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New Mexico House Bill HM15

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

New Mexico House Bill HM15 Compare Versions

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28+HOUSE MEMORIAL 15
29+57
30+TH LEGISLATURE
31+-
32+
33+STATE
34+
35+OF
36+
37+NEW
38+
39+MEXICO
40+
41+-
42+ FIRST SESSION
43+,
44+
45+2025
46+INTRODUCED BY
47+Joseph Franklin Hernandez and Derrick J. Lente
48+and D. Wonda Johnson and Patricia A. Lundstrom
49+and Michelle Paulene Abeyta
2850 A MEMORIAL
2951 RAISING AWARENESS OF THE CHALLENGES EXPERIENCED BY PEOPLE
30-EXPOSED TO RADIATION AND ENCOURAGING THE UNITED STATES
31-CONGRESS TO SUPPORT LEGISLATION TO EXPAND COMPENSATION UNDER
32-THE FEDERAL RADIATION EXPOSURE COMPENSATION ACT.
52+EXPOSED TO RADIATION AND ENCOURAGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS
53+TO SUPPORT LEGISLATION TO EXPAND COMPENSATION UNDER THE FEDERAL
54+RADIATION EXPOSURE COMPENSATION ACT.
3355 WHEREAS, from 1945 to 1962, the United States government
3456 conducted an extensive weapons development program testing
3557 hundreds of nuclear weapons; and
3658 WHEREAS, to provide uranium for the atmospheric nuclear
3759 testing being carried out, the United States hired people to
3860 mine and process uranium in many areas, especially in New
3961 Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada and Utah; and
40-WHEREAS, large uranium deposits were found on or near
41-the Navajo Nation, and many Navajo people were employed to
42-work in the mines; and
43-WHEREAS, thousands of people were exposed to unhealthy
44-and damagingly high doses of radiation through atmospheric
45-nuclear weapons testing or through employment in uranium
46-mining and processing; and
47-WHEREAS, radiation exposure has been linked to many
48-serious illnesses, including leukemia and multiple myeloma;
49-renal failures; breast, bladder, colon, liver, lung,
50-esophageal, ovarian, renal, prostate and stomach cancers;
51-gastrointestinal, neurological and blood disorders; and other HM 15
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62+WHEREAS, large uranium deposits were found on or near the
63+Navajo Nation, and many Navajo people were employed to work in
64+the mines; and
65+.229994.2 underscored material = new
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92+WHEREAS, thousands of people were exposed to unhealthy and
93+damagingly high doses of radiation through atmospheric nuclear
94+weapons testing or through employment in uranium mining and
95+processing; and
96+WHEREAS, radiation exposure has been linked to many
97+serious illnesses, including leukemia and multiple myeloma;
98+renal failures; breast, bladder, colon, liver, lung,
99+esophageal, ovarian, renal, prostate and stomach cancers;
100+gastrointestinal, neurological and blood disorders; and other
78101 conditions leading to debilitation or death; and
79102 WHEREAS, in 1990, the United States congress passed the
80103 federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act; and
81104 WHEREAS, the federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act
82-was designed to provide some compensation to people exposed
83-to radiation through certain atmospheric nuclear weapons
84-tests and uranium mining and processing operations; and
105+was designed to provide some compensation to people exposed to
106+radiation through certain atmospheric nuclear weapons tests and
107+uranium mining and processing operations; and
85108 WHEREAS, the federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act
86109 designated certain areas of Arizona and Utah as official
87110 downwind areas that were downwind of atmospheric nuclear
88-weapons testing, for which compensation would be provided;
89-and
111+weapons testing, for which compensation would be provided; and
90112 WHEREAS, the federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act
91-limited compensation for uranium miners, millers and haulers
92-to those workers employed by the uranium industry before
93-January 1, 1972; and
113+limited compensation for uranium miners, millers and haulers to
114+those workers employed by the uranium industry before January
115+1, 1972; and
94116 WHEREAS, the amount of monetary compensation awarded
95-pursuant to the federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act
96-differs widely according to whether an individual was exposed
97-to radiation due to being in a downwind area or according to
98-the type of uranium industry-related work the individual
99-performed; and
100-WHEREAS, under the strict guidelines of the federal
