Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments
Advisory Committee Established to Review Human Radiation Experiments
What it does
Federal agencies must provide information and support to an advisory committee reviewing U.S. human radiation experiments.
Real-world impact
- May lead to notifying experiment subjects or their descendants about health risks.
- Requires agencies to find and share records about historical radiation tests.
- Brings public scrutiny to mid-20th century tests like the "Green Run".
Topics
Summary
This order creates an Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments of up to 15 presidentially appointed members to review past government radiation experiments and advise an interagency working group. The committee must follow the Federal Advisory Committee Act and will focus on experiments from 1944 to May 30, 1974, with possible sampling of later studies.
The committee can evaluate ethical and scientific standards, review records, recommend policies, and ask agencies to notify former subjects or descendants about potential health risks. Agencies are directed to provide information and funding support as allowed by law.
Questions, answered
Ask questions about this executive order and its implications. Try:
- “What agencies are affected by this order?”
- “How does this order change existing policy?”
- “What are the practical implications of this order?”