Tennessee lawmakers postponed until 2026 a bill that would limit legal liability for Bayer and other pesticide makers facing cancer-related lawsuits over Roundup.
Sam Stockard reports for Tennessee Lookout.
In short:
- The Tennessee House Judiciary Committee delayed a bill that would shield pesticide makers from lawsuits if their product labels follow federal standards, despite the state senate already passing its version.
- Republican Rep. Clay Doggett said the delay was needed due to unanswered questions and information overload among lawmakers; he also supports removing the bill’s original blanket immunity clause.
- The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Rusty Grills, a farmer, argues that the legislation protects agricultural practices, but opponents, including trial lawyers, warn it could eliminate people’s right to sue after being harmed.
Key quote:
“There’s lots of questions people have that they didn’t feel like they got adequate answers to, so knowing that, we’re at the end of the session now, so there’s not a whole lot of time to get answers.”
— Rep. Rusty Grills, Newbern Republican
Why this matters:
Roundup, the glyphosate-based herbicide that has become nearly synonymous with industrial agriculture, remains deeply entrenched in American farming, even as legal and scientific scrutiny continues to mount. At the heart of this controversy is the growing body of litigation alleging that long-term exposure to Roundup can lead to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and other health conditions. Over 100,000 people have filed lawsuits against Bayer, which acquired Monsanto, the original manufacturer, in 2018. While the company has paid billions in settlements, Roundup itself remains on store shelves and in crop rows across the country.
The recent attempt in Tennessee to shield pesticide manufacturers from lawsuits — so long as their products comply with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency labeling is not the only state legislative effort to do so. Though the bill ultimately failed, it reflects a broader strategy within the chemical industry: using preemption laws to limit liability and deflect growing public health concerns.
Related: Bayer pushes U.S. Supreme Court to block cancer lawsuits tied to Roundup weedkiller
