Responding to a split between two South Florida appellate panels, the Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday stepped into a simmering dispute over a law meant to help courts manage a flood of asbestos litigation.

The justices heard arguments for the first time on whether retroactive application of the 2005 Florida Asbestos and Silica Compensation Fairness Act impermissibly interfered with pending lawsuits by setting a new medical threshold for people exposed to asbestos.