37"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 11-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 11-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 41-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 41-15"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2001-11-07T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2001","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/00-1307.html","primary_docket":"00-1307","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T17:31:17.492108Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":1},{"correction_note":"Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.","created_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":2}],"schema_version":"1.1","sections":[{"heading":"What this case is about","paragraphs":["The case tests the scope of the Coal Act. It asks if successor companies inherit the duty to pay retiree health benefits."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 45-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 45-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 23-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 23-37"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 11-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 11-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 41-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 41-15"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on November 7, 2001."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 19-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 19-19"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["The Commissioner seeks to limit the Coal Act's scope to original signatory operators.","Sigmon Coal seeks to hold successor companies liable for retiree health benefits."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 45-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 45-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 23-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 23-37"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 11-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 11-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 41-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 41-15"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["The Commissioner argues the statute does not impose successor liability on new entities.","Sigmon Coal argues the law targets signatories and their related successors."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 45-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 45-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 23-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 23-37"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 11-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 11-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 41-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 41-15"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Chief Justice Rehnquist asked if the case was submitted."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 19-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 19-19"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["Retired coal miners depend on this law for health care. Successor companies face financial obligations under the statute. The outcome defines the scope of federal health benefit mandates."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 45-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 45-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 23-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 23-37"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 11-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 11-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 41-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 41-15"}]},{"heading":"What happens next","paragraphs":["This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 19-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 19-19"}]}],"slug":"2001-00-1307-massanari-v-sigmon-coal-co","term":"2001","title":"Does the Coal Act bind successor companies to pay retiree health benefits?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 45-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 45-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 23-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 23-37"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 11-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 11-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 41-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1307.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 41-15"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}