Last month, U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) introduced H.R. 906, which seeks to require asbestos trusts to publicly disclose quarterly reports that contain detailed information regarding the receipt and disposition of claims for injuries based on exposure to asbestos.
“The bill is basically the same piece of legislation … that has failed to make it through Congress despite repeated attempts,” states a post on the Baron & Budd website.
“This insidious bill would force asbestos bankruptcy trust administrators to, on a quarterly basis, provide information on plaintiffs in asbestos lawsuits.”
The bill also seeks to require trusts to respond to information sought from defendants in asbestos lawsuits who want to make sure claimants aren’t “double-dipping.”
“All you need to know about how bad this bill actually is for sufferers of asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma is that asbestos manufacturers are in favor of it,” the post states.
“It would delay payments from trusts even longer, and it would also require administrators to disclose private information regarding plaintiffs, such as their history of asbestos exposure and their work history.”
Baron & Budd also expressed concerns that the Trump Administration would be receptive to the piece of legislation.
“The threat of this bill actually passing is higher than it has ever been before. As a result, the need for action is more urgent than ever before,” the post states.