(a) When employer and employe shall by agreement, either express or implied, as hereinafter provided, accept the provisions of article three of this act,¹ compensation for disability or death of such employe, caused by occupational disease, arising out of and in the course of his employment, shall be paid by the employer, without regard to negligence, according to the schedule contained in sections three hundred and six and three hundred and seven of this article,² but--

(b) The right to receive compensation under this act shall not be affected by the fact that a minor is employed or is permitted to be employed in violation of the laws of this Commonwealth relating to the employment of minors, or that he obtained his employment by misrepresenting his age.

(c) Compensation for the occupational diseases enumerated in this act shall be paid only when such occupational disease is peculiar to the occupation or industry in which the employe was engaged and not common to the general population. Wherever compensable disability or death is mentioned as a cause for compensation under this act, it shall mean only compensable disability or death resulting from occupational disease and occurring within four years after the date of his last employment in such occupation or industry.

(d) Compensation for silicosis, or anthraco-silicosis, coal worker's pneumoconiosis and asbestosis, shall be paid only when it is shown that the employe has had an aggregate employment of at least two years in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, during a period of ten years next preceding the date of disability, in an occupation having a silica, coal, or asbestos hazard.

(e) Compensation shall not be payable for partial disability due to silicosis, anthraco-silicosis, coal worker's pneumoconiosis, or asbestosis. Compensation shall be payable, as otherwise provided in this act, for total disability or death caused by silicosis, anthraco-silicosis, coal worker's pneumoconiosis, or asbestosis, or by silicosis, anthraco-silicosis, coal worker's pneumoconiosis, or asbestosis, when accompanied by active pulmonary tuberculosis.

(f) If it be shown that the employe, at or immediately before the date of disability, was employed in any occupation or industry in which the occupational disease is a hazard, it shall be presumed that the employe's occupational disease arose out of and in the course of his employment but this presumption shall not be conclusive.

(g) The employer liable for the compensation provided by this article shall be the employer in whose employment the employe was last exposed to the hazard of the occupational disease claimed, regardless of the length of time of such last exposure: Provided, That when a claimant alleges that disability or death was due to silicosis, anthraco-silicosis, coal worker's pneumoconiosis, asbestosis or any other occupational disease which developed to the point of disablement only after an exposure of five or more years, the only employer liable shall be the last employer in whose employment the employe was last exposed to the hazard of such occupational disease during a period of six months or more: And provided further, That in those cases where disability or death is not conclusively proven to be the result of such last exposure, all compensation shall be paid by the Commonwealth. An exposure during a period of less than six months after the effective date of this act shall not be deemed an exposure. The notice of disability or death and claim shall be made to the employer who is liable under this subsection, his insurance carrier, if any, and the Commonwealth.

(h) Except as hereinafter provided, all compensation payable under this article shall be payable in periodic installments, as the wages of the employe were payable before the accident.

(i) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this act, compensation for silicosis, anthraco-silicosis, coal worker's pneumoconiosis, and asbestosis shall be paid for each month beginning with the month this amending act becomes effective, or beginning with the first month of disability, whichever occurs later, at the rate of seventy-five dollars ($75) per month, to every employe totally disabled thereby as a result of exposure thereto, who has not theretofore been compensated because his claim was barred by any of the time limitations prescribed by this act, and shall continue during the period of such total disability. No compensation under this section shall be paid to any employe who has not been exposed to a silica, coal, or asbestos hazard within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for a period of two years. Subsequent to the effective date of this amending act of 1969, it shall be necessary to be a resident of Pennsylvania in order to qualify for compensation, but not to continue receiving the same after qualification. All such compensation to those whose last exposure precedes the effective date of this amending act shall be paid by the Commonwealth. Employes whose last exposure follows the effective date of this amending act and who become entitled to the compensation provided by this subsection shall be paid as provided by this act.

An application for compensation under this subsection shall not be accepted from any person who, during the preceding six months has been determined to be ineligible hereunder.

Every application shall be accompanied by two prints of the same recent photograph of the applicant, and such other proof of identity as the board shall require. One of the prints shall be stamped by the board and returned to the applicant, who shall deliver it to the physician at the time of examination. The physician shall attach the print to his report to the board.

(j) Every person heretofore or hereafter qualified for additional compensation under the provisions of clause 2 of subsection (a) or subsection (i) of this section shall, beginning with the month following the effective date of this amending act of 1969, or the month of qualification, whichever occurs later, be paid further compensation of twenty-five dollars ($25) per month during the period of disability. Such further compensation paid to a person heretofore qualified shall be paid by the Commonwealth. Compensation paid to any person hereafter qualified shall be paid from the same source as the additional compensation provided in clause 2 of subsection (a) or subsection (i) of this section.

(k) Upon the award of any benefits under the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969³ to a person who is also receiving or claiming monthly compensation totally funded by general revenues of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania under subsections (a), (i), (j) or (l) of section 301,⁴ such person shall have his monthly compensation from general revenues of the Commonwealth suspended effective with the month following the month of award of Federal benefits, as may be evidenced by a copy of the Federal award certificate, or effective with the month of enactment of this amendment, whichever is later. Upon any future action by the United States Congress, Federal executive departments, or Federal courts which would make present recipients under the Pennsylvania Occupational Disease Act⁵ eligible for both Federal and State payments, the sum of which would exceed the maximum authorized Federal payment, the eligible recipients would then receive retroactively all State payments that were suspended under the authority of this act. All such recipients who have their State payments suspended shall continue their eligibility and entitlement under the Pennsylvania Occupational Disease Act and at any time in the future for whatever reason that such recipients' payments under the Federal law are terminated, suspended or reduced their State payments shall be reinstituted effective with the month following the month that Federal benefits are terminated, suspended or reduced. The recipients' entitlement to weekly compensation and the maximum sum thereof provided under clause 2 of subsection (a) of section 301 shall remain unchanged, and no reduction shall be made in the medical and hospital compensation payable under subsection (f) of section 306⁶ or in the burial expenses payable under clause 8 of section 307.⁷

(l) Every person heretofore or hereafter qualified for additional compensation under the provisions of clause 2 of subsection (a) or subsection (i) shall, beginning with the month following the effective date of this amending act, or the month of qualification, whichever occurs later, be paid further compensation of twenty-five dollars ($25) per month during the period of disability. Such further compensation paid to a person heretofore or hereafter qualified shall be paid by the Commonwealth.

(m) Every person heretofore or hereafter qualified for additional compensation under the provisions of clause (2) of subsection (a) or subsection (i) shall, beginning with the month following the effective date of this subsection, or the month of qualification, whichever occurs later, be paid further compensation of fifty dollars ($50) per month during the period of disability. Such further compensation paid to a person heretofore or hereafter qualified shall be paid by the Commonwealth.