Nuclear Workers Compensation Act

To provide for payment to the survivor or surviving family members of compensation otherwise payable to a contractor employee of the Department of Energy who dies after application for compensation under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Nuclear Workers Compensation Act 2. Payment of compensation to survivors of Department of Energy contractor employees (a) In general Section 3672 of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 ( 42 U.S.C. 7385s–1 3672. Compensation to be provided Subject to the other provisions of this subtitle: (1) Contractor employees (A) In general A covered DOE contractor employee shall receive contractor employee compensation under this subtitle in accordance with section 3673. (B) Compensation after death of contractor employee (i) In general Except as provided in paragraph (2)(B), if the death of a contractor employee occurs after the employee applies for compensation under this subtitle but before such compensation is paid, the amount of compensation described in clause (ii) shall be paid to a survivor (as that term is used in section 3674) of the employee or, if the employee has no such survivors, to the surviving family members of the employee in accordance with the procedures set forth in section 3628(e)(1). (ii) Amount of compensation The amount of compensation described in this clause is the amount of compensation the contractor employee would have received pursuant to section 3673(a), except that if the Secretary cannot determine the minimum impairment rating of the employee under paragraph (1) of such section as a result of the death of the employee, such compensation shall not include compensation pursuant to such paragraph. (2) Survivors (A) In general Except as provided in subparagraph (B) or paragraph (1)(B), a survivor of a covered DOE contractor employee shall receive contractor employee compensation under this subtitle in accordance with section 3674. (B) Election of contractor employee compensation or survivor compensation A survivor who is otherwise eligible to receive compensation pursuant to both subparagraph (A) and paragraph (1)(B) shall not receive compensation pursuant to both subparagraph (A) and paragraph (1)(B), but shall receive compensation pursuant to subparagraph (A) or paragraph (1)(B), as elected by the survivor. (C) Compensation after death of survivor If the death of a survivor occurs after the survivor applies for compensation under this subtitle but before such compensation is paid and, in the case of compensation pursuant to paragraph (1)(B), there are no other survivors (as that term is used in section 3674) of the employee, the amount of compensation the survivor would have received under this section shall be paid to the surviving family members of the employee in accordance with the procedures set forth in section 3628(e)(1). . (b) Applicability The provisions of section 3672 of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 ( 42 U.S.C. 7385s–1

Summary: Nuclear Workers Compensation Act - Amends the Energy Employees Occupational Compensation Program Act of 2000 to replace the current requirements for occupational illness compensation to the survivors of a Department of Energy (DOE) contractor employee. Requires payment to a survivor of the compensation the deceased contractor employee would otherwise have been paid, if the employee dies after applying for the compensation but before receiving it. Requires payment of the compensation, if no survivors exist, to a claimant's surviving family members. Requires a survivor eligible for contractor employee compensation under this Act as well as survivor compensation under the regular compensation schedule for survivors to elect one or the other. Prohibits any payment to a survivor of both kinds of compensation.