“To amend the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to include Guam.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section amends sec. 4(b)(1) of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) to include the territory of Guam among eligible geographic areas for certain downwinder compensation claims by (1) revising subparagraph (A) to cross-reference new subparagraph (C), striking "and" after clause (ii), and adding clause (iv) for Guam; and (2) adding subparagraph (C) limiting claims under RECA subsections (a)(1)(A)(i)(IV) and (a)(2)(D) to Guam. (As background, RECA provides lump-sum payments of $50,000 to downwinders who develop specified cancers or diseases after residing in designated areas exposed to radiation from U.S. atmospheric nuclear testing.)
This section expands eligibility for leukemia compensation claims under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) by adding to the list of qualified individuals in section 4(a)(1)(A)(i)—(1) persons physically present in an affected area for at least one year during the period beginning July 1, 1946, and ending November 6, 1992, or during the period beginning April 25, 1962, and ending November 6, 1962; and (2) members of the Armed Forces who participated onsite in the radiological cleanup of Enewetak Atoll for any period during May 1, 1977, through May 31, 1980—and makes conforming changes to cross-references in clause (ii). (As background, RECA provides $50,000 lump-sum payments to eligible downwinders who develop specified diseases, including leukemia, due to exposure from U.S. nuclear weapons tests.)
This section expands eligibility under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) for claims of specified diseases resulting from nuclear tests in the Pacific by adding two categories to section 4(a)(2): (1) individuals physically present in an affected area for at least one year from July 1, 1946, through November 21, 1992, or the full period from April 25, 1962, through November 6, 1962; and (2) Armed Forces members who participated onsite in the radiological cleanup of Enewetak Atoll from May 1, 1977, through May 31, 1980. (RECA provides lump-sum compensation to individuals who developed specified diseases due to radiation exposure from nuclear weapons testing.) The section further adds renal disease to the list of specified diseases eligible for compensation in section 4(b)(2).