Extend Radiation Exposure and Compensation Act beyond 2022

From 1951 to 1962, the United States Government conducted thousands of above and below ground nuclear testing in the Nevada Desert. Fallout from those tests blanked certain areas of Arizona, Nevada and Utah. People living in those designated areas, downwind from the testing areas, are known as "Downwinders."

​On October 5, 1990, the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) was passed by Congress and signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on October 15, 1990. This Act will provide jurisdiction and procedures for claims for compassionate payments for injuries due to exposure to radiation from nuclear testing in designated areas. The RECA Act provides for the monetary compensation of people, including atomic veterans, who contracted cancer and a number of other specified diseases as a direct result of their exposure to atmospheric nuclear testing undertaken by the United States Government during the Cold War, or their exposure to radon gas and other radioactive isotopes while undertaking uranium mining, milling or the transportation of ore.

NOW, THE RECA ACTI S UNDER THREAT OF EXPIRING
On July 10, 2022 the RECA Act funding will expire if Congress does not pass legislation to extend the fund which allows for qualified claimants to file for compensation. Also, free cancer screenings will stop. Screenings are vital, as early detection is the best protection. WE CANNOT LET THE RECA ACT EXPIRE!!!