Congressman Moylan Introduces Parity for Pacific Radiation Survivors ACT to Include GUAM in RECA

Image March 26, 2026 Press Release (Washington, D.C.) — Congressman James Moylan has introduced the Parity for Pacific Radiation Survivors Act , legislation to amend the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) to extend federal recognition and compensation eligibility to Guam residents exposed to nuclear fallout from U.S. weapons testing in the Pacific. The bill updates RECA to include Guam as a downwinder area, extends the qualifying exposure periods to reflect the full timeline of documented fallout, and adds renal disease to the list of compensable conditions. These changes would allow eligible Guam residents who developed qualifying illnesses to apply for federal compensation and formal recognition under RECA, consistent with benefits already provided to other downwind communities. Congressman Moylan has consistently pressed federal agencies, congressional committees, and House and Senate leadership to acknowledge the documented fallout that reached Guam following U.S. nuclear testing in the Pacific. The introduction of this bill continues his long-standing effort to secure long-overdue recognition for Guam’s radiation survivors. “Our community has waited generations for the federal government to acknowledge what the science has already shown,” said Congressman Moylan. “I have fought for this from day one, and I will continue fighting until Guam is fully included and justice is delivered to our survivors and their families.” Federal and declassified reports confirm that Guam was exposed to radioactive fallout from 67 atmospheric nuclear tests conducted in the Marshall Islands between 1946 and 1962. Scientific studies support treating Guam the same as other downwind communities already recognized under federal law. Congressman Moylan also thanked the Pacific Association for Radiation Survivors (PARS), its members, and its President Robert Celestial for their close collaboration with the office and their longstanding advocacy on behalf of Guam’s radiation survivors. He continues to work alongside fellow advocates, survivors, colleagues, and federal partners to correct this decades-long injustice and ensure that Guam is not forgotten. Joining Congressman Moylan in calling for long-overdue federal recognition, Senator Therese Terlaje stressed the need to correct the continued exclusion of Guam’s radiation survivors from RECA coverage. “It is unjust that the U.S. Congress excluded the cancer patients of Guam from RECA coverage, said Senator Terlaje. “Our people suffer the same pain as those in other U.S. jurisdictions as a result of radiation exposure from U.S. nuclear testing. It is both just and urgent that the United States Congress extend federal resources and recognition to the U.S. citizens of Guam who were directly impacted by U.S. nuclear testing in the Pacific and who continue to endure its lasting consequences.” Moylan said the legislation aims to deliver long-overdue recognition to survivors and honor the families of those who spent decades fighting for justice on behalf of Guam’s radiation survivors. “Many of the those who first raised their voices about radiation exposure are sadly no longer with us,” Moylan said. “We owe it to them, and to every family still carrying this burden, to finish what they started and secure the recognition they never lived to see.” ###