Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA)

What is RECA?

The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) is a federal program created to offer financial compensation to individuals who have suffered from specific illnesses due to radiation exposure from atomic weapons testing or uranium industry employment. As of July 3, 2025, Congress has reauthorized claims under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) and extended the RECA Trust Fund. This reauthorization also expands eligibility criteria for compensation. 

RECA Informational Sessions

You can watch a recording of the livestream information session about the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) program that is now available in Missouri. 
Livestreamed: youtube.com/@VisitStChLibrary
PowerPoint: RECA Informational Slides provided by the Office of U.S. Senator Josh Hawley

Eligibility

Current and former St. Louis and St. Charles County residents and individuals who lived, worked, or attended school in impacted zip codes for two or more years after January 1, 1949, and later contracted certain cancers after living, working, or attending school in the impacted zip code will be eligible to receive compensation. Please review the RECA Missouri Resources Eligibility page to see if you're eligible.

If you have any questions or concerns about an individual's qualifications, contact Senator Hawley's RECA hotline/website (contact information below).

Filing a Claim

The Department of Justice is reviewing the amendments to RECA and will provide additional guidance soon. Claimants are encouraged to wait until additional guidance is published before filing a claim. You can file a claim through the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division. This is the only place to apply for benefits from the RECA program.

 In St. Louis and St. Charles County, the affected ZIP codes are 63031, 63033, 63034, 63042, 63045, 63074, 63114, 63135, 63138, 63044, 63121, 63140, 63145, 63147, 63102, 63304, 63134, 63043, 63341, 63368, or 63367.

Below are the schools in the affected St. Charles County ZIP codes:

The St. Charles County government website has a RECA page where users can learn how to obtain documents from government agencies.

Mailing claims
The Civil Division cannot accept emailed applications.

1. Download the claim form for Missouri residents. Other claimant category forms can be found at the DOJ's website.

• Manhattan Project Waste Claim Form

2. 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

3. Submit your completed claim form and documents to the U.S. Department of Justice (address below). Deadline to file: All claims must be filed by December 31, 2027.

Be Aware of Scams

Beware of predatory law firms and scams. Some entities are already trying to exploit Missouri residents by offering unnecessary claim assistance. These scams may try to get you to sign up or pay for services you do not need. 

Report any fraud to the Missouri Attorney General's Consumer Protection hotline at 1-800-392-8222 or email consumerhelp@ago.mo.gov. 

State Contact Information

House Representative Tricia Byrnes (St. Charles County District 63)
Telephone: 573-751-1460 
email: Tricia.Byrnes@house.mo.gov

Senator Josh Hawley
RECA Hotline: 202-228-4388
Submit a RECA question to Senator Hawley

U.S. Department of Justice
Telephone: 1-800-729-RECP (1-800-729-7327)
Email: Civil.RECA@usdoj.gov
Address:
U.S. Department of Justice
Radiation Exposure Compensation Program
P.O. Box 146
Ben Franklin Station
Washington, DC 20044-0146

St. Charles City-County Library can support those seeking to file RECA claims by offering access to research tools and assistance in locating documents that show they lived in an affected community for at least two years after January 1, 1949, such as city directories, phonebooks, yearbooks, and other proof of residency.

Please note: Library staff are not authorized to request official records outside of the Library’s collection on behalf of patrons. All external record requests must be initiated directly by the patron. Staff are available to provide guidance with the process, but the request itself must come from the patron.

Library Assistance

Staff will look up information to support RECA residency using library resources. Please allow the Library two to three weeks to research your request and email you with any documents that were found.

Online Research Request Form

If you would like to meet with a staff member in person for research help, make an appointment. Please fill out the form above before scheduling in-person help.

In-Person Appointments

Vital Records

Marriage Records in St. Charles County

• St. Charles County Marriage Application Portal
• Request a certified copy of a marriage license: 636-949-7509

Missouri Birth Certificates

• Short-form birth certificates are available from the St. Charles County Department of Public Health.
• Long-form birth certificates must be acquired through the Jefferson City Vital Records office and can be ordered through VitalChek.

Missouri Death Certificates

• 1910-1974 death certificates are available online at Missouri Digital Heritage
• Short-form death certificates, which will list the primary cause of death, but not any contributing factors or the home address of the deceased, are available from the St. Charles County Department of Public Health.
• Long-form birth certificates with the home address of the deceased, and primary and secondary causes of death must be acquired through the Jefferson City Vital Records office and can be ordered through VitalChek.

Missouri Cancer Registry
Applicants should check the box Search the Cancer Registry when applying (pages 10 and 14).

The Missouri Cancer Registry and Research Center (MCR) is the designated central cancer registry, located at the University of Missouri within the Department of Public Health in the College of Health Sciences. MCR collects comprehensive data on all diagnosed cancers in Missouri, as required by the mandates outlined in Missouri statutes (192.650, 192.653, 192.655, 192.657 RSMo) and regulations (19 CSR 70-21.010).

Various Documents to Prove Residency

Real Estate Records 

• https://www.sccmo.org/151/Assessor

Voter Registration Records

• Email: election@sccmo.org
• Phone: 636-949-7550
• 397 Turner Blvd.
  St. Peters, MO 63376

Tax Records

• You can request taxpayer history by logging into the IRS account portal or by submitting a form to the IRS.

Phonebooks and City/County Directories

• Contact the Library for research help
• Holdings at Kathryn Linnemann Branch

Yearbooks

• Contact the Library for research help
• Holdings at Kathryn Linnemann Branch

City/County Criminal Records

• Casenet is the Missouri state courts' automated case management system containing records that go back to 1980.

Archdiocese of St. Louis

• The Archdiocese of St. Louis has set up a specific page for RECA research and has kept parish and school records from decades back, including closed schools and parishes.

Other Church Records

• Contact the church in question
• Call the St. Charles Historical Society at 636-946-9828. 

Library Resources

• Ancestry Library Edition
• Heritage Hub (formerly America’s Obituaries and Death Notices)
• Newspaper Archive
• Family Search
• Fold3 Library Edition
• Heritage Quest Online
• My Heritage Library Edition
• St. Louis Post-Dispatch Historical