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New Mexico
RECA Resource Guide

$100,000 one-time payment for individuals affected by radiation exposure.

Deadline to file: Dec 31, 2027

Congresswoman Leger Fernandez introduced the RECA Amendments Act in 2021. She led the U.S. House of Representatives effort to expand RECA to cover New Mexico downwinders and post '71 uranium miners alongside Senator Ben Ray Lujan, the New Mexico congressional delegation, and New Mexico advocates.

What is RECA?

The RECA Program provides a one-time payment of $100,000 to individuals affected by radiation exposure from the Trinity and other nuclear tests. RECA compensation is now available to New Mexico downwinders and post '71 uranium workers.

How to Apply

Application Deadline: Dec 31, 2027

All claims must be filed by this date.

Visit justice.gov/civil/reca for the latest information.

Option 1: Apply Online

Visit www.justice.gov/civil/reca to access the online application.

Option 2: Apply by Mail

  • Fill out the relevant application form

  • Gather original or certified copies of supporting documents such as:

  • Proof of residence, employment, or onsite participation during a qualifying period

  • Medical records documenting your diagnosis of a compensable disease

  • Identification documentation as described on the claim form

  • Mail everything to the address provided in the application form​

Important Tips:

  • Keep copies of all submitted materials for your records

  • Include your return address

  • Consider using Certified Mail for tracking

Who is Eligible to Apply in New Mexico?

Note: The one-year period does not have to be consecutive; cumulative months across the qualifying periods count.

1. Downwinders

  • Keep copies of all submitted materials for your records

  • Include your return address

  • Consider using Certified Mail for tracking

Presence Requirements:

  • Must have been present in New Mexico for one year between Sep 24, 1944, and Nov 6, 1962 OR

  • For the entirety of Jun 30, 1962 to Jul 31, 1962

  • Note: The one year period does not have to be consecutive; cumulative months across the qualifying periods count.

Qualifying Diseases:

  • Leukemia (other than chronic lymphocytic leukemia)

  • Multiple myeloma

  • Lymphomas (other than Hodgkin's disease)

  • Primary cancers of the: thyroid, male or female breast, esophagus, stomach, pharynx, small intestine, pancreas, bile ducts, gallbladder, salivary gland, urinary bladder, brain, colon, ovary, liver (except if cirrhosis or Hepatitis B is indicated), or lung

2. Uranium Workers

Employment Requirements:

  • Must have been employed as a uranium miner, uranium miller, core driller, in the transport of uranium or vanadium-uranium ore, or involved in remediation efforts at a uranium mine or mill in New Mexico

  • Must have been employed for at least one year or 40 working level months between Jan 1, 1942 and Dec 1, 1990

Qualifying Diseases:

  • Lung cancer

  • Pulmonary fibrosis / fibrosis of the lung

  • Silicosis

  • Pneumoconiosis

  • Cor pulmonale related to fibrosis of the lung

  • Renal cancer

  • Any other chronic renal disease including nephritis and kidney tubal tissue injury

  • Additional Benefit: Qualified uranium workers may also qualify for DOE's Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA), which provides an additional $50,000 payment and medical benefits.

3. Onsite Participants

Presence Requirements:

  • Must have been present onsite above or within a government installation during the atmospheric detonation of a nuclear device before Jan 1, 1963 including at the Trinity Test

Qualifying Diseases:

  • Leukemia (other than chronic lymphocytic leukemia)

  • Multiple myeloma

  • Lymphomas (other than Hodgkin's disease)

  • Primary cancers of the: thyroid, male or female breast, esophagus, stomach, pharynx, small intestine, pancreas, bile ducts, gall bladder, salivary gland, urinary bladder, brain, colon, ovary, liver (except if cirrhosis or Hepatitis B is indicated), or lung

4. Survivors

  • If an eligible individual dies, their survivor may apply for compensation on their behalf. Survivors are considered in the following order:

    • Living spouse

    • Children

    • Parents

    • Grandchildren

    • Grandparents

Free Resources to Help Apply

Important Note: Rather than submitting medical records to prove that you had a qualifying cancer, you may check the box on the application form to authorize DOJ to contact the New Mexico Tumor Registry on your behalf. The Tumor Registry has records for New Mexicans diagnosed with cancer after 1973. If you were diagnosed between 1966 and 1973, the Tumor Registry has only partial records.
 

Remember: There is NO FEE to apply for RECA and there are FREE resources available to help file claims.

University of New Mexico RESEP Program

Provides free assistance in filling out applications and conducts free health screenings.

Northern Navajo RESEP Program (Shiprock)

  • Provides free assistance in filling out applications and conducts free health screenings. Only available to IHS patients.

  • Phone: 505-368-7054 or 505-368-7032

New Mexico Environment Department

Attorney Fees

It is NOT necessary to hire an attorney to submit a RECA claim. However, should you wish to hire an attorney:
 

  • They can only charge you a 2% fee for filing the initial claim

  • They may charge 10% to submit a denied claim

Protect Yourself from Scams

Remember: There is NO FEE to apply for RECA and there are FREE resources available to help file claims.


Do not share your personal records with or pay a fee to anyone you don't trust.

Report Scams:

PAID FOR BY TERESA FOR ALL

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