H.R. 1603 would amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to prohibit the import, manufacture, processing, and distribution of asbestos or any mixtures or articles containing asbestos one year after enactment. Limited exemptions could be granted to some currently operating chemical facilities or for reasons of national security. Entities that manufactured, processed, or distributed such products within the three years preceding enactment, during the one-year period after enactment, or under an exemption would be required to report annually to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on their asbestos manufacturing and use. EPA would be required to summarize, analyze, and publish those reports. Using information from EPA, CBO estimates that requirement would cost the agency $2 million over the 2021-2025 period for the agency to hire additional personnel to complete those requirements.
H.R. 1603 also would authorize the appropriation of $1.5 million for EPA to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to report on the presence and extent of exposure to asbestos. In total, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $3 million over the 2021-2025 period, assuming the availability of appropriated funds.
