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- Washington
House Committee Unanimously Approves Bill to Ease Regulations on Trace Fibrous Silicates in Construction
Legislation from Rep. John Ley aims to reduce costs and delays for infrastructure projects while maintaining worker safety protections.
Published on Feb. 3, 2026
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The House Environment and Energy Committee unanimously advanced Rep. John Ley's bill to update Washington's regulations governing the use of naturally occurring fibrous silicate materials in construction. The bill would exempt commercial aggregates, asphalt, and concrete containing 0.25% or less of these trace materials from being classified as asbestos-containing, which supporters say will make building projects more affordable and efficient without compromising worker safety.
Why it matters
Current state laws were designed to stop the intentional use of asbestos, but they have also restricted the use of common construction materials like aggregates and concrete that contain minimal, naturally occurring amounts of similar fibrous silicates. Supporters argue this has added unnecessary costs and delays to infrastructure projects across Washington, while doing little to improve worker protections.
The details
House Bill 2605 would provide a clear regulatory exemption for commercial construction products with 0.25% or less of naturally occurring fibrous silicate materials. This is intended to distinguish these low-risk, essential materials from hazardous asbestos-containing products. The bill maintains workplace safety rules enforced by the Department of Labor and Industries, but aims to reduce compliance burdens for manufacturers and suppliers, especially small and mid-sized businesses.
- The House Environment and Energy Committee unanimously approved the bill on February 2, 2026.
- The legislation now awaits a vote on the House floor.
The players
Rep. John Ley
The Republican state representative from Vancouver who introduced the bill to modernize regulations on naturally occurring fibrous silicate materials in construction.
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
The state agency responsible for enforcing workplace safety rules, which the bill aims to maintain while reducing compliance burdens for construction materials suppliers.
What they’re saying
“Washington's current asbestos laws were written to stop the intentional use of asbestos in building materials – and that's an important protection. But they were never meant to penalize materials that contain extremely small, naturally occurring trace amounts that pose minimal risk and are impossible to completely eliminate.”
— Rep. John Ley (clarkcountytoday.com)
“This bill would make building new homes, apartments, roads and sidewalks more affordable. It would also be good for the environment as it allows for locally produced aggregates to be used in construction, instead of them being shipped from much longer distances.”
— Rep. John Ley (clarkcountytoday.com)
What’s next
The legislation now awaits a vote on the House floor.
The takeaway
This bill aims to strike a balance between maintaining strong worker safety protections and reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens that have driven up costs and delays for critical infrastructure projects across Washington state.
