Indianapolis military group supports asbestos-claims disclosure bill

The Military Officers Association of America's Indianapolis chapter is asking the House Judiciary Committee to support the Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency (FACT) Act.

This measure would require that trusts associated with the distribution of asbestos-illness claims file quarterly reports that indicate which individuals have submitted a claim. The bill’s text said claims require the exposure history and name of those making claim requests. This bill was introduced by U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-TX) earlier this year.

The Indianapolis group recently sent a letter to Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI) urging the committee to advance this bill.

The group said in the letter that approximately $17.5 billion of the $36 billion fund earmarked for asbestos-exposure settlements has been paid out. The organization also said there have been reports of payments to fraudulent cases and attorney fees as high as 40 percent in certain cases.