HM 15 — PEOPLE EXPOSED TO RADIATION

HOUSEA MEMORIAL 15RAISING 57THAWARENESS LEGISLATUREOF -STATEOFNEWMEXICO-THE FIRSTCHALLENGES SESSION,EXPERIENCED 2025BY INTRODUCEDPEOPLE BYEXPOSED JosephTO FranklinRADIATION HernandezAND andENCOURAGING DerrickTHE J.UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO SUPPORT LEGISLATION TO EXPAND COMPENSATION UNDER THE FEDERAL RADIATION EXPOSURE COMPENSATION ACT.

Lente7 andWHEREAS, D.from 1945 to 1962, the United States government conducted an extensive weapons development program testing hundreds of nuclear weapons;

Wondaand JohnsonWHEREAS, to provide uranium for the atmospheric nuclear testing being carried out, the United States hired people to mine and Patriciaprocess A.uranium in many areas, especially in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada and Utah;

Lundstrom and MichelleWHEREAS, Paulenelarge Abeytauranium 8deposits 10were Afound MEMORIALon RAISINGor AWARENESSnear OFthe THENavajo CHALLENGESNation, EXPERIENCEDand BYmany PEOPLENavajo EXPOSEDpeople TOwere RADIATIONemployed ANDto ENCOURAGINGwork THEin UNITEDthe STATESmines; CONGRESS TO SUPPORT LEGISLATION TO EXPAND COMPENSATION UNDER THE FEDERAL RADIATION EXPOSURE COMPENSATION ACT.

16and WHEREAS, fromthousands 1945of topeople 1962,were theexposed Unitedto Statesunhealthy governmentand edamagingly thigh 17doses conductedof anradiation extensivethrough weaponsatmospheric developmentnuclear programweapons testing wor lthrough nemployment din 18uranium hundredsmining ofand nuclearprocessing; weapons;

and = = 19 a l WHEREAS, to provide uranium for the atmospheric nuclear i a e r 20 testing being carried out, the United States hired people to a t m m 21 mine and process uranium in many areas, especially in New d r e 22 Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada and Utah;

and c e s k 23 WHEREAS, large uranium deposits were found on or near the e a n b 24 Navajo Nation, and many Navajo people were employed to work in u [ the mines;

and .229994.2 WHEREAS, thousands of people were exposed to unhealthy and damagingly high doses of radiation through atmospheric nuclear weapons testing or through employment in uranium mining and processing;

and other HM 15 Page 1 conditions leading to debilitation or death;

and e t 17 WHEREAS, the federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act w l n d 18 designated certain areas of Arizona and Utah as official = = 19 a l downwind areas that were downwind of atmospheric nuclear i a e r 20 weapons testing, for which compensation would be provided;

and a t m m 21 WHEREAS, the federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act d r e 22 limited compensation for uranium miners, millers and haulers to c e s k 23 those workers employed by the uranium industry before January e a n b 24 1, 1972;

and u [ WHEREAS, the amount of monetary compensation awarded .229994.2 - 2 - pursuant to the federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act differs widely according to whether an individual was exposed to radiation due to being in a downwind area or according to the type of uranium industry-related work the individual performed;

and WHEREAS, under the strict guidelines of the federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, many individuals who have lived downwind from test sites outside of Arizona, HM 15 Page 2 Nevada and Utah or who worked in the uranium industry were provided no remedy for their radiation exposure;

and WHEREAS, members of New Mexico's congressional delegation e t 17 are continuing their previous efforts to expand and improve w l n d 18 compensation for individuals exposed to radiation;

and = = 19 a l WHEREAS, on May 18, 2023, United States Senate Bill 1751 i a e r 20 was introduced by Senators Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich a t m m 21 and fifteen bipartisan co-sponsors to amend and extend the d r e 22 federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, expanding c e s k 23 eligibility, raising compensation amounts and extending by e a n b 24 nineteen years the expiration date of the federal Radiation u [ Exposure Compensation Act;

and .229994.2 - 3 - WHEREAS, legislation mirroring Senator Luján's bill was introduced on June 30, 2023 as United States House Resolution 4426 by United States Representatives Teresa Leger Fernandez, Melanie Stansbury and Gabe Vasquez and thirty-nine bipartisan co-sponsors;

and WHEREAS, in 2024, United States Senator Josh Hawley introduced United States Senate Bill 3853, and in 2025, he HM 15 Page 3 introduced United States Senate Bill 243 to extend the period for filing claims under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act and to provide for compensation under that act;

and e t 17 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be w l n d 18 transmitted to members of New Mexico's congressional delegation = = 19 a l and members of the United States congress.

iHM a15 ePage r 20 - 4 -25 a t m m 21 d r e 22 c e s k 23 e a n b 24 u [ .229994.2