HR 1758 · 108th Congress 2003–2005, ended

Reform of Energy Workers Compensation Act

Introduced Apr 10, 2003 Originated House Sponsor Ted Strickland D-OH

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · May 5, 2003 Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedApr 10, 2003
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Reform of Energy Workers Compensation Act - Amends the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 (EEOICPA) to provide for worker compensation benefit payments to contractor employees of the Department of Energy (DOE) who were exposed to toxic substances at DOE facilities. (This new subtitle D replaces the current provisions for DOE assistance to such employees in State workers compensation proceedings.) Requires DOE to review claims and determine causation within specified time limits (with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) continuing to appoint members of physician review panels for diagnosing such occupational illnesses).

Requires the Secretary of Energy to appoint a Worker Advocacy Advisory Committee to advise on claims procedures and related matters.

Directs the Secretary of Labor, acting as a third-party administrator for DOE, to pay such benefits from the EEOICPA fund for claimants approved by DOE. Requires the Secretaries of Energy and of Labor to ensure that such claims are resolved in a nonadversarial manner.

Revises EEOIPA subtitle B program administration provisions to add as covered illnesses: (1) chronic renal disease, for uranium workers; and (2) lung cancer, among beryllium-related diseases. Revises provisions relating to: (1) a special exposure cohort expansion procedure; (2) the radioepidemiologic model for determining compensation; and (3) additional specified cancers. Provides for coverage of individuals employed by atomic weapons employers or beryllium employees during a period of residual contamination.

Requires the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to report to Congress on its access to information relating to performing radiation dose reconstructions.

Provides administrative assistance for claimants under either subtitle B or D, including administrative relief and proof where medical records are not available, resource centers, and outreach programs. Establishes within the Office of the Secretary of Labor the Office of the Ombudsman for Occupational Illness Compensation, which is to coordinate activities of the Secretaries of Labor, Energy, and HHS under EEOICPA.

Cosponsors 38

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Apr 10, 2003 to Sep 8, 2004; 18 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-COBob BeauprezOriginalApr 10, 2003
D-CODiana DeGetteOriginalApr 10, 2003
R-KYEd WhitfieldOriginalApr 10, 2003
D-CAEllen O. TauscherOriginalApr 10, 2003
D-MAJames P. McGovernOriginalApr 10, 2003
D-WAJay InsleeOriginalApr 10, 2003
D-TNJim CooperOriginalApr 10, 2003
R-NVJim GibbonsOriginalApr 10, 2003
D-PAJohn P. MurthaOriginalApr 10, 2003
D-TNLincoln DavisOriginalApr 10, 2003
D-NYLouise McIntosh SlaughterOriginalApr 10, 2003
D-COMark UdallOriginalApr 10, 2003
D-TXMartin FrostOriginalApr 10, 2003
D-PAPaul E. KanjorskiOriginalApr 10, 2003
D-NVShelley BerkleyOriginalApr 10, 2003
D-OHSherrod BrownOriginalApr 10, 2003
D-PATim HoldenOriginalApr 10, 2003
D-NMTom UdallOriginalApr 10, 2003
D-KYKen LucasMay 6, 2003
D-NYMajor R. OwensMay 6, 2003
R-COScott McInnisMay 7, 2003
R-NVJon C. PorterMay 14, 2003
D-MAEdward J. MarkeyJul 9, 2003
D-FLJim DavisJul 9, 2003
D-AZRaúl M. GrijalvaJul 9, 2003
D-FLRobert WexlerJul 9, 2003
D-OHTim RyanJul 9, 2003
D-CATom LantosJul 9, 2003
D-PRAnibal Acevedo-VilaJul 21, 2003
R-OHSteven C. LaTouretteJul 21, 2003
R-TXRon PaulSep 9, 2003
I-VTBernard SandersNov 17, 2003
R-NYJack QuinnNov 17, 2003
R-PAMelissa A. HartFeb 10, 2004
D-TNBart GordonFeb 24, 2004
R-IAJames A. LeachJun 22, 2004
D-TNHarold E. Ford Jr.Sep 8, 2004
R-FLKatherine HarrisSep 8, 2004

Committees 2

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseJudiciary Committee
Referred Apr 10, 2003
Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee
Referred May 5, 2003
HouseEducation and Workforce Committee
Referred Apr 10, 2003
Workforce Protections Subcommittee
Referred May 2, 2003

Actions 4

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. May 5, 2003Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims.
  2. May 2, 2003Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
  3. Apr 10, 2003Introduced in House
  4. Apr 10, 2003Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

Printed hearings 1

Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.

NumberHearingCommitteeHeld
S. Hrg. 108-334ENERGY EMPLOYEES OCCUPATIONAL ILLNESS COMPENSATION PROGRAM ACT119 pagesEnergy and Natural Resources CommitteeNov 21, 2003

Titles 2

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
To amend the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 to improve the program of benefits for contractor employees of the Department of Energy who were exposed to toxic substances at Department of Energy facilities, to provide coverage under subtitle B of that Act for certain additional individuals and illnesses, to establish an ombudsman, to make technical corrections, and for other purposes.
Short Titles as Introduced
Reform of Energy Workers Compensation Act

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Labor and Employment.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Apr 10, 2003Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.