[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6251 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6251

   To provide for health care benefits for certain nuclear facility 
                                workers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 28, 2006

 Mr. Strickland (for himself, Mr. Udall of Colorado, Ms. DeGette, and 
Mr. Brown of Ohio) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                  the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To provide for health care benefits for certain nuclear facility 
                                workers.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy, after consultation with 
collective bargaining representatives of eligible workers described in 
subsection (b), shall establish a program to provide health care 
benefits for such workers.
    (b) Eligible Workers.--An individual shall be eligible for benefits 
under the program established under subsection (a) only if the 
individual--
            (1) has been employed by a Department of Energy prime 
        contractor, or a subcontractor thereof, to perform duties, 
        under a contract between such prime contractor and the 
        Department of Energy for environmental remediation, waste 
        management, decontamination and decommissioning, maintenance, 
        security, and administrative activities, at the Fernald Closure 
        Project (Harrison, Ohio), the Mound Closure Project 
        (Miamisburg, Ohio), or the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology 
        Site (Golden, Colorado); and
            (2) would have qualified for health care benefits available 
        for retirees under the health and welfare benefit plans 
        sponsored by the prime contractors or subcontractors described 
        in paragraph (1) had the individual's employment not been 
        terminated as a result of the accelerated closure of the site 
        at which the individual was employed.
    (c) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term 
``accelerated closure'' means closure of a site on an accelerated 
schedule compared to the Department of Energy's plans for closure of 
such site set forth in its plans that were in place on January 1, 2000.
    (d) Level of Benefits.--To the extent provided in advance in 
appropriations Acts or otherwise available, medical benefits shall be 
provided under the program established under subsection (a) at the same 
level as benefits are provided under the health and welfare benefit 
plans sponsored by the prime contractors described in subsection (b)(1) 
to employees who retired on January 1, 2005.
    (e) Implementation.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall take all necessary 
actions to implement the program under this section through its 
contractors, subcontractors, or the benefit plan administrators at the 
sites described in subsection (b)(1).
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Energy such sums as may be necessary 
to carry out this section.
                                 <all>