Published: February 2017

FACT Act punishes nation’s heroes, denies them support they deserve

As the House is poised to vote on a bill that would delay or deny justice for asbestos victims, the so-called FACT Act (H.R. 906), organizations representing the nation’s veterans, firefighters, emergency responders and teachers - populations who are most at risk from exposure to the deadly substance - have come out strong in opposition.

The so-called FACT Act of 2017 (H.R. 906) intends to deplete the resources of already-dwindling trust funds set aside to compensate asbestos victims. Adding insult to injury, the measure would also require public disclosure of victims’ personal information, such as medical conditions and partial Social Security numbers, placing victims at heightened risk of identity theft. Asbestos trust officials estimate that complying with the bill would require up to 20,000 additional hours per year at each trust –inevitably slowing the processing of claims and distribution of payments to victims.

The FACT Act is championed by a number of corporations, including Koch Industries, Honeywell, Nationwide Insurance and Allstate. Together these companies and their political action committees have spent millions of dollars lobbying and contributing to members of Congress to leverage support for the legislation.

Our nation’s first responders, veterans and teachers dying of asbestos diseases deserve more respect and better treatment from Congress.

Lead Organization

Earthjustice

Other Organizations

Alliance for Justice | Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization | Center for Effective Government | Center for Justice & Democracy | Connecticut Center for Patient Safety | Constitutional Alliance | Consumer Action | Consumer Watchdog | Earthjustice | EWG Action Fund | National Employment Lawyers Association | National Association of Consumer Advocates | National Consumers League | OpenTheGovernment.org | Protect All Children’s Environment | Public Citizen | US PIRG

More Information

For more information, visit Earthjustice.

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FACT Act punishes nation’s heroes, denies them support they deserve   (FACTACT2017.pdf)