FAQ for 2025 Expansion of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act

July 28, 2025November 7, 2025 Hazardous Waste

This webpage provides information on the federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), which Congress expanded in July 2025 to include claims related to Manhattan Project waste in Missouri. Please note that due to capacity we are unable to answer individual questions about people’s RECA claims.

What is RECA?

The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) is a federal program that provides one-time benefit payments to individuals or authorized agents of deceased individuals who developed specific diseases after being exposed to radiation related to the United States’ nuclear weapons program.

Am I eligible?

Individuals are eligible for compensation under RECA if they were physically present in an affected area for a period of at least two years after January 1, 1949, and contracted a specified disease after such period of physical presence. View MCE’s RECA Eligibility Decision Tree here.

For more information on the eligibility criteria above, see the following sections:

• What is an affected area and where are they located?
• How do I determine physical presence?
• What is a specified disease and which diseases are included?

Can I apply for someone else?

In limited circumstances, yes. You may make a claim for compensation on behalf of another individual if they are deceased or incapacitated at the time you would submit a claim. In such circumstances, an “authorized agent” of that affected individual, such as an executor of estate, legal guardian, or conservator, may file a claim.

If an individual who qualifies for RECA is deceased at the time of submission of the claim, payments may be made to 1) a surviving spouse or 2) surviving children—if there is no surviving spouse.

What is an affected area and where are they located?

“Affected area” refers to a defined geographical zone. Under RECA, the following 21 zip codes in Missouri are defined as affected areas:

63031, 63033, 63034, 63042, 63043, 63044, 63045, 63074, 63102, 63114, 63121, 63134, 63135, 63138, 63140, 63145, 63147, 63304, 63341, 63367, 63368.

If an individual was “physically present” in an affected area and contracted a “specified disease” under RECA after such a period of physical presence, they are eligible for compensation.

How do I determine “physical presence”?

Individuals are considered to have been physically present in an affected area if their primary residence, place of employment, or school was located in an affected area AND they were present in that affected area for a period of at least two years after January 1, 1949.

Under RECA, if an individual was physically present in an affected area and contracted a specific disease after such a period of physical presence, they are eligible for compensation.

What is a “specified disease” and which diseases are included?

Under RECA, the following diseases are listed as “specified diseases” for which individuals may be eligible for compensation.

Specified Disease	Conditions Related to Disease Onset
Any leukemia	Provided that the initial exposure occurred after 20 years of age and the onset of the disease was at least 2 years after the initial exposure.
Multiple myeloma Lymphoma (other than Hodgkin’s disease) Primary cancer of the– * Bile ducts * Bone * Brain * Breast (male or female) * Colon * Esophagus * Gallbladder * Liver (except if cirrhosis or hepatitis B is indicated) * Lung * Ovary * Pancreas * Pharynx * Renal * Salivary Gland * Small intestine * Stomach * Thyroid * Urinary Bladder	Provided that the onset was at least 2 years after the initial exposure.

If an individual was physically present in an affected area, contracted a specific disease, and meets the conditions related to disease onset listed above, they are eligible for compensation under RECA.

What documentation must I submit to prove that I was physically present in an affected area?

You will need to submit documents made at the time you were present in an affected area that demonstrate you lived, worked, or went to school there for at least two years after January 1, 1949. Documents that are sufficient to prove you were physically present in an affected area during the appropriate time frame include, but are not limited to: 

• Tax Records (property tax rolls)
• School Records
• Employment Records

The U.S. Attorney General may determine that other types of documentation demonstrate that the claimant was physically present. Specific documents that satisfy these requirements may be outlined by the Department of Justice website as program implementation begins: https://www.justice.gov/civil/common/reca.

Please note that the Radiation Program does NOT accept affidavits or abstracts of records that are not attached to the records from which those abstracts are drawn as proof of presence in an affected area.

Do I need to certify documents proving physical presence?

Certified documents have previously been required when filing a claim to this program, but that requirement may be subject to change. In any case, certifying documents only serves to strengthen your claim. The italicized language below detailing instructions related to certifying documents that prove physical presence is copied from the Radiation Exposure Compensation Program Downwinder Claim Form. Please refer to the most updated guidance from the Department of Justice website when filing your claim: https://www.justice.gov/civil/common/reca.

