# Ohio Passes Asbestos And Silica Reform Bills 

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Ohio Gov. Robert Taft will sign two bills that tort reform advocates say are the first of their kind in setting minimum medical criteria for pursuing claims associated with exposure to asbestos, silica and mixed dust.
Both bills are the first in the nation to establish statewide medical criteria for claims associated with either silica or asbestos exposure. H.B. 342, the silica and mixed dust measure, won final legislative approval on Tuesday; the asbestos measure, H.B. 292, passed Wednesday. 

A spokesman for the Republican governor said enactment of the measures were two of Gov. Taft’s top four legislative priorities. “He looks forward to signing them both,” said the spokesman, adding that no date had been set for doing so. 

The head of a statewide tort reform organization hailed the developments.

Sources:
- Business Insurance (http://www.businessinsurance.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?newsId=3925)