Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act
Latest action · Mar 11, 2024 Held at the desk.
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.
- IntroducedFeb 29, 2024
- Passed SenateMar 7, 2024
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
This bill reauthorizes and expands programs that compensate individuals who were exposed to radiation during certain nuclear testing or uranium mining and who subsequently developed medical conditions, including cancers.
Under current law, compensation is payable to individuals based on requirements including the (1) dates when exposure occurred, (2) duration of exposure, (3) type of exposure, and (4) resulting medical condition.
Among other changes to this program, the bill (1) extends the eligible dates when qualifying atmospheric exposure occurred, (2) authorizes compensation to individuals with combined work histories in uranium mining, (3) adds core drilling as an eligible mining occupation, and (4) increases the amount of compensation awarded to qualifying individuals.
The bill also expands this program to compensate individuals located in specified areas in Alaska, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee associated with waste from the Manhattan Project and who subsequently developed specified types of cancer.
The bill extends until five years after this bill's enactment the statute of limitations for the filing of claims.
The bill also expands eligibility under an existing occupational illness compensation program for former Department of Energy employees.
The bill also establishes a grant program for institutions of higher education to study the epidemiological impacts of uranium mining and milling among individuals without occupational exposure.
The bill directs the Government Accountability Office to study and report to Congress on the unmet medical benefits coverage for individuals who were exposed to radiation in atmospheric nuclear tests conducted by the federal government.
Recorded votes 1
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
| Roll call | Question | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate 75 | On Passage of the Bill S. 3853 | Bill Passed69–30 | Mar 7, 2024 |
Cosponsors 6
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Mar 5, 2024 to Mar 6, 2024.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-NM | Ben Ray Luján | Mar 5, 2024 | |
| R-MO | Eric Schmitt | Mar 5, 2024 | |
| D-AZ | Mark Kelly | Mar 5, 2024 | |
| D-NM | Martin Heinrich | Mar 5, 2024 | |
| R-ID | Mike Crapo | Mar 5, 2024 | |
| I-AZ | Kyrsten Sinema | Mar 6, 2024 |
Actions 8
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Mar 11, 2024Received in the House.
- Mar 11, 2024Held at the desk.
- Mar 8, 2024Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Mar 7, 2024Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Mar 7, 2024Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate under the order of 2/29/2024, having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 69 - 30. Record Vote Number: 75.
- Mar 5, 2024Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 336.
- Feb 29, 2024Introduced in Senate
- Feb 29, 2024Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
In the Congressional Record 7
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S6895 | Josh Hawley R-MO | Dec 10, 2024 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S6201 | Josh Hawley R-MO | Sep 19, 2024 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S3640–S3642 | Josh Hawley R-MO | May 9, 2024 |
| House | Debate and remarks H1308 | Ann Wagner R-MO | Mar 21, 2024 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S2254, S2256, S2263–S2265Recorded votes S2265extend, provide for, and improve | Ben Ray Luján D-NM, Eric Schmitt R-MO, Josh Hawley R-MO, Martin Heinrich D-NM | Mar 7, 2024 |
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.
CRS reports 1
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 1
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R48317 | Indigenous Knowledge and Data: Overview and Issues for Congress | Report | Dec 20, 2024 |
Related bills 4
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 1751 | Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Amendments of 2023 | Related bill | May 18, 2023 |
| S 2226 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 | Related bill | Jul 27, 2023 |
| HR 2670 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 | Related bill | Dec 22, 2023 |
| HR 4426 | Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Amendments of 2023 | Related bill | Jul 7, 2023 |
Titles 7
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to extend the period for filing claims under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act and to provide for compensation under such Act for claims relating to Manhattan Project waste, and to improve compensation for workers involved in uranium mining.
- Short Title(s) as Passed Senate
- Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act
- Short Title(s) as Passed Senate for portions of this bill
- Radiation Exposure Compensation Expansion Act
- Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Amendments of 2024
- Short Titles for portions of this bill from PCS (Placed on Senate Calendar) bill text
- Radiation Exposure Compensation Expansion Act
- Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Amendments of 2024
- Short Title(s) from PCS (Placed on Senate Calendar) bill text
- Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Labor and Employment.
- Administrative law and regulatory procedures
- Arizona
- Cancer
- Civil actions and liability
- Colorado
- Department of Justice
- Digestive and metabolic diseases
- Education programs funding
- Environmental health
- Government information and archives
- Government liability
- Government trust funds
- Guam
- Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
- Health care costs and insurance
- Higher education
- Idaho
- Labor and Employment
- Medical research
- Military history
- Mining
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Nuclear weapons
- Oregon
- Personnel records
- Public contracts and procurement
- Radiation
- Research administration and funding
- South Dakota
- Texas
- U.S. territories and protectorates
- Utah
- Washington State
- Worker safety and health
- Wyoming
Text 2
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Mar 7, 2024Engrossed in Senate
- Mar 5, 2024Placed on Calendar Senate
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.
