Special Action—Failure to Warn: Help Stop Montana Bill To Protect Chemical Companies from Lawsuits [Inactive]

Action Inactive—HB 522 was defeated after the bill failed to move past the second reading. [49-50]
Thank you for taking action! [For Montana residents]

Help stop legislation in Montana (HB 522) that will shield pesticide manufacturers from being sued by people who have been harmed by their products. Beyond Pesticides is a national, grassroots organization that represents community-based organizations and a range of people seeking to improve protections from pesticides and promote alternative pest management strategies that reduce or eliminate reliance on toxic pesticides.

This bill was introduced in the House on February 17 and referred to the House Agriculture Committee on February 18. The bill passed out of the House Agriculture Committee by 10-7 on February 25. HB 522 is on the floor of the Montana House, with a second reading scheduled for Tuesday, March 4, at 1 pm MST. Update—HB 522 was defeated after failing to move past the second reading. [49-50]

If this bill were to pass, it would strike a blow to consumer safety for all toxic products. In a climate with less regulation, the ability to sue creates an incentive for manufacturers to develop safer products that protect our health and the environment—not to mention the compensation it provides to those harmed.

Failure-to-warn claims serve as the basis for the overwhelming majority of pesticide injury litigation of the past decade, according to legal professionals, including Brigit Rollins, JD, staff attorney at National Agriculture Law Center. Failure-to-warn is a legal argument grounded in the common law of state court systems across the nation. “Almost every pesticide injury lawsuit filed in the past ten years has included a claim that the pesticide manufacturer failed to warn the plaintiff of the health risks associated with using their product and that such failure caused the plaintiff's injury,” says Ms. Rollins.

Petrochemical-based pesticide manufacturers, predominately German-owned Bayer-Monsanto, are expanding their all-out push from last year when bills were introduced in Missouri, Iowa, and Idaho. We mobilized last year with little warning, and we were able to defeat these bills. Currently, bills have been introduced in eleven states and defeated in three. The focus of these bills is to protect chemical corporations, not people.

>> Please ask your state Representative and Senator to OPPOSE HB 522 by clicking here. [Inactive].

Thank you for your active participation and engagement! The Action is a multi-step process, so please click submit to proceed to step two, where you will be able to personalize comments before final submission. The comment maximum limit is 4,000 characters, so it may be necessary to delete some of our prepared message text if editing.

For more information, see our Myths & Facts and Montana resource page, as well as the Failure-to-Warn and Pesticide Immunity Bills resource hub.

Letter to the Montana Senate: [Original text from March 4, 2025]

I am writing to ask you to please inform your House colleagues of HB 522 to "[p]rovide pesticide warning label laws." This would effectively shield pesticide manufacturers from being sued by people who have been harmed by their products. The chemical companies have argued unsuccessfully all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court that they should not be required to warn consumers about the dangers of their products. So now they are asking the Montana legislature to do what they have not been able to do in the courts—prevent people harmed by toxic products from suing them.

HB 522 is on the floor of the Montana House, with a second reading scheduled for Tuesday, March 4, at 1 pm MST.

If this bill were to pass, it would strike a blow to consumer and farmer safety for all toxic products. In a climate where there is less regulation, the ability to sue creates an incentive for manufacturers to develop safer products that protect those who use potentially hazardous materials, public safety, and the health of the environment—not to mention the compensation it provides to those harmed.

Petrochemical-based pesticide manufacturers, predominately German-owned Bayer-Monsanto, are expanding their all-out push from last year to at least seven states. The focus of these bills is to protect chemical corporations, not people.

Please tell your House colleagues to oppose HB 522 and ensure that those who are harmed by toxic products are compensated.

Thank you!

Letter to the Montana House: [Original text from March 4, 2025]

I am writing to ask you to oppose HB 522 to "[p]rovide pesticide warning label laws." This would effectively shield pesticide manufacturers from being sued by people who have been harmed by their products. The chemical companies have argued unsuccessfully all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court that they should not be required to warn consumers about the dangers of their products. So now they are asking the Montana legislature to do what they have not been able to do in the courts—prevent people harmed by toxic products from suing them.

HB 522 is on the floor of the Montana House, with a second reading scheduled for Tuesday, March 4, at 1 pm MST.

Please oppose HB 522 and ensure that those who are harmed by toxic products are compensated.

Thank you!

Letters to the Montana Senate and House: [Original text from February 14, 2025]

I am writing to ask you to oppose LC 2816 to "Provide pesticide warning label laws." This would effectively shield pesticide manufacturers from being sued by people who have been harmed by their products. The chemical companies have argued unsuccessfully all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court that they should not be required to warn consumers about the dangers of their products. So now they are asking the Montana legislature to do what they have not been able to do in the courts—prevent people harmed by toxic products from suing them.

The bill, currently referred to as LC 2816, is still in the drafting phase. If this bill were to pass, it would strike a blow to consumer and farmer safety for all toxic products. In a climate where there is less regulation, the ability to sue creates an incentive for manufacturers to develop safer products that protect those who use potentially hazardous materials, public safety, and the health of the environment—not to mention the compensation it provides to those harmed.

Please oppose LC 2816 and ensure that those who are harmed by toxic products are compensated.

Thank you!