101-Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, many individuals who
102-have lived downwind from test sites outside of Arizona, HM 15
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129-Nevada and Utah or who worked in the uranium industry were
130-provided no remedy for their radiation exposure; and
131-WHEREAS, on April 28, 2022, United States Senators Ben
132-Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich co-sponsored United States
133-Senate Bill 4119, which was signed by President Joe Biden on
134-June 7, 2022, becoming public law 117-119 and extending the
135-federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act by two years; and
136-WHEREAS, members of New Mexico's congressional
137-delegation are continuing their previous efforts to expand
138-and improve compensation for individuals exposed to
139-radiation; and
145+pursuant to the federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act
146+differs widely according to whether an individual was exposed
147+to radiation due to being in a downwind area or according to
148+the type of uranium industry-related work the individual
149+performed; and
150+WHEREAS, under the strict guidelines of the federal
151+Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, many individuals who have
152+lived downwind from test sites outside of Arizona, Nevada and
153+Utah or who worked in the uranium industry were provided no
154+remedy for their radiation exposure; and
155+WHEREAS, on April 28, 2022, United States Senators Ben Ray
156+Luján and Martin Heinrich co-sponsored United States Senate
157+Bill 4119, which was signed by President Joe Biden on June 7,
158+2022, becoming public law 117-119 and extending the federal
159+Radiation Exposure Compensation Act by two years; and
160+WHEREAS, members of New Mexico's congressional delegation
161+are continuing their previous efforts to expand and improve
162+compensation for individuals exposed to radiation; and
140163 WHEREAS, on May 18, 2023, United States Senate Bill 1751
141164 was introduced by Senators Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich
142165 and fifteen bipartisan co-sponsors to amend and extend the
143166 federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, expanding
144167 eligibility, raising compensation amounts and extending by
145168 nineteen years the expiration date of the federal Radiation
146169 Exposure Compensation Act; and
147-WHEREAS, legislation mirroring Senator Luján's bill was
148-introduced on June 30, 2023 as United States House Resolution
149-4426 by United States Representatives Teresa Leger Fernandez,
150-Melanie Stansbury and Gabe Vasquez and thirty-nine bipartisan
151-co-sponsors; and
152-WHEREAS, in 2024, United States Senator Josh Hawley
153-introduced United States Senate Bill 3853, and in 2025, he HM 15
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198+WHEREAS, legislation mirroring Senator Luján's bill was
199+introduced on June 30, 2023 as United States House Resolution
200+4426 by United States Representatives Teresa Leger Fernandez,
201+Melanie Stansbury and Gabe Vasquez and thirty-nine bipartisan
202+co-sponsors; and
203+WHEREAS, in 2024, United States Senator Josh Hawley
204+introduced United States Senate Bill 3853, and in 2025, he
180205 introduced United States Senate Bill 243 to extend the period
181-for filing claims under the Radiation Exposure Compensation
182-Act and to provide for compensation under that act;
206+for filing claims under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act
207+and to provide for compensation under that act;
183208 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF
184209 REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the United
185-States congress be encouraged to support the passage of
186-United States Senate Bill 243 and any subsequent federal
187-legislation to expand and improve compensation under the
188-federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act; and
210+States congress be encouraged to support the passage of United
211+States Senate Bill 243 and any subsequent federal legislation
212+to expand and improve compensation under the federal Radiation
213+Exposure Compensation Act; and
189214 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
190-transmitted to members of New Mexico's congressional
191-delegation and members of the United States congress.
215+transmitted to members of New Mexico's congressional delegation
216+and members of the United States congress.
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