Posted on August 31, 2026
The planned briefing comes at a pivotal moment for federal asbestos policy. On August 4, Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and John Curtis (R-UT) introduced the bipartisan Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now (ARBAN) Act of 2026 (S. 5235).
The legislation would prohibit remaining commercial uses of asbestos and establish stronger, comprehensive federal protections in law—protections that could not simply be reversed by a future administration. Passage would help protect workers, families, and communities from preventable asbestos exposure for generations to come.
Nearly Two Decades of Congressional Education
Since 2008, ADAO has convened 19 Congressional Staff Briefings to educate congressional staff about the impact of asbestos on public health, workers, families, communities, and the environment. This briefing will also fall during Mesothelioma Awareness Month, a time where ADAO shares resources, honor those living with mesothelioma, remember those we have lost, thank caregivers, and recognize the scientists and medical professionals working to improve treatment.
With the continued leadership of Senator Jeff Merkley, ADAO is working to bring congressional staff together again for an evidence-based update on:
- Asbestos-related diseases and their human and economic toll
- Ongoing exposure risks from legacy asbestos in homes, schools, workplaces, and public buildings
- Federal regulatory developments
- Current commercial uses of asbestos
- The need for comprehensive federal legislation to prevent exposure and disease
The bipartisan leadership of Senators Merkley and Curtis underscores an indelible fact: preventing asbestos exposure and disease is not a partisan issue. It is a public health imperative.
Why It Matters
Asbestos is a known human carcinogen, and there is no safe level of exposure to any type of asbestos fiber. It can cause mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and other serious diseases—often decades after exposure occurs.
While the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2024 chrysotile asbestos rule marked important progress, the United States still does not have a comprehensive statutory ban on asbestos.
That is why congressional education and bipartisan legislative action remain essential.
Take Action
ADAO encourages patients, families, workers, advocates, public health professionals, and concerned citizens to ask their members of Congress to:
Support the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act—S. 5235 in the Senate and H.R. 5373 in the House.
ADAO is also working toward its 20th Congressional Staff Briefing on September 23 and will share confirmed event details as soon as they are finalized.
Learn more: ARBAN Act Resource Page and Timeline.
Twenty briefings. One enduring goal: prevent exposure, prevent disease, and save lives.
Prevention remains the only cure.
Onward. Together.
Linda Reinstein
President and Co-Founder
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO)