Tennessee committee advances bill limiting state lawsuits over pesticide labels; 12-4 vote

The House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee voted 12–4 to advance House Bill 809 to the Judiciary Committee after more than an hour of public testimony on the bill’s effect on pesticide litigation.

The bill, described by its sponsor as a narrow measure to protect companies that follow EPA labeling rules, would bar certain state civil claims tied directly to pesticide labeling. Supporters told the committee the measure is needed to preserve farmers’ access to crop‑protection tools; opponents said it would remove victims’ ability to seek redress when labels fail to disclose harms.

Representative Grills, the member who presented the bill, said the measure "provides protection to companies that apply and receive a label through EPA's FIFRA" and emphasized that once the EPA grants an…