H.R. 10115 — Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act of 2026

This section expands eligibility for compensation under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act for atmospheric nuclear testing claims. It extends the relevant period to 1992 (from 1962), adds qualifying categories for individuals physically present in affected areas for at least one year between July 1, 1946, and November 6, 1992, or during specified 1962 intervals, and for onsite participants in nuclear detonations, the Enewetak Atoll cleanup (1977–1980), the Palomares response (1966–1967), or the Thule response (1968), as well as members of the petitioner cohort. It also adds Colorado, Montana, and Guam to the covered areas.

This section expands eligibility for compensation under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act for Manhattan Project waste exposure. It adds ZIP codes 62060 in Illinois; 98832, 98837, 98857, 98930, 98944, 98948, 98951, 98952, 99105, 99144, 99159, 99169, 99301, 99320, 99321, 99323, 99324, 99326, 99330, 99333, 99335, 99336, 99337, 99338, 99341, 99343, 99344, 99345, 99346, 99348, 99349, 99350, 99352, 99353, 99354, 99357, 99359, 99360, 99361, 99362, 99363, and 99371 in Washington; 80002, 80003, 80004, 80005, 80007, 80025, 80020, 80021, 80023, 80026, 80027, 80030, 80031, 80033, 80202, 80203, 80204, 80205, 80206, 80207, 80209, 80210, 80211, 80212, 80216, 80218, 80220, 80221, 80222, 80223, 80224, 80229, 80230, 80231, 80233, 80234, 80241, 80246, 80247, 80260, 80266, 80303, 80305, 80403, 80601, 80602, 80603, 80621, 80640, 81212, 81215, 81221, 81226, 81240, 81244, 81246, and 81290 in Colorado; and 45613, 45648, 45661, and 45690 in Ohio,

This section increases compensation for downwinder claims under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to $150,000 (from $100,000) and adds eligibility for full reimbursement of documented out-of-pocket medical expenses for the specified disease after subtracting amounts covered by insurance or other programs. It sets Manhattan Project waste claims compensation at $150,000 plus other eligible amounts (from the greater of $50,000 or other amounts) and raises payments to beneficiaries of deceased claimants to $150,000 (from $25,000).

This section authorizes the Attorney General to accept written affidavits or declarations, made under penalty of perjury by a person other than the claimant and in addition to other evidence, to substantiate employment as a miner, miller, core driller, or ore transporter; physical presence in affected areas; participation in atmospheric nuclear tests or specified cleanup and response efforts at Enewetak Atoll (1977–1980), Palomares (1966–1967), or Thule (1968); and contraction of compensable diseases under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act.

This section expands eligibility to file claims under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act for Manhattan Project waste exposure. It authorizes survivors, representatives, and authorized agents—including executors, conservators, legal guardians, and similarly situated persons—to submit claims on behalf of deceased or incapacitated individuals, and directs the Attorney General to account for Indian tribal customs when establishing filing procedures.

This section expands the list of specified diseases eligible for compensation under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to include renal disease, thyroid diseases, and primary cancers of the rectum, prostate, uterus, cervix, and skin, provided onset occurs at least two years after first exposure. It also adds renal disease and thyroid disease to the list of compensable conditions in section 5A(e)(2).

This section extends the authorization of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Fund through 2043 (from 2028). It extends the deadline for filing claims under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act through 2042 (from 2027).

This section authorizes individuals who previously received compensation under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to request additional payments from the Attorney General equal to the difference between the amount they are eligible to receive under the Act as amended by this legislation and the aggregate amount already paid. It also directs the Attorney General to provide medical benefits under section 4(a)(5) to claimants previously compensated under section 4.

This section eliminates the age restriction requiring initial exposure before age 20 for leukemia compensation under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. It reduces the physical presence requirement for eligibility to 1 year (from 2 years). It authorizes the President, upon recommendation of the Attorney General, to designate additional classes of individuals exposed to radiation from atmospheric nuclear testing, uranium mining, milling, core drilling, or Manhattan Project waste disposal as eligible for compensation.

This section requires the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the National Nuclear Security Administration, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, other relevant agencies, and the National Academies, to conduct a study within 18 months on the extent of radioactive fallout from U.S. atmospheric nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific Proving Grounds (1946–1962) that reached the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The study must assess radiation doses, health risks, data gaps, and whether exposure levels support extending eligibility for compensation under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, and the Secretary must submit an unclassified report with any classified annex to the House and Senate committees on Armed Services, Judiciary, Energy, and Natural Resources, and make the unclassified portion publicly available.

This section directs the Director of the National Institutes of Health to conduct two studies evaluating qualified cancer rates among covered descendants of Radiation Exposure Compensation Act claimants and qualified thyroid illnesses among qualified individuals, covered descendants, and certain radiation study participants. It requires reports to Congress within 90 days after each study, authorizes partnerships to establish an international radiation exposure database within one year, and provides appropriations for fiscal years 2027 through 2032. It also expands the national radiation exposure screening and education program to include covered descendants.

This section requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration, to distribute grants under the Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program with minimum awards as follows: at least three in Utah (including one in northern counties), one in Idaho, three in Arizona (including one in southern counties), two in Nevada, two in Colorado, and one each in Montana, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Guam, eastern Washington, southern Ohio, and New Mexico. It also requires at least four awards for mobile clinics serving rural areas in those jurisdictions and appropriates $11.5 million for FY2027, rising annually to $18.094 million for FY2041.