Congress and Politics

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will create a new national office of environmental justice to address pollution and climate change in low-income areas and communities of color. EPA administrator, Michael Regan, announced the creation of the office with environmental justice and civil rights leaders in North Carolina. “With the launch of a new national program office, we are embedding environmental justice and civil rights into the DNA of EPA and ensuring that people who’ve struggled to have their concerns addressed see action to solve the problems they’ve been facing for generations.” The new office will combine three smaller offices of environmental justice, civil […]

Click on the above image to save and share at full size! Today marks Mesothelioma Awareness Day in the United States. Please share the infographic above with your friends and family. Whether you or someone you know has been affected, everyone should know about this fatal disease that affects thousands of lives each year. Contact [...]

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We have written several posts recently about pending asbestos-related legislation at the federal level as well in some states. The federal bill, known as the Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act (FACT), could move forward in the Senate this month if the Senate Judiciary Committee votes to advance it. The two senators from Texas (Ted Cruz [...]

As readers know, mesothelioma victims often develop the disease decades after being exposed to asbestos. The significant delay between exposure and diagnosis can make it very difficult for victims and their families to hold negligent parties liable in court. Even when you can trace exposure back to its source – an employer, for instance – [...]

Similar to the so-called FACT Act, H.B. 403 is a Utah bill recently introduced that will delay or deny asbestos exposure victims’ ability to collect compensation from those responsible for their conditions. The bill is titled the “Asbestos Litigation Transparency Act.” Last week the House Business and Labor Committee of Salt Lake City voted 7-3 [...]

Utah residents diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases should familiarize themselves with H.B. 403, a bill recently introduced to the state’s lawmakers. It is particularly relevant to these individuals as it proposes to slow down and block compensation from those responsible for their illnesses. The bill will be considered at the Utah House of Representitives’ Business and [...]

Watching the so-called FACT (Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency) Act pass in the House of Representatives was difficult for the victims of asbestos exposure. The act puts victims’ privacy at risk, as well as limits their access to justice. This morning, the U.S. Senate held a hearing to discuss the bill. The senate will eventually vote [...]

In a recent post, we wrote that the U.S. House of Representatives would soon be voting on the FACT Act, which in an acronym for “Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency.” Unfortunately, that vote has now come and gone and the measure passed in the House. Asbestos victim advocates are generally not interested in partisan politics. They [...]

It has not been too long since we last checked in with the deceptively-named Furthering Asbestos Claims Transparency (FACT) Act. Introduced to the 113th United States Congress in 2013, a revised version of this bill was submitted to the 114th congressional session again in January of this year. According to govtrack.us, the FACT Act of [...]