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House Judiciary hearing exposes split over bill to shield stone‑slab makers from lawsuits
Summary
At a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on a bill repeatedly referenced as “HR 54 37,” industry witnesses said rising litigation is crippling domestic suppliers; public‑health expert David Michaels warned blanket immunity would worsen a silicosis public‑health crisis and shift costs to taxpayers.
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers on the House Judiciary subcommittee heard sharply divided testimony on a bill referenced in the hearing record as “HR 54 37,” with industry representatives urging federal relief from lawsuits and public‑health experts warning that immunity would multiply cases of work‑related silicosis.
Industry witnesses led by Rebecca Schultz, chief legal officer at Cambria, told the subcommittee that an onslaught of litigation — she said Cambria is defending about 400 suits, most pending in California — is forcing small distributors and manufacturers to consider exiting the business. "We're under attack from hundreds of lawsuits," Schultz said in her testimony, arguing that many defendants are upstream sellers who did not fabricate the slabs and that litigation is failing to address dangerous, illegal fabrication shops.
By contrast, Dr. David Michaels, a professor at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and a former head of OSHA, said the hearing should focus on protecting workers, not…
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