After failing last year to gain support for legislation to control the runaway asbestos litigation problem, legislators are ready to try again. A new bill is expected to be presented to the Senate on April 19. But media reports suggest there is little or no chance of the new attempt being any more successful.

The proposal to replace rampant court claims against US companies with a victims support fund mainly financed by the insurance industry has again been drawn up by Republican Party Senator Orrin Hatch. Senate Republican leader Bill Frist has approved the bill, which is again based on one approved by the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee last year.

But the Democrats – who the Republicans accuse of acting solely in the interests of the plaintiff lawyers raking billions of dollars out of asbestos litigation cases – say they have not been consulted and may not support the bill.