Reform of Energy Workers Compensation Act

Bill: 108-hr-1758
Sponsor: Rep. Strickland, Ted [D-OH-6]
Introduced: 2003-04-10 in the House
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Administrative remedies
Armed Forces and National Security
Beryllium
Cancer
Chronically ill
Claims
Collection of accounts
Commerce
Compensation (Law)
Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Debtor and creditor
Defense industries
Department of Energy
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Labor
Economics and Public Finance
Electronic government information
Energy
Environmental Protection
Epidemiology
Evidence (Law)
Executive reorganization
Families
Federal advisory bodies
Federal employees
Federal-local relations
Federal-state relations
Finance and Financial Sector
Forfeiture
Fraud
Government Operations and Politics
Government contractors
Government liability
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Government trust funds
Governmental investigations
Health
Health insurance
Insurance
Intergovernmental fiscal relations
Judicial review
Kidney diseases
Labor unions
Law
Legal fees
Limitation of actions
Lung cancer
Medical records
Medical screening
Medical tests
Nuclear energy research
Nuclear facilities
Nuclear weapons
Occupational health and safety
Ombudsman
Physicians
Prisoners
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Radiation victims
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Social security numbers
Subcontractors
Survivors' benefits
Uranium
Workers' compensation

Summary:
action_date: 2003-04-10
text: 
Reform of Energy Workers Compensation Act - Amends the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 (EEOICPA) to provide for worker compensation benefit payments to contractor employees of the Department of Energy (DOE) who were exposed to toxic substances at DOE facilities. (This new subtitle D replaces the current provisions for DOE assistance to such employees in State workers compensation proceedings.) Requires DOE to review claims and determine causation within specified time limits (with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) continuing to appoint members of physician review panels for diagnosing such occupational illnesses).
 
Requires the Secretary of Energy to appoint a Worker Advocacy Advisory Committee to advise on claims procedures and related matters.
 
Directs the Secretary of Labor, acting as a third-party administrator for DOE, to pay such benefits from the EEOICPA fund for claimants approved by DOE. Requires the Secretaries of Energy and of Labor to ensure that such claims are resolved in a nonadversarial manner. 
 
Revises EEOIPA subtitle B program administration provisions to add as covered illnesses: (1) chronic renal disease, for uranium workers; and (2) lung cancer, among beryllium-related diseases. Revises provisions relating to: (1) a special exposure cohort expansion procedure; (2) the radioepidemiologic model for determining compensation; and (3) additional specified cancers. Provides for coverage of individuals employed by atomic weapons employers or beryllium employees during a period of residual contamination. 
Requires the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to report to Congress on its access to information relating to performing radiation dose reconstructions. 
Provides administrative assistance for claimants under either subtitle B or D, including administrative relief and proof where medical records are not available, resource centers, and outreach programs. Establishes within the Office of the Secretary of Labor the Office of the Ombudsman for Occupational Illness Compensation, which is to coordinate activities of the Secretaries of Labor, Energy, and HHS under EEOICPA.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-05-05
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims.
action_date: 2003-05-02
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
action_date: 2003-04-10
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2003-04-10
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2003-04-10
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2003-04-10
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2003-04-10
text: Introduced in House