On-site participants
- WHO
- Veterans and contractors physically present at U.S. nuclear test sites during atmospheric testing (1945–1962).
- PAYS
- $75,000 to eligible claimants, offset by certain VA awards for the same illness.
- DEADLINE
- December 31, 2027
§1
What RECA is
Between 1944 and 1962, the United States tested nuclear weapons above ground — first at the Trinity site in southern New Mexico, then for over a decade at the Nevada Test Site, about sixty-five miles northwest of Las Vegas. Fallout from those tests drifted east on prevailing winds, across desert and into the towns and ranches of Utah, Idaho, New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada. Most of the people downwind were never told the risks. Many years later, a disproportionate number of them developed cancer.
The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act of 1990 is the federal government’s response to that history. It pays a one-time award to people who lived in affected areas during the testing era and later developed a covered illness — and to certain surviving family members when the affected person has died. The program is run by the Department of Justice. Filing is free, and a lawyer is not required.
The 2025 reauthorization (signed July 4, 2025) extended the program through December 31, 2027 and broadened the affected geography to the whole states of Utah, Idaho, and New Mexico, plus listed counties in Arizona and Nevada and specific townships in Clark County, Nevada. This page reads the current rules against the answers you provide so you can see how they apply to your situation. It does not decide eligibility — that is the Department of Justice’s job — but it shows you what the rules say.
Downwinder affected-area map
This map shows affected areas for the Downwinder RECA category only. Uranium workers and on-site participants have different covered geographies.
Coverage by area
RECA’s downwinder provisions cover particular places and years, each defined a little differently.
How the map is marked
- Whole state Idaho, New Mexico, and Utah
- Listed counties Listed counties in Arizona and Nevada
- Specific townships Township ranges in Clark County, Nevada
Select an area on the map, or a heading above or below, to see its coverage.
Affected areas
- Idaho
- Whole state, 1951–1962
- New Mexico
- Whole state, 1944–1962
- Utah
- Whole state, 1951–1962
- Arizona — Coconino, Yavapai, Navajo, Apache, Gila, Mohave
- Affected counties, 1951–1962
- Nevada — Eureka, Lander, Lincoln, Nye, White Pine
- Affected counties, 1951–1962
- Nevada — Clark County
- Townships 13–16 at ranges 63–71 only, 1951–1962
Who RECA is for
RECA covers four populations exposed to radiation from U.S. nuclear weapons activity. This page walks downwinders through the eligibility criteria; if you fit one of the other categories, the Department of Justice’s RECA portal is the right starting point.
Downwinders
- WHO
- Lived in affected areas of Utah, Idaho, New Mexico, Arizona, or Nevada during the 1944–1962 atmospheric testing era and later developed a covered illness.
- PAYS
- $100,000 to eligible claimants.
- DEADLINE
- December 31, 2027
Uranium workers
- WHO
- Workers in uranium mines, mills, or ore-transport jobs in the Mountain West and adjacent states (employment window extended through December 31, 1990 by the 2025 reauthorization).
- PAYS
- $100,000 to eligible claimants.
- DEADLINE
- December 31, 2027
Manhattan Project waste affected
- WHO
- People exposed to radiation from Manhattan Project waste storage sites — a new category added by the 2025 reauthorization, covering specific locations and timeframes.
- PAYS
- Set by Public Law 119-21 — see the DOJ portal for current amounts.
- DEADLINE
- December 31, 2027
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Before we start: how are you using this site right now?
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Who are we checking the rules for?
Pick the person these questions are about — even if you're the one typing for them. This just sets which questions come next; nothing here is a decision about eligibility. You can change it anytime.
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Where did the affected person live during the testing era?
Add one row per residence within the testing window. The county list narrows to RECA-relevant counties once you pick a state.
-
Add a state, county, and at least a start year to confirm.
Rule reference Criterion: where you lived
- COVERS
Whole states: New Mexico, Utah, Idaho.
Arizona counties
- Coconino
- Yavapai
- Navajo
- Apache
- Gila
- Mohave
Nevada counties
- White Pine
- Nye
- Lander
- Lincoln
- Eureka
Clark County, Nevada
- Townships 13 through 16
- Ranges 63 through 71
This page cannot resolve Public Land Survey System townships from an address.
- TIME WINDOW
- Most affected areas Jan 21, 1951 Nov 6, 1962 New Mexico Sep 24, 1944 Nov 6, 1962 (starts earlier)
- NOT COVERED
Outside the listed states, counties, and Clark County township/range limits.
Rule reference Criterion: how long you lived there
- COVERS
- New Mexico Sep 24, 1944 Nov 6, 1962 (at least 1 year cumulative)Any affected area Jan 21, 1951 Nov 6, 1962 (at least 1 year cumulative)Any affected area Jun 30, 1962 Jul 31, 1962 (the entire period)
- TIME WINDOW
- Sep 24, 1944 Nov 6, 1962 Jan 21, 1951 Nov 6, 1962 Jun 30, 1962 Jul 31, 1962
- NOT COVERED
Less than the listed time in an affected area, unless the full June-July 1962 period is met.
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Which condition was the affected person diagnosed with?
Select all that apply. Having more than one condition is common, and we note each one.
For each condition you check, enter the date of diagnosis. A year is enough if you don't recall the month — records can help confirm it later.
Rule reference Criterion: covered diagnosis
- QUALIFIES
Leukemia other than CLL
- Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
- Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
- Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)
- Hairy cell leukemia
- Other leukemia (not CLL)
Multiple myeloma
- Multiple myeloma
Lymphoma other than Hodgkin's
- Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)
- Follicular lymphoma
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (other / unspecified subtype)
Listed primary cancers
- Primary thyroid cancer
- Primary breast cancer (male or female)
- Primary esophageal cancer
- Primary stomach cancer
- Primary pharyngeal cancer
- Primary small intestine cancer
- Primary pancreatic cancer
- Primary bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma)
- Primary gall bladder cancer
- Primary salivary gland cancer
- Primary urinary bladder cancer
- Primary brain cancer
- Primary colon cancer
- Primary ovarian cancer
- Primary liver cancer (excluding cirrhosis- or Hepatitis-B-caused)
- Primary lung cancer
- NOT COVERED
A few close relatives of the covered diagnoses are specifically not on the downwinder list.
- CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia)
- Hodgkin's lymphoma
- cirrhosis-caused liver cancer
- Hepatitis-B-caused liver cancer
- LATENCY
Leukemia: onset at least 2 years after first exposure, and first exposure after age 20.
All other listed diseases: onset at least 5 years after first exposure.
- NOTES
This list reflects the conditions named in RECA's downwinder rules. The Justice Department's current list controls.
The timing rules depend on first exposure and diagnosis dates. This page uses the dates entered below as a guide; a clinic or attorney can walk through the timing with you.
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Survivor only
Relationship & cascade
Cascade order:
- Spouse
- Children
- Parents
- Grandchildren
- Grandparents
Step 1 of 5
What was your relationship to the affected person?
§9.5
How would you like to proceed?
This only sets up how the reading is framed; it is not a legal decision.
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