House of Representatives Passes National Asbestos Bankruptcy Trust Legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C. –– The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency (FACT) Act of 2013 by a vote of 221 to 199.

The vote occurred late yesterday after several hours of debate on the legislation, during which time several proposed amendments were defeated.

H.R. 982 requires the public disclosure of claims filed with asbestos bankruptcy trusts. Under the legislation, a trust would file a report with the bankruptcy court that describes each demand the trust received, including the name and exposure history of the claimant. The reports would not include confidential medical information or the …