[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6610794,"mediaKeyId","2901473-d23260d8c9a3feb3442bfc19439c9c34","parentId",2901473,"title","Tennessee committee hears hours of testimony on bill that would limit failure‑to‑warn suits tied to EPA labeling","audioSeconds",4082,"startMs",768000,"endMs",4850000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2901473-d23260d8c9a3feb3442bfc19439c9c34&start=768&end=4850","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2901473-d23260d8c9a3feb3442bfc19439c9c34/thumbnail_768000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6610794/Tennessee/Tennessee-committee-hears-hours-of-testimony-on-bill-that-would-limit-failuretowarn-suits-tied-to-EPA-labeling","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6610794-9d0be1ba9e151331c9fe06c1da901ad8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447840&Signature=AuhQG0k~hJgP2cmDLUPC2UvRE55V~GrBpUNYAuncPrpWAGJZ5I48TDSbjBoRvj1CW~tAOXvBb~MrymHdqUHPbie9rOaobin9IXm6AbTaHpqJoPR-FTPjwT3Lmxb7DOoSnVUQ5C33uZ-leqJri5vHQUmLBNzaaNlCvl2qT-HUEosvFamN~jseBhSiIjm8MKWQ8GijbuFlFh8TSLdyEcgzoWayUu2o-3LabKnSUxEd42jhj1mgFXmbl4E4o8NdWszJPfwgQWVttE9J~1rSJ22uvWYPkECbQa9jB7BCK1SNKDUmq8uWXRouEr3OrBvgKT2Th2Qv~jmdsFcYNe4v1u4Atw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","TN State Legislature","date","2025-04-08T00:00:00Z","article","The House Judiciary full committee spent more than an hour Monday taking testimony and questions on House Bill 809, a measure that would treat a pesticide label registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a sufficient warning for state civil cases and narrow the circumstances under which manufacturers can be sued for failure to warn.

The bill’s sponsor and industry supporters told the committee the proposal is narrow and intended only to address situations in which federal regulators prevent a manufacturer from adding a warning to a federally registered label. \"This is literally about labeling when they're prevented from labeling by the federal government in this situation,\" Representative (Chairman) Grills said during debate, describing the bill as intended to preserve product availability for Tennessee agriculture.

Opponents — including an expert on the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), several farmers, public‑health advocates and family members who say they have been harmed — argued the amendment adopted during the committee’s consideration (House Amendment 6945) does not protect negligence claims and could remove a meaningful avenue for injured Tennesseans to seek relief in state court.

Mr. Llewellyn, who described himself in committee discussion as knowledgeable about FIFRA procedures, told members that federal pesticide registrations are a \"living registration\" and that registrants and EPA both have responsibilities to bring new adverse information to light. He also said EPA investigates outside the registrant's submissions. \"The regulatory authority also has the ability to go on its own and look for information that the registrant has not provided,\" he said in response to a question about whether missing studies can be discovered by EPA.

Farmers who testified said losing access to commonly used herbicides would be devastating for no‑till and conservation farming. John Litz, who identified himself as a row‑crop farmer, said: \"My row cropping operation would drop to probably 25% of what I'm doing now,\" if those products were unavailable.

Public commenters who opposed the bill described personal and family health impacts they or neighbors associate with pesticide exposure. Veteran Matthew Hinton told the committee he received a cancer diagnosis soon after his marriage and urged members to reject the bill: \"House Bill 809 strips away the ability for people to seek justice when they are harmed. It grants legal protection to billion‑dollar corporations that profit from chemicals,\" he said.

Committee staff and the Office of Legal Services confirmed the amendment would apply to pesticides registered with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and the EPA under FIFRA. Michelle Fogarty of the Office of Legal Services told members the Department’s published registry lists more than 15,000 registered products; she cautioned that her office had not reviewed each product’s paperwork to determine which are also registered under FIFRA.

During questions Representatives pressed witnesses on whether the draft language would amount to immunity for manufacturers; attorneys for proponents repeatedly said the amendment focuses on cases in which a manufacturer is prohibited by federal law from changing an EPA‑approved label and does not strip away claims for manufacturing or design defects.

After extensive testimony, the committee adopted House Amendment 6945 earlier in the session and later voted to roll House Bill 809 to the second calendar of 2026 for further consideration. That procedural vote means the committee took no final action on the bill itself Monday and will return to it at a later date.

Why it matters: The bill lies at the intersection of federal pesticide regulation and state tort law. Supporters argue it prevents courts from second‑guessing EPA labeling and preserves access to agricultural products; opponents say it could remove a state civil remedy for people harmed when label warnings are inadequate. Legal experts warned the change could implicate whether county and state courts remain a venue to pursue certain failure‑to‑warn claims if the language becomes law.

What’s next: Chairman Grills rolled House Bill 809 to the second 2026 calendar, giving members time to gather more evidence and amendments. Interested parties — including farm groups, public‑health advocates, state agencies and manufacturers — indicated they expect to continue lobbying and to supply additional technical and legal materials in the interim.

\"If someone is harmed by this product, there are other avenues in Tennessee's court system to bring those cases,\" a Farm Bureau representative said in the hearing, while public‑health speakers urged more caution and documentation before any change to state law.

Votes and formal actions recorded in committee on HB 809

- House Amendment 6945: adopted (voice vote).
- Final procedural action: House Bill 809 rolled to the second calendar of 2026 (voice vote).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Judiciary Committee\tApr 8, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The House Judiciary full committee spent more than an hour Monday taking testimony and questions on House Bill 809, a measure that would treat a pesticide label registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a sufficient warning for state civil cases and narrow the circumstances under which manufacturers can be sued for failure to warn.","taxTitle","Judiciary, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Tennessee","taxId",79849,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":44,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":50,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6610790,"Judiciary Committee acts on more than two dozen bills; votes at a glance",7547,8315000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2901473-d23260d8c9a3feb3442bfc19439c9c34&start=768&end=8315","/articles/6610790/Tennessee/Judiciary-Committee-acts-on-more-than-two-dozen-bills-votes-at-a-glance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6610790-703d43fe3ee59202cffd21f3bbe0e817/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447840&Signature=GSgLuoBRS9roJ3kgfrKebkGADyTqz3VKADcsEOEbYCHQKlzbT44I78~s6HhcbVzlRrGyoRG3oXrjWd1LR8SUUaUiUMlasR03UvorDujGZulfUU1y7C64S26pjv-X6KACDwUsBZrPk~U6GN2W-jkokp-1B3fCqFGE80nMC28uFEX7qBVZw8HBRZEjA0t5zISRs0aodAH30xmeM2Y5l3QuHJ612cQZyHsga6hUr~0Lkfnnx~m4rtOlZFU9RNO41SVVc1g1q7PdwAKdjTOEWUwggWm6Ta69CLUZ~JAjsKnntHHMu5~OtFY22hyjvqE33VEsaCp7AND7cJlFj2pYNyF53g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Judiciary full committee handled a long agenda Monday. Members adopted multiple amendments and voted to advance a number of bills and resolutions to calendars or to other standing committees. Below is a concise \"votes at a glance\" synopsis of the formal actions recorded on the transcript.

Summary of formal committee actions (selected items recorded in the hearing):

- House Bill 661: Sponsor requested and committee moved the item to the second calendar of 2026 (procedural motion adopted by voice vote).

- House Bill 809: Committee adopted House Amendment 6945 (see separate article). After testimony and questions, the committee rolled House Bill 809 to the second calendar of 2026 (procedural roll).

- House Bill 445: Committee adopted House Amendment 5985 and later voted to send HB 445 as amended to the calendar and rules committee (roll call recorded: 15 ayes, 6 nos at final vote).

- House Joint Resolution 182 (HJR 182): Adopted for placement on calendar and rules (vote recorded 16 ayes, 6 nos reported for the motion to advance).

