---
type: "LegalText"
title: "42 U.S.C. § 7385s"
description: "Definitions"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 42
title_name: "THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE"
chapter_number: "84"
chapter_name: "DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY"
section: "7385s"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 7385s"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc42@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t42/s7385s"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-42/usc42.xml"
source_hash: "c47b2c5583119d3ffc31f7d6d19e1600cd412e60a883f4d9728026562c1b663d"
raw_snapshot_hash: "644321055a08eb1f260a6a3e31ac157fa024756abf612a9fd6857e7e400cf24e"
text_hash: "d6408cbdf58d04c2d04e2375059d0832c4ebf9506cfb8ce6c86d8b96c0775973"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 42 U.S.C. § 7385s - Definitions

## Text

In this part:

(1) The term “covered DOE contractor employee” means any Department of Energy contractor employee determined under section 7385s–4 of this title to have contracted a covered illness through exposure at a Department of Energy facility.

(2) The term “covered illness” means an illness or death resulting from exposure to a toxic substance.

(3) The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Labor.

(Pub. L. 106–398, § 1 [div. C, title XXXVI, § 3671], as added Pub. L. 108–375, div. C, title XXXI, § 3161, Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 2178.)