A joint resolution formally apologizing for the nuclear legacy of the United States in the Republic of the Marshall Islands and affirming the importance of the free association between the Government of the United States and the Government of the Marshall Islands.

This joint resolution, S.J.Res. 40, would issue a formal apology from the United States to the people of the Republic of the Marshall Islands for the long-term health and environmental damage caused by U.S. nuclear testing and radioactive waste disposal between 1946 and 1958. The bill officially recognizes the "irreparable material and intangible harm" suffered by the islanders and affirms the ongoing importance of the diplomatic relationship between the two nations. Additionally, it requires the U.S. government to include discussions regarding this nuclear legacy in future negotiations of the Compact of Free Association, the agreement that governs the legal and economic ties between the United States and the Marshall Islands.