Energy Employees Compensation Initiative- The
conferees are very concerned about the Department's lackluster performance to
date in processing the employee claims under Subtitle D of the Energy Employees
Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) of 2000. The conferees
do not adopt the Senate proposal to transfer responsibility for processing the
Subtitle D claims from the Department of Energy to the Department of Labor.
However, if the Department does not show significant improvement in processing
Subtitle D claims during fiscal year 2004, the conferees will consider
seriously such a transfer next fiscal year. The conferees also encourage the
Department to work with the authorizing committees to streamline Subtitle D of
the EEOICPA. Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act,
the Secretary of Energy shall submit to the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate
and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a
report on administrative expenditures of the Department for the EEOICPA.