Public Law 733

Public Law 733 is the common shorthand for the federal statute enacted in 1946 that authorized the U.S. Navy to construct and acquire a large number of warships and auxiliary vessels in the postwar period. Because asbestos was the Navy's required insulation material on these ships, the law indirectly drove massive purchases of asbestos products and exposed hundreds of thousands of shipyard workers, sailors, and contractors to asbestos dust.

Origin

Enacted by the 79th Congress on August 8, 1946, in the immediate aftermath of World War II, Public Law 733 was one of several authorization acts that shaped the Cold War-era Navy. It is sometimes cited in asbestos litigation alongside earlier wartime shipbuilding statutes and military specifications (MilSpecs) that mandated asbestos-containing materials.

Significance in Asbestos Context

For Navy veterans and shipyard workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis, Public Law 733 and similar statutes help explain why asbestos was everywhere on their ships, in boiler rooms, engine rooms, sleeping quarters, gaskets, pipe insulation, and turbines. The law itself does not create liability, but it provides historical context showing that the federal government, through military specifications, required asbestos use, which manufacturers later cited in 'government contractor defense' arguments. Understanding this history helps patients and their legal teams document why exposure occurred, which ships and yards were affected, and which manufacturers supplied asbestos products under Navy contracts.

Example Sentence

His attorney explained that the destroyer he served on in the 1950s was built under Public Law 733 authorizations, which is why every compartment was lined with asbestos insulation supplied by multiple manufacturers now named in the lawsuit.

Related Terms

Government Contractor Defense, Military Specifications (MilSpecs), Navy Veteran Exposure, Shipyard Asbestos Exposure, Boiler Room Exposure, Bath Iron Works

Notes

• If you are a Navy veteran, request your complete service record (DD-214, deck logs, and ship assignment history) from the National Archives in St. Louis. These documents identify which vessels you served on and when.
• Ask your legal team to obtain ship construction records and Navy supply records identifying which asbestos manufacturers supplied insulation, gaskets, and packing to your specific vessel.
• Be aware that manufacturers may raise the government contractor defense, arguing they were required by Navy specifications to use asbestos; your attorneys will need to address whether the manufacturer warned the Navy of known hazards.
• Veterans with asbestos disease may also be eligible for VA disability compensation separate from any civil lawsuit. These claims can proceed in parallel.