Bill bans asbestos but lets some plants use it until 2036.
S. 5235 — Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2026 · Filed by Jeff Merkley (D-OR) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Aug 4, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
The bill stops making, selling, or using asbestos right away. Some chemical plants can keep using asbestos until 2032. They can use it until 2036 if they switch to safer materials. The President can give special permission to use asbestos for up to three years. That permission can be extended for three more years. The ban does not cover asbestos mixed in by accident. The ban does not cover asbestos inside buildings now.
Who it affects
The bill protects people from asbestos, a material that causes serious illness. Chemical plants and metal mining get extra time to stop using asbestos. Workers in those fields are most affected.
One thing to notice
Some plants can keep using asbestos for up to ten more years. The bill does not require removal of asbestos from buildings that have it now.
From the analysis of the bill text, linked under Primary records below.
Where it stands
1 cosponsor: 1 Republicans.
- Aug 4, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
- Aug 4, 2026 — Referred to Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
Words to know
- asbestos — A mineral fiber used in products that causes cancer and lung disease.
- chemical plants — Factories that make chemicals using asbestos in their equipment.
- President — The head of the U.S. government who can give special permission to break rules.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (7,969 characters) on Aug 12, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 14,707 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-09-23.
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