Background Paper on a Yealsh Plan for the Marsnall Islands Article le-Introeduction P.L. 96-205 requires the Secretary of the interior to develop an integrated, comprehensive health Cats orsgzam. ang aloregran of environmental researcn and mons coring=: for the peeples of the Marshalls for any injury, iliness, or condicion which nay be the resulc direcely or indirecely of the U.S. nuclear weapons testing program. 1. The statute. approved March 12, The pertinent statute is Public Law 96-205, 15380, which provides in section 102: “(a) In addition to anv cther payments or benefits - provided sy law to compensate inhabitants of the atolis of Bikini, Enewetak, Rengelap, and Utirix, in the Marshall Islands for radiation expesure or other losses sustained by chem as a result of the United Staces nuclear weapons testing program at or near the atolls during the pericd 1946 to 1958, the Sacratary of the interior (herein after in chis secticn referred to as the ‘Secretary') shall srovide for the pecple of the atolls of Bikini, Emewetak, Rengelap, and Ctirik and for the people cf such other atolls as may be found ts be or to have been exvesed to radiation from the muclear weapons testing procram, a program of medical Gare and treatment and environmental research and monitoring for any injury, illness, or condition which may be the result directly or indirectly of such muclear weapons testing srogram. The program shall be implemented according to a plan developed Sy the ; mM Secretary in consultation with the Secretaries of Defense, Energy, and Yealth, Education, anc WellZare and with the direct invelvement of representatives from the people of each of the affected atolls and from the government of the Marshall Islands. ‘he plan shall set forth, as appropriate to the situation, condition, and needs of the individual atoll peoples: 05 an integrated, comprehensive health care program including primary, secondary, and tertiary care with special emphasis upon the biological effeces of ionizing radiation; "@ a schedule for the periodiccomprehensive gurvey_and analysis of the radiolegical status of the atolls to and at appropriate intarvals, but not less frequently than once every five years, the development of an updated raciation dose assessment, together wich an estimate of the risks associated wich the predicted human exposure, for aach such atoll; and ‘3S ¢