The measure would extend eligibility to veterans who served during cleanup efforts at Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands, Palomares in Spain, and Thule in Greenland. It would also increase the maximum compensation amount and broaden the list of illnesses covered by the program.
The proposal seeks to address a group of veterans who advocates say has long been excluded from compensation despite documented participation in radiation-related cleanup missions. According to reports, many of those veterans have spent decades living with cancers, heart disease, bone disorders, and other illnesses that may be linked to their service.
Bill Would Expand Compensation Eligibility for Nuclear Cleanup Veterans
The Radiation Exposure Reauthorization Act of 2026 is expected to be introduced by Representative James Moylan of Guam along with a bipartisan group of lawmakers. According to Newsweek, the bill would build on the original Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), which was enacted in 1990 to compensate individuals exposed to radiation through the U.S. nuclear weapons program.
Under the proposal, veterans who participated in cleanup operations at Enewetak Atoll, Palomares, and Thule would become eligible for RECA benefits. The legislation would also raise the maximum one-time compensation payment from $75,000 to $150,000, expand the list of qualifying cancers and illnesses, and extend the filing deadline through Dec. 31, 2042.
Representative Moylan said the proposal would update RECA eligibility to “reflect the realities of U.S. atomic weapons testing.” The legislation also follows changes introduced under the PACT Act in 2022, which recognized veterans from these three locations as having presumptive radiation exposure for Department of Veterans Affairs disability claims. According to Task & Purpose, those veterans have remained outside RECA compensation despite that recognition.
Veterans Describe Lasting Health Effects as Advocates Seek Broader Coverage
The three locations covered by the proposal were all affected by nuclear accidents or weapons testing. Between 1948 and 1958, Enewetak Atoll hosted 43 U.S. nuclear tests, including the country’s first hydrogen bomb detonation. Military personnel returned in the late 1970s to remove radioactive debris and contain contaminated waste.
Task & Purpose reported that Robert Celestial, a former Army sergeant who worked on the Enewetak cleanup in 1977, said his crew did not understand the risks they faced while handling radioactive material. He said many of the soldiers later developed chronic medical conditions, including heart disease, bone disease, and several forms of cancer.
The proposal also covers veterans who participated in cleanup operations after a 1966 hydrogen bomb accident near Palomares, Spain, and following the 1968 crash of a nuclear-armed B-52 bomber near Thule, Greenland. According to Task & Purpose, the National Association of Atomic Veterans estimates that fewer than 6,000 veterans served across the three cleanup missions, with only several hundred believed to still be alive today.
Representative Moylan’s office said the legislation is expected to be introduced in the coming days as supporters work to build bipartisan backing. According to Newsweek, the existing RECA program has paid more than $2.6 billion to over 41,000 claimants since it was created, based on data from the Congressional Research Service.