For purposes of filing a claim with the Radiation Program, certain certified or original documents are needed to establish presence in an affected area.  Photocopies of these documents, even if notarized, are not sufficient unless they are certified by the issuing institution.  All original documents will be returned when this claim is resolved. 

Generally, there are two ways to certify documents showing presence:

Certified photocopies are often stamped with the seal of the issuing institution. Typically, these seals are either raised, colored or signed in ink. If you have a document that has been stamped, send us that document. Do NOT photocopy the stamped document and send in the photocopy.

OR

Ask the source of the record to attach a cover letter to the record (signed and dated on letterhead) stating, “the attached record(s) containing [#of pages] pertaining to [name of person in question] is a true and accurate copy of a record kept in our files.” This cover page must be signed in ink and attached to the relevant record(s).

What documentation must I submit to prove that I have been diagnosed with a specified disease?

You will need to submit medical records or reports created by medical professionals that provided care to you for your disease. These documents must have been created during or immediately after the time of care. Documents that are sufficient to prove that you have contracted a specified disease include, but are not limited to:

• pathology report of tissue biopsy or surgical resection
• operative report
• hospital discharge summary report
• physician summary report
• death certificate, dated and signed by a physician
• autopsy report

The U.S. Attorney General may determine that other types of documentation demonstrate that the claimant contracted a specified disease. Specific documents that satisfy these requirements may be outlined by the Department of Justice website as program implementation begins: https://www.justice.gov/civil/common/reca.

For more detailed information on specific reports that may be acceptable for certain diseases, you may view the Medical Records Attachment from the Radiation Exposure Compensation Program Downwinder Claim Form. Please note that since this document was designed for a different group of affected individuals, information may not be available for all diseases now eligible under the recent RECA expansion. Refer to the most updated guidance from the Department of Justice website when filing your claim.

Do I need to certify documents proving diagnosis?

Certified documents have previously been required when filing a claim to this program but that requirement may be subject to change. In any case, certifying documents only serves to strengthen your claim. The italicized language below detailing instructions related to certifying documents that prove diagnosis is copied from the Radiation Exposure Compensation Program Downwinder Claim Form. Please refer to the most updated guidance from the Department of Justice website when filing your claim.

To certify the record, ask your source of the record (hospital or doctor’s office) to attach a cover letter to the record stating, “the attached medical records consisting of [# of] pages pertaining to [the person who became ill] are true and accurate copies of records kept in our files.”

What documentation must I provide to demonstrate out-of-pocket medical expenses?

Compensation for out-of-pocket medical expenses is a new provision in the RECA program. As such, specific information on necessary medical reports and/or billing documents to prove out-of-pocket medical expenses have not yet been released. We expect this information to be updated on the Department of Justice website when applications open: https://www.justice.gov/civil/common/reca.

What compensation might I be entitled to?

Affected individuals are eligible to receive either $50,000 or the total amount of compensation for all documented out-of-pocket medical expenses related to the specified disease they suffered, whichever is greater. In order to receive compensation with respect to medical expenses, related documentation must be submitted on or before December 31, 2028.

If an affected individual is deceased, their surviving spouse is eligible to receive $25,000. If there is no surviving spouse either, surviving children are eligible to receive $25,000. This amount will be paid in equal shares to all surviving children.

What is the deadline to apply?

The deadline to file a claim under RECA is December 31, 2027. To receive compensation with respect to out-of-pocket medical expenses, documentation of those costs must be submitted on or before December 31, 2028. The fund terminates on December 31, 2028.

Where or how do I file a claim under RECA?

The application is not yet live, but the Department of Justice will provide updated guidance at: https://www.justice.gov/civil/common/reca.

My claim was denied. Can I resubmit another claim?

MCE expects the DOJ to allow resubmission of claims no more than three times; however, we will know with certainty once the Department of Justice officially rolls out information regarding the program.

How can I contact the Radiation Exposure Compensation Program?

By telephone: 1-800-729-RECP (1-800-729-7327)

By the U.S. Postal Service:

U.S. Department of Justice
Radiation Exposure Compensation Program
P.O. Box 146
Ben Franklin Station
Washington, DC 20044-0146

By email: Civil.RECA@usdoj.gov

Other contacts:

RECA Hotline, run by the office of Senator Josh Hawley: https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-new-reca-law-to-provide-health-compensation-for-missourians-affected-by-nuclear-contamination/.