§ 7384u — Separate Treatment Of Certain Uranium Employees

(a) An individual who receives, or has received, $100,000 under section 5 of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (42 U.S.C. 2210 note) for a claim made under that Act (hereafter in this section referred to as a “covered uranium employee”), or the survivor of that covered uranium employee if the employee is deceased, shall receive compensation under this section in the amount of $50,000. (b) A covered uranium employee shall receive medical benefits under section 7384t of this title for the illness for which that employee received $100,000 under section 5 of that Act. (c) The compensation and benefits provided in subsections (a) and (b) are separate from any compensation or benefits provided under that Act. (d) The compensation provided under this section and the compensation provided under section 5 of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, when authorized or approved by the President, shall be paid from the compensation fund established under section 7384e of this title. (1) In the case of a covered employee who is deceased at the time of payment of compensation under this section, whether or not the death is the result of the covered employee’s occupational illness, such payment may be made only as follows: (A) If the covered employee is survived by a spouse who is living at the time of payment, such payment shall be made to such surviving spouse. (B) If there is no surviving spouse described in subparagraph (A), such payment shall be made in equal shares to all children of the covered employee who are living at the time of payment. (C) If there is no surviving spouse described in subparagraph (A) and if there are no children described in subparagraph (B), such payment shall be made in equal shares to the parents of the covered employee who are living at the time of payment. (D) If there is no surviving spouse described in subparagraph (A), and if there are no children described in subparagraph (B) or parents described in subparagraph (C), such payment shall be made in equal shares to all grandchildren of the covered employee who are living at the time of payment. (E) If there is no surviving spouse described in subparagraph (A), and if there are no children described in subparagraph (B), parents described in subparagraph (C), or grandchildren described in subparagraph (D), then such payment shall be made in equal shares to the grandparents of the covered employee who are living at the time of payment. (F) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this paragraph, if there is— (i) a surviving spouse described in subparagraph (A); and (ii) at least one child of the covered employee who is living and a minor at the time of payment and who is not a recognized natural child or adopted child of such surviving spouse, (2) If a covered employee eligible for payment dies before filing a claim under this subchapter, a survivor of that employee who may receive payment under paragraph (1) may file a claim for such payment. (3) For purposes of this subsection— (A) the “spouse” of an individual is a wife or husband of that individual who was married to that individual for at least one year immediately before the death of that individual; (B) a “child” includes a recognized natural child, a stepchild who lived with an individual in a regular parent-child relationship, and an adopted child; (C) a “parent” includes fathers and mothers through adoption; (D) a “grandchild” of an individual is a child of a child of that individual; and (E) a “grandparent” of an individual is a parent of a parent of that individual. (f) The President shall establish procedures to identify and notify each covered uranium employee, or the survivor of that covered uranium employee if that employee is deceased, of the availability of compensation and benefits under this section. (g) This section shall take effect on July 31, 2001, unless Congress otherwise provides in an Act enacted before that date.