This bill expands and extends the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, which provides payments to people harmed by radiation exposure from nuclear weapons testing and uranium mining. The legislation extends the compensation fund's deadline from 2022 to 2042 and increases payment amounts to $150,000 for most atmospheric testing-related claims. It broadens eligibility for nuclear testing claims by extending the covered time periods and expanding the geographic areas included, and adds chronic lymphocytic leukemia as a compensable disease. For uranium mining claims, the bill extends the covered period from 1971 to 1990, adds new categories of workers such as core drillers and remediation workers, expands covered diseases to include kidney disease, and allows individuals with combined work histories to qualify. The legislation also allows affidavits from third parties as evidence to support claims and gives previously denied claimants up to three chances to resubmit. Additionally, it authorizes $3 million annually from 2024 through 2026 for a new research grant program studying the health impacts of uranium mining on families and non-occupational exposures.
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