Bullhead City, AZ – Representative Paul Gosar, DDS (AZ-09) issued the following statement after reintroducing H.R. 1362 the Downwinders Parity Act, legislation reauthorizing the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) and correcting an administrative oversight in the RECA Act of 1990 that arbitrarily excluded areas of Mohave County, Arizona and Clark County, Nevada:
“Atomic weapons testing conducted during the Cold War at the Nevada Test Site came with a heavy cost to Americans living in Arizona, Nevada and within tribal communities. Every person, known as “downwinders,” who developed cancer or other related illnesses after being exposed to radiation from atomic weapons testing deserves to be compensated by the federal government.
Established by Congress In 1990, RECA provides compensation to downwinders living in certain areas affected by the nuclear weapons testing from 1945 to 1962. Unfortunately, RECA failed to properly define the boundaries of impacted populations and many downwinders that resided in counties in close proximity to where the testing occurred, including in Mohave County, Arizona and Clark County, Nevada, were mistakenly excluded from the program for no logical reason.
Not only were downwinders residing in Mohave and Clark counties closer to the Nevada Test Site than residents in other eligible counties, but they also have the second-highest overall incidence rate of cancer in their respective states.
Since first being elected to Congress, I have worked tirelessly to fix the error that excluded Downwinders from Mohave and Clark Counties from filing claims with the federal government. Congress has a moral responsibility to reauthorize RECA and update it by including both Mohave and Clark counties as affected areas, concluded Congressman Gosar.
Click here to view a copy of the legislation.
Background:
On October 15, 1990, the President enacted RECA (PL 101-426) to provide a fixed, one-time cash benefit to individuals exposed to radiation from atomic weapons testing or uranium mining, and who incurred certain cancers. Specifically, the benefit is provided to individuals present at test sites, downwinders living north or west of the NTS during atmospheric tests, or uranium workers between 1942 and 1971. If the victim is deceased, the benefit can be provided to one surviving family member that must be the individual’s spouse, child, parent, grandchild, or grandparent.
RECA was initially authorized for 20 years. The RECA Amendments of 2000 (PL 106-245) reauthorized the program for another 22 years and included Apache, Coconino, Gila, Navajo, and Yavapai Counties, but only part of Mohave County. Similarly, it only included townships
13 through 16 at ranges 63 through 71 of Clark County, Nevada. Although Congress amended the affected area in Mohave County twice, it still failed to include the entire county. On May 11, 2022, the House passed the RECA Extension Act of 2022 (PL 117-139) to extend RECA
for an additional two years, but without compensation for the entirety of Mohave County or Clark County.
The authorization for RECA expired on June 7, 2024.
Original Cosponsors (8):
Representatives Amodei, Hamadeh, Kennedy, Lee, Maloy, Moore, Owens, Titus
