Bill > S243

This bill expands and extends the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) to provide additional support for individuals affected by radiation exposure from nuclear testing and uranium mining. The bill has two main components: first, it creates a new compensation pathway for individuals exposed to Manhattan Project waste in specific ZIP codes in Missouri, Tennessee, Alaska, and Kentucky, offering up to $50,000 for living claimants plus additional medical expense reimbursement, and up to $25,000 for deceased claimants' surviving spouses or children. Second, it enhances compensation for uranium miners, millers, core drillers, and ore transporters by extending the eligible time period to December 31, 1990, expanding the types of compensable diseases to include renal cancer and chronic kidney diseases, and creating new provisions for workers with combined work histories. The bill also extends the claims filing deadline to 5 years, allows claimants to resubmit denied claims up to three times, permits previously compensated individuals to seek additional benefits, and establishes a new grant program to study the epidemiological impacts of uranium mining. Additionally, it modifies the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program to include more uranium miners and workers in the Special Exposure Cohort, and requires a GAO study on unmet medical benefits for radiation-exposed individuals.

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https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/243/all-info