Senate ag committee advances bill saying EPA-approved pesticide labels satisfy state warning rules

House Bill 1318, a proposal that would make an EPA-approved pesticide label sufficient to satisfy North Dakota’s state law requirements for warnings and labeling, drew hours of testimony Wednesday and was advanced by the Senate Agriculture and Veterans Affairs Committee after an amendment narrowing the measure was adopted.

The bill’s proponents told the committee that deferring to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on label language protects farmers from lawsuits that can lead to vacated labels and lost pesticide options. Opponents, including trial-lawyer and consumer-advocacy groups, said the bill would limit injured parties’ ability to hold manufacturers accountable and could shift liability onto retailers and employers.

Supporters argued the measure preserves regulatory uniformity and recognizes EPA’s scientific review. “The label is the law,”…