A bill that would make it more difficult for asbestos victims to receive financial compensation was passed by the House Judiciary Committee in a 19-9 vote. However, all of the committee members who voted for the FACT Act are under scrutiny for allegedly receiving a total of $3.3 million from asbestos interest groups over the last few years.

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Action Fund, each of the 19 members who voted to pass the bill received an average of $173,000 in campaign contributions from political action committees established by asbestos companies and their trade associations since 2010.

The top contributors to the judiciary committee members are Honeywell International and the Koch brothers, who own Georgia-Pacific Co. Honeywell has paid more than $1.1 billion in asbestos claims since 2010. The Fortune 100 company contributed $245,342 to committee members voting on the legislation that would make it hard for plaintiffs filing asbestos lung cancer lawsuits to receive compensation.

Koch Industries was the second highest contributor to judiciary members, with a donation of $241,500. In recent years, the pulp and paper business has paid $830 million in judgements and settlements of asbestos lawsuits.

Asbestos Legislation Overview

Congress created a way for companies with asbestos liabilities to set up trusts for settling asbestos injury claims while remaining open for business. This is done through a bankruptcy code provision that allows companies to stay profitable while settling with asbestos victims. This often results in plaintiffs receiving very little compensation.

The FACT Act would require companies issue quarterly reports on their trusts, which may entice businesses to drain their accounts so victims would collect even less than before. Many believe that while the FACT Act may appears to make companies more transparent with their trust system, it is simply a way to delay or deny payments to asbestos victims.

Those with asbestos interests argue that the FACT Act is necessary because some plaintiffs are fraudulently compensated from more than one trust. However, asbestos victims allege that their condition is often the result of more than one company and seeking compensation from more than one trust is not illegal.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 12,000 and 15,000 Americans die of an asbestos-related disease each year.

Asbestos Lung Cancer Lawsuits

Thousands of new asbestos lawsuits are filed each year claiming prolonged exposure to the cheap material is responsible for the development of lung cancer. Those at the highest risk for asbestos lung cancer are professionals who worked with the product on a continuous basis including construction workers, auto mechanics, insulation workers and paper mill workers.

More than 600,000 asbestos cancer lawsuits have been filed in the U.S. In general, plaintiffs claim their employer did not warn that working with the material could cause lung cancer and other serious health risks. Often plaintiffs accuse employers of not providing safety equipment that would be needed to avoid the risk of asbestos lung cancer.

Asbestos is legal and used in the U.S. even though its popularity has declined since the 1970s. The EWG Action Fund has reported that at least eight million pounds of raw asbestos and asbestos-containing material has been imported since 2006.