HR 4290 Re-checks Congress.gov for new actions and updates the bill's status, and fills in any sponsors, committees, or related bills that are missing. It does not re-pull sponsors/cosponsors/committees/related — those rarely change — and it skips all work if nothing has changed upstream, so it's cheap to click.
Downwinder Commemoration Act of 2025
To direct the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Air Force, and the Secretary of the Interior to obtain and place plaques honoring the Downwinder communities of New Mexico, who suffered detrimental health effects as a result of exposure to radioactive fallout.
Summary
This bill directs the Secretaries of the Army, Air Force, and Interior to obtain and place three honorific plaques commemorating Downwinder communities of New Mexico. Downwinder communities refer to residents who suffered detrimental health effects, including cancer and infertility, from exposure to radioactive fallout following the detonation of the first atomic bomb on July 16, 1945. The three plaques must be placed within one year of the bill's enactment at publicly accessible locations: one at White Sands Missile Range, one at Holloman Air Force Base, and one at White Sands National Park, all in New Mexico. The three Secretaries are to coordinate jointly with other relevant departments and agencies in obtaining and placing the plaques.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Rep. Vasquez, Gabe [D-NM-2] (D-NM)
1 cosponsor
Actions (7)
- Apr 21, 2026 Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by Unanimous Consent. · house
- Apr 21, 2026 Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held · house
- Apr 21, 2026 Subcommittee on Federal Lands Discharged · house
- Mar 18, 2026 Subcommittee Hearings Held · house
- Mar 11, 2026 Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands. · house
- Jul 2, 2025 Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. · house
- Jul 2, 2025 Introduced in House
More bills on these subjects (8)
Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Text versions (1)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 2, 2025
Mr. Vasquez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Air Force, and the Secretary of the Interior to obtain and place plaques honoring the Downwinder communities of New Mexico, who suffered detrimental health effects as a result of exposure to radioactive fallout.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Downwinder Commemoration Act of 2025”.
SEC. 2. PLAQUES HONORING DOWNWINDER COMMUNITIES OF NEW MEXICO.
(a) Finding.—Congress finds that the Downwinder communities of New Mexico suffered generations of detrimental health effects, including cancer and infertility, as a result of exposure to radioactive fallout following the detonation of the first atomic bomb on July 16, 1945.
(b) Honorific Plaques.—Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Air Force, and the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the heads of such other departments and agencies as the Secretaries determine appropriate, shall jointly obtain three honorific plaques of an appropriate design to commemorate the Downwinder communities of New Mexico.
(c) Placement of Plaques.—Of the three plaques obtained under subsection (b)—
(1) the Secretary of the Army shall place one plaque at an appropriate, publicly accessible location at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico;
(2) the Secretary of the Air Force shall place one plaque at an appropriate, publicly accessible location at the Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico; and
(3) the Secretary of the Interior shall place one plaque at an appropriate, publicly accessible location at White Sands National Park, New Mexico. <all>
Comments