Senate Passes RECA Expansion Plans Covering Utah, Idaho, New Mexico Downwinders

Senate Republicans have advanced a major tax and spending package known as the "big, beautiful bill," which includes a significant expansion and reauthorization of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) that expired over a year ago. If approved by the House and signed by President Trump, the program will extend eligibility for compensation to downwinders and uranium workers in broader geographic areas, including all of Utah, New Mexico, Idaho, and expanded counties in Arizona, along with certain parts of Missouri, Tennessee, Alaska, and Kentucky related to the Manhattan Project. The bill increases compensation amounts from $50,000–$75,000 to $100,000, reduces residency requirements from two years to one year for some claimants, and extends coverage for uranium workers up to 1990 across multiple states. Advocates and lawmakers, including Missouri GOP Sen. Josh Hawley, have praised the legislation as delivering long-overdue justice for survivors affected by nuclear testing and uranium mining. The program’s new expiration date is set for December 31, 2028, ensuring ongoing support for affected individuals. The expansion addresses gaps left since RECA’s expiration in June 2024, which had left many newly diagnosed individuals without compensation.