RED ALERT: Bill Moving Through Florida Legislature Would “Give Immunity To Pesticide Makers,” Gaetz Says

by Danielle – April 3, 2025

Critics of a bill moving through the Florida Legislature say it would shield pesticide and herbicide manufacturers from product-liability lawsuits.

“WTF?! Why is the Florida Legislature advancing a bill to give immunity to PESTICIDE makers?” former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz commented.

“EXACTLY. Bayer/Monsanto are going state by state with these bills, stripping the people of their right to sue for injury. Those sponsoring the bills are going on my sh*t list!” former vice presidential candidate Nicole Shanahan responded.

EXACTLY. Bayer/Monsanto are going state by state with these bills, stripping the people of their right to sue for injury. Those sponsoring the bills are going on my sh*t list!

— Nicole Shanahan (@NicoleShanahan) April 3, 2025

Per Florida Record:

House Bill 129, introduced by Rep. J.J. Grow (R-Inverness), mirrors bills proposed in other states to respond to what critics see as out-of-control product-liability lawsuits that hurt farmers and others who use herbicides or pesticides that comply with the requirements of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

William Large, president of the Florida Justice Reform Institute (FJRI), emphasized that the such products have been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and are scientifically determined not to cause unreasonable adverse effects on public health. Yet litigation alleging that Roundup causes cancer continues to be filed in Florida and elsewhere.

“What this law is aiming to do … is an attempt to set out that if you are in compliance with the labeling requirements, and you are using the product pursuant to the instructions given by the EPA, you can’t be held liable,” Large told the Florida Record.

The FJRI has published a white paper and summary of its arguments in support of legal reforms such as HB 129 to rein in litigation against those who use or market such products in a way that’s consistent with label instructions and its intended use.

Florida House Bill 129, passed 10 4, grants pesticide makers liability protection.

This terrible idea shields companies from accountability for harm, prioritizing profits over safety. It claims to protect users following EPA guidelines but risks public health.

What is going… pic.twitter.com/73HcUbjwJm

— Dr Vincent Sativa 🇺🇸 (@The_Weed_Shop) April 3, 2025

“Florida! Stop the Pesticide Immunity Shield Bill! HB 129 is on the move in the House, and we need to act now. This bill would grant pesticide manufacturers—like Bayer and Roundup—the same kind of sweeping liability protections that vaccine makers received under the 1986 Act,” Stand for Health Freedom wrote.

“We’re already seeing billboards across Florida’s farm communities pushing glyphosate as a hero, but the reality is far from it. No company should be shielded from accountability—especially those still paying out millions in damages for the harm they’ve caused,” it added.

Florida! Stop the Pesticide Immunity Shield Bill!

HB 129 is on the move in the House, and we need to act now. This bill would grant pesticide manufacturers—like Bayer and Roundup—the same kind of sweeping liability protections that vaccine makers received under the 1986 Act.…

— Stand for Health Freedom (@standforhealth1) April 3, 2025

According to GMO/Toxin Free USA, Bayer is lobbying states nationwide to pass legislation shielding pesticide makers from lawsuits.

SIGN THE PETITION urging Governor Brian Kemp to Veto SB144: https://t.co/kDIrjso417 — Bad News: Monsanto Protection Act Passes In Georgia. Bayer-Monsanto notched its first victory in a nationwide effort to shield itself from pesticide-harm lawsuits. The Georgia House of… https://t.co/UzXeiDTvAr pic.twitter.com/ghPctdhup3

— GMO/Toxin Free USA (@GMOFreeUSA) March 30, 2025

From GMO/Toxin Free USA:

Last year, four state legislatures – Iowa, Idaho, Missouri and Florida – introduced bills written by Bayer that would kill the Roundup/cancer lawsuits, now numbering over 170,000, that threaten to bury the company. Thanks to grassroots protest, none of the bills made it past the finish line.

Bayer vowed to restart and expand efforts this year and the company is moving fast. As of today, at least 20 state legislatures have drafted or introduced the Monsanto Protection Act bill, and Bayer has more support this time around.

The Monsanto Protection Act is furthest along in Iowa, where “Senate Study Bill 1051” was introduced on January 28 and passed a Senate subcommittee on February 5. Local groups opposing the bill are calling it the “Cancer Gag Act.” Whatever we all decide to call it, one thing is clear. We must stop this bill.

Iowa has the second-highest rate of new cancer cases in the U.S. and that rate is growing faster than any other state.

A July 2024 study published in the journal Frontiers in Cancer Control and Society concluded that “the impact of pesticide use on cancer incidence may rival that of smoking” and “counties with higher agricultural productivity, such as the leading corn-producing states of the Midwest, also have increased cancer risk due to pesticide exposure.” The study found the amount of pesticides used on farms was strongly associated with the incidence of many cancers – leukemia; non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma; bladder, colon, lung, and pancreatic cancer – not only for farmers and their families, but for entire communities.

Yet, Iowa’s state politicians want to throw their farmers and residents under the bus to protect Bayer-Monsanto’s poison profits. Unconscionable.

Even conventional farmers see the danger ahead: “We’re very worried. Our farmers feel that if they have injuries or illnesses due to their use of a pesticide they should have access to the courts. We just don’t think the playing field should be tilted.” said Aaron Lehman, a corn and soybean farmer and president of the Iowa Farmers Union.

The Des Moines Register reported: Fourth-generation Iowa farmer Seth Watkins from Clarinda said farm chemicals caused life-threatening health risks for his twin daughters when they were born. One of his daughters did not survive. “In 2004, we did not have the data or the understanding of the impact chemicals like atrazine, glyphosate and nitrogen have on birth defects and cancer,” he said. “Today, we know that atrazine is a proven endocrine disruptor and a leading cause of abdominal wall birth defects.” He asked the lawmakers to reject the bill, adding that lawsuits over farm pesticides aren’t filed to make financial gains.

https://wltreport.com/2025/04/03/red-alert-bill-moving-through-florida-legislature-would/