Details of the expanded RECA program for the St. Louis region
This webpage provides information on the federal Radioactive Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), which Congress expanded in July 2025 to include claims related to Manhattan Project waste in Missouri.
An online claim filing portal is in development. That system is projected to be operational by December 2025. Applicants who elect to file electronically are exempt from regulations requiring submission of certified or original records.
What is RECA?
The Radioactive 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 can be found on the Department of Justice website: justice.gov/civil/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?
Original or certified documents are required when filing a claim by mail. The italicized language below detailing instructions related to certifying documents that prove physical presence is copied from the Radiation Exposure Compensation Program Manhattan Project Waste Claim Form. Please refer to the most updated guidance from the Department of Justice website when filing your claim: https://www.justice.gov/civil/reca.
The mail-in form must be accompanied by certified or original supporting documentation. Failure to submit the required documentation will delay the processing of your claim. If you file electronically, you may upload photocopies of the required records and need not submit certified or original records unless they are requested by the RECA Program. An online claim filing portal is in development. That system is projected to be operational by December 2025. Applicants who elect to file electronically are exempt from regulations requiring submission of certified or original records.
Unless you file electronically, you must provide certain certified or original documents 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.
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.
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
For a complete list of the specific documents accepted for each illness, consult the Medical Records Attachment at the end of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Program Manhattan Project Waste Claim Form.
The U.S. Attorney General may determine that other types of documentation demonstrate that the claimant contracted a specified disease. Please refer to the most updated guidance from the Department of Justice website when filing your claim: https://www.justice.gov/civil/reca.
Do I need to certify documents proving diagnosis?
Original or certified documents are required when filing a claim by mail. The italicized language below detailing instructions related to certifying documents that prove diagnosis is copied from the Radiation Exposure Compensation Program Manhattan Project Waste Claim Form. Please refer to the most updated guidance from the Department of Justice website when filing your claim: https://www.justice.gov/civil/reca.
The mail-in form must be accompanied by certified or original supporting documentation. Failure to submit the required documentation will delay the processing of your claim. If you file electronically, you may upload photocopies of the required records and need not submit certified or original records unless they are requested by the RECA Program. An online claim filing portal is in development. That system is projected to be operational by December 2025. Applicants who elect to file electronically are exempt from regulations requiring submission of certified or original records.
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 in the next few months: https://www.justice.gov/civil/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?
Please refer to the Department of Justice website at: https://www.justice.gov/civil/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 Radioactive 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/.