Bill Aimed at Reducing Liability for Pesticides Advances

An effort to protect Montana agriculture from pesticide lawsuits passed the House Agriculture Committee last week and the full House will now vote on the bill this week.

House Bill 522 would shield manufacturers, marketers, dealers, distributors, retailers and sellers from liability if a pesticide is labeled with a safety warning. Supporters said the bill would help farmers continue to use the products they might need.

Karli Johnson with the Montana Farm Bureau Federation supported the bill. She brought examples of warning labels to her testimony and said these labels should help avoid lawsuit...