For decades, advocates have said that a comprehensive asbestos ban is urgently needed to prevent mesothelioma and the other related diseases that kill more than 40,000 Americans every year. Last week, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and John Curtis (R-UT) introduced bipartisan legislation that would finally end all commercial and industrial uses of asbestos in the United States.
Mesothelioma Prevention Bill Covers All Six Recognized Asbestos Fiber Types
Despite more than 50 other nations having already banned the use of asbestos, the mineral known to cause mesothelioma has remained legal in the United States. The Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2026, introduced August 4, would prohibit the manufacture, processing, use, and distribution in commerce of all six recognized asbestos fibers. The bill closes regulatory gaps, establishes public health protections, and provides a responsible phase-out timeline for the limited commercial uses that remain.
In what the mesothelioma advocacy community is acknowledging as a breakthrough, Senator Curtis became the first Senate Republican to co-sponsor the legislation. The legislation has been proposed in the past, but had only been sponsored by Democrats. “For decades, we have known the dangers of commercial asbestos, yet it has continued to be used,” said Curtis. “This bipartisan legislation finally brings certainty by ending the manufacture and use of commercial asbestos while providing a responsible, time-limited transition for the limited uses that remain.”
Echoing his sentiments, Senator Merkley said, “American families and workers deserve to have a future free of exposure to asbestos—a known killer. This deadly carcinogen has been banned in more than 50 countries, while the United States is playing catch-up on tackling this public health nightmare.”
Mesothelioma Advocates and Health Organizations Unite Behind Comprehensive Asbestos Ban
The legislation has broad organizational support from both the mesothelioma advocacy and public health community. “More than 40,000 Americans die each year from preventable asbestos-caused diseases and Congress has a responsibility to act,” said Linda Reinstein, President and Co-Founder of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, noting that Senators Merkley and Curtis “are advancing the comprehensive, durable solution needed to eliminate all six recognized asbestos fibers and Libby Amphibole asbestos from commerce.”
The proposed legislation’s comprehensive coverage of all six asbestos fiber types is the definitive legislative solution mesothelioma advocates have sought for generations. The EPA’s 2024 chrysotile asbestos rule covered only one fiber type in specific industrial applications. The bill is supported by multiple groups, including the Federal Fire Fighters Joint Council of the International Association of Fire Fighters, whose members face mesothelioma and other asbestos risks during emergency response duties.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net are here to help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608 to learn more.
