Title 10Armed ForcesRelease 119-83

§6264 Programs for Persons Who May Have Been Exposed to Radiation Released From Hanford Nuclear Reservation

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— General Military Law › Part VI— ELEMENTS OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND OTHER MATTERS › Subpart B— Atomic Energy Defense › Chapter 606— PERSONNEL MATTERS › Subchapter III— WORKER SAFETY › § 6264

Last updated Apr 18, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Energy must give $3,000,000 to Washington, $1,000,000 to Oregon, and $1,000,000 to Idaho from funds authorized under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1991. Those funds must pay for programs to help people who may have been exposed to radiation from the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Richland, Washington between 1944 and 1972. The three States must make one joint plan and send it to the Secretary of Energy and Congress by May 5, 1991, and then send one report on how the plan was carried out by May 5, 1992. The programs may only do three things: give information about radiation and health, set up referrals to doctors who know about radiation effects, and look into registering and monitoring exposed people. The States must consult with ongoing radiation dose and health studies (including the CDC’s Hanford Thyroid Disease Study and DOE’s Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project) and not harm those studies. Information that identifies people in these programs must be kept private unless the person or their legal representative signs written consent. The States must create uniform rules for consent, use and future handling of the Hanford Health Information Network database, and enforcement.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §6264

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Of the funds authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Energy under title XXXI of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1991 (Public Law 101–510), the Secretary of Energy shall make available $3,000,000 to the State of Washington, $1,000,000 to the State of Oregon, and $1,000,000 to the State of Idaho. Such funds shall be used to develop and implement programs for the benefit of persons who may have been exposed to radiation released from the Department of Energy Hanford Nuclear Reservation (Richland, Washington) between the years 1944 and 1972.
(b)The programs to be developed by the States may include only the following activities:
(1)Preparing and distributing information on the health effects of radiation to health care professionals, and to persons who may have been exposed to radiation.
(2)Developing and implementing mechanisms for referring persons who may have been exposed to radiation to health care professionals with expertise in the health effects of radiation.
(3)Evaluating and, if feasible, implementing, registration and monitoring of persons who may have been exposed to radiation released from the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.
(c)(1)The States of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho shall jointly develop a single plan for implementing this section.
(2)Not later than May 5, 1991, such States shall submit to the Secretary of Energy and Congress a copy of the plan developed under paragraph (1).
(3)Not later than May 5, 1992, such States shall submit to the Secretary of Energy and Congress a single report on the implementation of the plan developed under paragraph (1).
(4)In developing and implementing the plan, such States shall consult with persons carrying out current radiation dose and epidemiological research programs (including the Hanford Thyroid Disease Study of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project of the Department of Energy), and may not cause substantial damage to such research programs.
(d)(1)Except as provided in paragraph (2), a person may not disclose to the public the following:
(A)Any information obtained through a program that identifies a person who may have been exposed to radiation released from the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.
(B)Any information obtained through a program that identifies a person participating in any of the programs developed under this section.
(C)The name, address, and telephone number of a person requesting information referred to in subsection (b)(1).
(D)The name, address, and telephone number of a person who has been referred to a health care professional under subsection (b)(2).
(E)The name, address, and telephone number of a person who has been registered and monitored pursuant to subsection (b)(3).
(F)Information that identifies the person from whom information referred to in this paragraph was obtained under a program or any other third party involved with, or identified by, any such information so obtained.
(G)Any other personal or medical information that identifies a person or party referred to in subparagraphs (A) through (F).
(H)Such other information or categories of information as the chief officers of the health departments of the States of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho jointly designate as information covered by this subsection.
(2)Information referred to in paragraph (1) may be disclosed to the public if the person identified by the information, or the legal representative of that person, has consented in writing to the disclosure.
(3)The States of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho shall establish uniform procedures for carrying out this subsection, including procedures governing the following:
(A)The disclosure of information under paragraph (2).
(B)The use of the Hanford Health Information Network database.
(C)The future disposition of the database.
(D)Enforcement of the prohibition provided in paragraph (1) on the disclosure of information described in that paragraph.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Title XXXI of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1991, referred to in subsec. (a), is title XXXI of div. C of Pub. L. 101–510, Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1824. For complete classification of title XXXI to the Code, see Tables.

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 2734 of Title 50, War and National Defense, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 119–60, § 3111(b)(1).

Amendments

2025—Pub. L. 119–60, § 3111(d)(2)(B), realigned margins.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 6264

Title 10Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 18, 2026

Release point: 119-83