Kentucky — Kentucky lawmakers have passed a new law aimed at protecting pesticide manufacturers from a growing number of lawsuits, overriding a veto from Andy Beshear and aligning state rules more closely with federal standards.
The Republican-led legislature approved Senate Bill 199 despite the governor’s objections. The law establishes that pesticide labels approved by the Environmental Protection Agency meet Kentucky’s warning requirements. Supporters say this provides clarity for companies facing litigation over products that have already undergone federal safety reviews.
Agricultural organizations, including the Kentucky Farm Bureau, argued the measure will help prevent rising legal costs from being passed on to farmers, especially at a time when profit margins are tight.
Industry advocates highlight thousands of lawsuits filed in recent years, many involving glyphosate — a widely used herbicide. The EPA has determined that glyphosate is not carcinogenic and does not require a cancer warning label.
Supporters of the law argue that allowing state-level lawsuits to impose additional warning requirements creates inconsistencies with federal oversight under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. They warn that without clearer legal protections, manufacturers could face pressure to add unsupported warnings or remove products from the market, limiting tools farmers rely on.
The law specifically applies to failure-to-warn claims but still allows liability in cases where companies are found to have misled regulators. Backers say the measure strikes a balance by reinforcing federal authority while maintaining accountability.
Kentucky’s move reflects a broader national trend, as other states consider similar legislation and Congress weighs proposals to standardize pesticide labeling rules. The U.S. Supreme Court is also expected to address the issue, a decision that could shape how much authority states have over pesticide warnings beyond federal guidelines.
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