Very few, if any, U.S. laboratories possess the capacity to analyze the large number of samples that would arise during a radiation emergency on U.S. soil. Given such limited capacity, decision makers and laboratory directors face difficult decisions about the order in which samples are analyzed. A new document developed by the National Alliance for Radiation Readiness (with significant leadership from the Association of Public Health Laboratories) provides an overview of some considerations that decision makers might include in the prioritization process.