Representatives from the offices of Representative Mike Simpson, Senator Crapo, and Senator Jim Risch have been visiting southeast Idaho to make sure that as many constituents as possible are aware of changes to a program that may potential be worth $100,000 to surviving family members of those killed by certain kinds of cancer who lived in Idaho, Utah, or Wyoming during the nuclear testing that occurred in the 1951-1962 time period.  

As they explained, the federal government has expanded the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) to include Idaho residents who may have been exposed to radioactive fallout from Cold War-era nuclear weapons testing. For decades, many Idaho “downwinders” were excluded from the program, but legislation enacted in 2025 through the efforts of Idaho’s congressional delegation (especially the office of Senator Crapo) added the entire state of Idaho to the list of eligible areas. Under the expanded program, qualifying individuals—or their surviving family members—may receive a tax-free payment of $100,000 if they developed certain cancers linked to radiation exposure and can show they lived in Idaho during the covered period between 1951 and 1962. The law also allows spouses, children, and grandchildren to file claims on behalf of deceased relatives who would have qualified. Claims must generally be filed by December 31, 2027, and applicants must provide documentation of both residency and a covered medical condition. Supporters of the expansion say it provides long-overdue recognition and compensation for Idaho families who may have suffered health effects from radioactive fallout generated by nuclear testing in the American West during the 1950s and early 1960s.

The story of Idaho’s downwinders compensation program stretches back more than three decades. Congress first passed the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) in 1990 as a no-fault program to compensate people who developed certain cancers and other serious illnesses after exposure to radiation from U.S. nuclear weapons testing and uranium industry activities during the Cold War. The law originally covered only specific counties in Utah, Nevada, and Arizona for “downwinders,” while Idaho residents were excluded despite longstanding concerns that radioactive fallout from atmospheric nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site affected communities across the state. Congress expanded RECA in 2000, but Idaho still remained outside the covered area. 

For years, Idaho lawmakers, advocacy groups, and affected families pushed for inclusion, arguing that fallout patterns did not stop at state lines. Their efforts culminated in 2025 when Congress reauthorized and significantly expanded RECA through legislation signed on July 4, 2025. The expansion added the entire state of Idaho as an eligible downwinder area, reopened the claims process after the program had expired in 2024, and extended the deadline for filing claims until December 31, 2027. 

The areas covered now are the entire states of Idaho, Utah, and New Mexico, with certain counties in Arizona and Nevada.

The 2025 amendments also increased compensation for qualifying downwinders from $50,000 to $100,000, matching the amount available to uranium workers. The revised law allows surviving spouses, children, grandchildren, and other eligible heirs to file claims on behalf of deceased family members who would have qualified. Applicants generally must show they lived in Idaho during the covered fallout period—primarily 1951-1962—and were diagnosed with a qualifying cancer or other covered disease.

A workshop will be held in Pocatello at the Pocatello City Hall chambers on June 22 and 23 from 9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. to explain the program and provide free filing assistance for those who believe a member of their family may qualify.  The times are arranged specifically according to the first letter of the last name of the affected individual, as follows:

June 22 - 9-11am: A-F, 1-3pm: G-L; 

June 23 – 9-11am: M-S; 1-3pm: T-Z.

More information can be found by visiting www.justice.gov/civil/reca or by contacting the offices of any of Idaho’s congressional elected officials.