- House Resolution 11 (rules package from Supreme Court): Approved to move to calendar and rules (voice/recorded roll reported: 22 ayes, 0 nos).

- House Resolution 12: Approved to move to calendar and rules (22 ayes, 0 nos reported).

- House Bill 587: Advanced to calendar and rules (vote recorded 20 ayes, 0 nos at final tally).

- House Bill 370: Advanced to Finance, Ways and Means (vote recorded 19 ayes, 1 no).

- House Bill 371 (amended): Advanced to Finance, Ways and Means (vote recorded 22 ayes, 0 nos).

- House Bill 527: Advanced to calendar and rules (final tally reported as moving to calendar and rules).

- House Bill 671 (amended): Advanced to Calendar and Rules (vote reported 19 ayes, 2 nos, 1 present not voting).

- House Bill 706 (amended): Advanced to Finance, Ways and Means (vote recorded 18 ayes, 0 nos).

- House Bill 370/371/527/671/706 and other public‑safety items: Committee recorded motions, adopted several amendments, and forwarded bills to the indicated next steps in the legislative process (see action list below for details).

How to read this roundup: \"Moved to calendar and rules\" or \"advanced to finance\" indicates the committee voted to send the bill to the next step; \"rolled to second calendar of 2026\" means the committee tabled substantive action and placed the bill for later consideration on a future calendar. Recorded vote totals are included where the clerk reported a tally on the record.

Actions recorded and committee dispositions (detailed list)

- HB661 — Motion: move to second calendar of 2026. Outcome: approved (voice vote).
- HB809 — House Amendment 6945: adopted. Final: HB 809 rolled to second calendar of 2026 (voice vote).
- HB445 — House Amendment 5985: adopted. Final: moved to calendar & rules (final tally reported: 15 ayes, 6 nos).
- HJR182 — Moved to calendar & rules (16 ayes, 6 nos reported for motion to advance).
- HJR11 — Moved to calendar & rules (22 ayes, 0 nos reported).
- HJR12 — Moved to calendar & rules (22 ayes, 0 nos reported).
- HB587 — Moved to calendar & rules (reported as forwarded by committee; tally included in transcript).
- HB370 (3‑70) — Moved to Finance, Ways & Means (19 ayes, 1 no reported).
- HB371 (3‑71, amended) — Moved to Finance, Ways & Means (22 ayes, 0 nos reported).
- HB527 (5‑27) — Moved to Calendars & Rules (final report on the record).
- HB671 (6‑71, amended) — Moved to calendar & rules (19 ayes, 2 nos, 1 present not voting reported).
- HB706 (7‑06, amended) — Moved to Finance, Ways & Means (18 ayes, 0 nos reported).
- HB448/HR/etc. — Committee processed multiple additional bills and resolutions (HJR 182, HJR 11/12, HJR 182, HJR 182), including a number of local‑and‑procedure‑oriented bills, many of which were moved forward without substantive debate.

Notes on procedure

- \"Previous question\" motions were used frequently to close debate on several bills; the committee sometimes recorded roll calls when members objected to voice votes.
- Amendments were commonly adopted by voice vote and then rolled into the amended bill for final disposition.

Context and next steps

Most measures the Judiciary full committee approved Monday were advanced to the calendar or to the Finance, Ways and Means Committee, where members will consider them for placement on a floor calendar or for budgetary review. A small number of items (notably HB 809) were deferred for further study.

If you follow particular bills, check the committee calendar and the clerk’s published votes for updated roll‑call tallies and any changes to wording after floor or conference committee action.","The House Judiciary full committee considered dozens of items Monday, adopting amendments and voting to advance numerous bills and resolutions to calendars or other committees. This roundup lists each bill or resolution the committee formally acted on, the committee’s disposition and key procedural details.","actionData","errors"]

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Tennessee committee hears hours of testimony on bill that would limit failure‑to‑warn suits tied to EPA labeling

Judiciary Committee acts on more than two dozen bills; votes at a glance