Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2025

Key Points

• This bill would ban the manufacture, processing, use, and sale of commercial asbestos across the United States, effective immediately upon enactment. While many Americans assume asbestos is already fully banned, it is still legally used in certain industrial processes and imported products today.
• The ban covers eight specific types of asbestos minerals, including chrysotile, crocidolite, and amosite, making it one of the most comprehensive asbestos bans proposed in the U.S. It does not apply to asbestos present solely as a trace impurity in other substances.
• Asbestos already installed in buildings, homes, and equipment before the law passes would not need to be removed. The ban also does not apply to disposal of asbestos-containing materials done in compliance with existing federal, state, and local rules.
• Chemical plants that use asbestos diaphragms in chlor-alkali production get a transition period until January 1, 2030, to switch to alternative methods. This exception recognizes that chlorine production is critical to water treatment and other industries.
• The President can grant a one-time national security exemption lasting up to 3 years (with one possible 3-year extension) if asbestos use is deemed necessary and no feasible alternative exists. These exemptions must be published in the Federal Register or shared with Congress.

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.