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Radiation Exposure Compensation: Funding to Pay Claims May Be Inadequate to Meet Projected Needs

GAO-03-481 Published: Apr 10, 2003. Publicly Released: Apr 10, 2003.
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Highlights

On October 15, 1990, the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) was enacted providing for payments to individuals who contracted certain cancers and other serious diseases presumably as a result of their exposure to radiation released during aboveground nuclear weapons tests or as a result of their employment associated with the uranium mining industry during the Cold War era. The RECA Amendments of 2000 required that GAO report to the Congress on the Department of Justice's administration of RECA not later than 18 months after the enactment of the amendments and every 18 months thereafter. GAO originally reported on the status of the program in September 2001. The objectives of this report are to update information on claims processing, payments from the Trust Fund, and administrative expenses.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Justice The Attorney General should consult with the congressional committees of jurisdiction to develop a strategy to address the gap between current funding levels and the amount of funding needed to pay claims projected to be approved over the 2003-2011 period.
Closed – Implemented
On May 14, 2003, representatives from the Department of Justice met with staff from both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, and Senator Domenici's staff, as recommended by GAO, to discuss the projected funding shortfall in the program. The Department is committed to working closely with Congress to resolve the problem as soon as possible.

Full Report

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Topics

Administrative costsClaims processingClaims settlementHealth hazardsPayRadiation exposure hazardsTrust fundsUraniumRadiation exposureFunding shortfall