The Downwinder Commemoration Act of 2025 directs the Secretaries of the Army, Air Force, and Interior to create and install three commemorative plaques honoring the Downwinder communities of New Mexico by July 2026. Downwinders are people who were exposed to radioactive fallout from the first atomic bomb test on July 16, 1945, and subsequently suffered serious health effects including cancer and infertility across multiple generations. The three plaques will be placed at publicly accessible locations at White Sands Missile Range, Holloman Air Force Base, and White Sands National Park. The bill requires these federal departments to work together on the plaque design and does not authorize new funding, though the departments will bear the costs. This legislation acknowledges the government's responsibility in documenting the harm experienced by these communities and ensures their story is preserved at significant historical sites.
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