Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico and a bipartisan group of senators reintroduced the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RESA) Amendments of 2013 on Friday, April 19. Representative Ray Lujan of New Mexico introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives the same day.
This legislation would go beyond previous bills by extending compensation to uranium workers who were employed after December 31, 1971. It also makes all claimants eligible for medical benefits and the maximum compensation of $150,000, and funds an epidemiological study of the health effects of uranium workers and their families, as well as residents near uranium production sites. In addition, the RECA Amendments 2013 expands the recognized downwind areas to include Arizona, Colorado, Guam, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah.
The legislation is cosponsored by the following senators: Michael Bennet (Colo.), Mike Crapo (Idaho), Martin Heinrich (N.M.), James Risch (Idaho), and Mark Udall (Colo.).