Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Amendments of 2023

This bill, the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) Amendments of 2023, seeks to expand and extend a federal program that provides financial restitution to individuals who developed serious illnesses after being exposed to radiation from U.S. nuclear weapons testing and uranium mining.

If enacted, the bill would have the following practical impacts on citizens:

Expanded Eligibility:* It would allow more "downwinders"—people living in areas affected by radioactive fallout—to qualify for compensation by adding new geographic regions, including all of New Mexico, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, and Guam, as well as additional counties in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah.

Increased Compensation:* The bill proposes increasing the maximum lump-sum payment for eligible claimants from $50,000 to $150,000 to better account for medical costs and inflation.

Support for Uranium Workers:* It would extend coverage to uranium miners, millers, and transporters who worked after 1971, a group previously excluded from the original program.