At the most recent mid-year meeting of the American Bar Association, House of Delegates, a great deal of time was spent on asbestos exposure legislation.A Resolution was passed favoring immediate action by Congress. Recently, a bill was introduced and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary (Senator Hatch of Utah, Chair). The Bill is 19 pages long and, accordingly, is too lengthy to give a substantial summary here.The purpose of the Bill is to provide for fair and efficient judicial consideration of personal injury and wrongful death claims arising out of asbestos exposure.It is designed to ensure that individuals who suffer harm now or in the future from illnesses caused by exposure receive compensation.The Act may be cited as “Asbestos Claims Criteria and Compensation Act of 2003.” Further, its purpose is to manage asbestos related cases that have been filed at a volume approaching 50,000 a year.The Senate Bill addresses factors, such as plaintiff’s meeting certain medical criteria and the statute of limitations and other significant events.Whether you customarily represent plaintiffs or defendants in the maritime industry, a close study of the pending Senate Bill should be of significance to you. You may get a complete copy of the Senate Bill 413 by using www.senate.gov .