S. 3853Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act

1 recorded action22 of these members are on the 2026 ballotWhat the measure does Read on Congress.gov

Sponsor: Josh Hawley [R-MO]
Cosponsors: 6 · 3 Democrats · 2 Republicans · 1 Independent
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Latest action: Mar 11, 2024 · Held at the desk.

IntroducedFeb 29, 2024
Passed the SenateMar 7, 2024
Passed the HouseNot yet reached
Sent to the PresidentNot yet reached
Became lawNot yet reached

What the measure doesCRS summary

Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act

This bill reauthorizes and expands programs that compensate individuals who were exposed to radiation during certain nuclear testing or uranium mining and who subsequently developed medical conditions, including cancers.

Under current law, compensation is payable to individuals based on requirements including the (1) dates when exposure occurred, (2) duration of exposure, (3) type of exposure, and (4) resulting medical condition.

Among other changes to this program, the bill (1) extends the eligible dates when qualifying atmospheric exposure occurred, (2) authorizes compensation to individuals with combined work histories in uranium mining, (3) adds core drilling as an eligible mining occupation, and (4) increases the amount of compensation awarded to qualifying individuals.

The bill also expands this program to compensate individuals located in specified areas in Alaska, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee associated with waste from the Manhattan Project and who subsequently developed specified types of cancer.

The bill extends until five years after this bill's enactment the statute of limitations for the filing of claims.

The bill also expands eligibility under an existing occupational illness compensation program for former Department of Energy employees.

The bill also establishes a grant program for institutions of higher education to study the epidemiological impacts of uranium mining and milling among individuals without occupational exposure.

The bill directs the Government Accountability Office to study and report to Congress on the unmet medical benefits coverage for individuals who were exposed to radiation in atmospheric nuclear tests conducted by the federal government.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, describing S. 3853 as passed Senate on Mar 7, 2024. It is not the text of the measure; a later amendment may have changed what it does.

How every member votedSenate roll call 75

Senate Mar 7, 2024

On Passage of the Bill

S. 3853

Bill Passed

69 Yea 30 Nay 1 not voting

Crossed both parties 22 of 99 voting members broke with their own party: 2 Democrats, 20 Republicans.

Open the official roll call

How the chamber split

One dot per member. Select a seat or a bar to filter the list.

DemocratsIndependentsRepublicansFilled: YeaRing: NayGrey: not voting or present

By party select a segment to filter

All members100 members

Democratic48 members

Independent3 members

Republican49 members

marks half of the votes cast. A party’s majority is the side most of its voting members took.

Cosponsors6 · 3 Democrats · 2 Republicans · 1 Independent

Signing on is not a vote: a member can cosponsor S. 3853 and vote against it. 0 signed when it was filed.

DBen Ray Luján [D-NM]Joined Mar 5, 20242026 profile

RMike Crapo [R-ID]Joined Mar 5, 2024

REric Schmitt [R-MO]Joined Mar 5, 2024

DMartin Heinrich [D-NM]Joined Mar 5, 2024

DMark Kelly [D-AZ]Joined Mar 5, 2024

IKyrsten Sinema [I-AZ]Joined Mar 6, 2024

Who lobbied on S. 38534 organizations

Organizations that named S. 3853 in a lobbying disclosure. Only those that cited the bill by number appear, so this is a floor, not a full list.

FRIENDS COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL LEGISLATION

Budget/Appropriations · Defense · Foreign Relations · Law Enforcement/Crime/Criminal Justice +6 more4 filings · 4th Quarter (Oct 1 - Dec 31) 2024Filing

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA

Education · Science/Technology · Budget/Appropriations · Aviation/Airlines/Airports +9 more4 filings · 1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2024Filing

AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION

Budget/Appropriations · Health Issues · Firearms/Guns/Ammunition · Agriculture +4 more3 filings · 4th Quarter (Oct 1 - Dec 31) 2024Filing

UNITED STEEL PAPER & FORESTRY RUBBER MANUFACTURING ENERGYfiled by UNITED STEEL, PAPER & FORESTRY, RUBBER, MANUFACTURING, ENERGY

Trade (domestic/foreign) · Labor Issues/Antitrust/Workplace · Budget/Appropriations · Economics/Economic Development +8 more2 filings · 4th Quarter (Oct 1 - Dec 31) 2024Filing

13 disclosures name this measure. Retrieved from LDA.gov on 2026-10-04. Senate Office of Public Records cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from LDA.gov.