§7385s–10 Administrative Matters

Summary

The Secretary must run and manage this part of the law and can hire people or groups by contract to help. The Secretary of Energy must give the Secretary all records and files that matter for running the program, in any form (paper, electronic, imaged, or other). The Secretary of Energy must keep those records arranged the same way and provide descriptions or indexes to help the Secretary use them. The Secretary of Energy and the Secretary must work together to find records for contractor employee claims, including work history, exposure to things like beryllium, radiation, silica, or other toxic substances, and medical treatment records. If the Secretary asks, the Secretary of Energy and any contractor who employed the worker must give requested information or documents within the time the Secretary sets. The Secretary must write the rules needed to run the program. The first set of rules must be issued no later than 210 days after October 28, 2004, and interim final rules can be used to meet deadlines. The Secretary must begin running the program no later than 210 days after October 28, 2004. Until then, the Department of Energy Physicians Panels appointed under part D will finish deciding any cases they had pending on October 28, 2004, and the Secretary must identify other part D activities that should continue until the program starts. Any application filed earlier with the Secretary of Energy under part D will be treated as a claim filed with the Secretary when the program begins.