🚨RED ALERT TENNESSEE🚨
Tennessee is days away from passing HB 809 - a bill that would grant de facto immunity to pesticide manufacturers.
Following a coordinated lobbying campaign during the legislative recess - marked by misleading and false claims - HB 809 is now set to pass through the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, January 21st.
HB 809 passed all other committees last year and if it passes the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday - it could be up for a floor vote as early as Thursday. The Senate version SB 527 already passed the senate floor vote last year. Meaning, this bill is only a few steps away from becoming law.
Lobbyists claim a new amendment “fixes” HB 809, but it does not -- the outcome is the same -- immunity, just repackaged in misleading language.
If enacted, HB 809 would grant de facto immunity to pesticide manufacturers by creating a legal shield in failure-to-warn cases, effectively stripping Tennesseans of their right to a jury trial even when companies knew of risks and deceived consumers with their labels. Lawsuits could still be filed, but they will not advance past the first motion to dismiss. It will effectively create de facto immunity for all pesticide manufacturers – and prioritize corporate profits, often for foreign companies, over the health of Tennesseans.
This bill is not just about glyphosate: it applies to over 57,000 pesticide products and all future pesticides, including chemicals linked to cancer, Parkinson’s disease, endocrine disruption, infertility, and impaired sexual development.
This industry already knowingly sells carcinogens without cancer warnings.
What will they sell when no one can hold them accountable?
This chemical inventory of poisons must have a mechanism of accountability in order to protect the future generation. Removing accountability from an industry that sells poisons increases risk. When companies can’t be sued, the incentives to warn, reformulate, or reduce exposure disappear - putting children’s development and long-term health in grave danger.
Tennessee we need your help to stop HB 809! Share this information, engage on X, and tag legislators to let them know you oppose HB 809. Demand real protections and accountability.
Corporate profits must not come before families’ health or Tennesseans’ rights.