[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2848 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2848

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 10, 2008

   Mr. Brown introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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. HEALTH CARE BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN NUCLEAR FACILITY WORKERS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Accelerated closure.--The term ``accelerated closure'' 
        means closure of a site on an accelerated schedule, as compared 
        with the schedule of the Department for closure of the site 
        specified in plans of the Department that were in effect on 
        January 1, 2000.
            (2) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the 
        Department of Energy.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.
    (b) Program.--The Secretary, after consultation with collective 
bargaining representatives of eligible workers described in subsection 
(c), shall establish a program to provide health care benefits for the 
eligible workers.
    (c) Eligible Workers.--An individual shall be eligible for benefits 
under the program established under subsection (b) only if the 
individual--
            (1) has been employed by a prime contractor of the 
        Department (including a subcontractor of the contractor) to 
        perform duties, under a contract between the prime contractor 
        and the Department 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 a prime contractor or subcontractor described in 
        paragraph (1) if the employment of the individual had not been 
        terminated as a result of the accelerated closure of the site 
        at which the individual was employed.
    (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 (b) at the same 
level as benefits are provided under the health and welfare benefit 
plans sponsored by the prime contractors described in subsection (c)(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 shall take all necessary actions 
to implement the program under this section through the contractors, 
subcontractors, or the benefit plan administrators of the Department at 
the sites described in subsection (c)(1).
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary such sums as are necessary to carry out 
this section.
                                 <all>