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Provides new and expanded compensation and support for people harmed by historic U.S. nuclear activities. It creates a new compensation category for people who lived in specified ZIP-code areas exposed to Manhattan Project waste and later developed listed diseases, raises and clarifies awards for some atomic-test and uranium-exposed claimants, extends deadlines and eligibility for uranium mine and mill workers (including core drillers and ore transporters), and authorizes related grants, studies, and a Department of Energy cooperative agreement for long-term monitoring and community support at the Amchitka, Alaska site. Also requires administrative changes: the Attorney General must accept certain affidavits, permit resubmissions and supplemental awards for previously compensated people, and HHS/NIEHS and GAO must run new studies; a modest grant authorization is provided for epidemiologic research, and a cooperative agreement must be awarded for Amchitka with tribal engagement and Indigenous knowledge incorporation.
The bill significantly expands who can get compensation, increases award amounts, and funds research and local environmental stewardship—providing meaningful relief to many exposed people—while creating higher federal costs and substantial administrative and documentation challenges that could delay or limit some payments.
People exposed by atmospheric tests, uranium miners/millers/drillers/transporters, and their families: gain broader eligibility and substantially larger or additional awards (e.g., expanded disease lists, extended dates of coverage, a $100,000 award for qualifying leukemia claims, and a chance to request additional payments to align prior awards with the new law).
Living qualifying individuals and survivors: living claimants receive at least $50,000 and eligible survivors receive a $25,000 payment, providing direct financial relief to patients and their families.
Patients with eligible medical expenses: can be reimbursed for documented out-of-pocket medical costs not covered by insurance, reducing direct health-care financial burdens for affected people.
Current and prospective claimants and administrators: implementation is likely to be slowed by new certification requirements, extensive agency rulemaking, GAO/Advisory actions, and the potential for many resubmissions/reopened claims, delaying payments and increasing administrative backlog.
Taxpayers and federal budget managers: expanding eligibility and increasing award amounts will raise federal costs and could pressure DOJ/HHS budgets or require new appropriations.
Some exposed individuals (especially elderly, rural, or displaced people): strict contemporaneous residential and medical-documentation rules plus ZIP-code and residency-duration limits may exclude people who had similar exposure but lack the specified paperwork or exact residency history.
Introduced January 24, 2025 by Joshua David Hawley · Last progress January 24, 2025