Pull the Pesticide Manufacturer Liability Shield in North Carolina!

Published: May 3, 2025

Our Stand: At-A-Glance

UPDATED July 28, 2025

  • UPDATE: The House and Senate were on recess for the month of July, returning on Tuesday, July 29.  The conference committee met with “farm” lobbyists during the break, and we expect them to continue their deliberations about whether to insert the pesticide provision back into S401 when they return. The good news is that many House members seem to have no appetite for the pesticide language, but we need to give them support since they are under pressure to pass this legislation.
  • On June 25, S401 passed the House without the pesticide liability shield, and it went on to the Senate floor the next day. The Senate did not concur (agree) with the House version of the Farm Act so a Conference Committee was created for both houses to hash out the final language of the bill.
  • The committee will decide the final language of the bill that will be voted on by the House and Senate to go to the governor.
  • Email and call your legislators (who can influence the committee) to ensure the Pesticide Manufacturer Liability Shield stays out of the final Farm Act. Click here to see if your legislator is on the list of conference committee members.
  • (Original CTA below, for those new to the issue)
  • [NOTE: NC bills include or refer to existing law and how the proposed bill will change the law. Underlined language is what will be added, struck-thru language will be deleted. All plain text is existing law that will remain.]
  • Following is the pesticide language that has currently been removed from the Farm Act.  We are working to ensure that this section (or an amended version) is kept out.   “LIMIT LIABILITY FOR FIFRA-COMPLIANT LABELING SECTION 19.(a) G.S. 99B-5 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
  • “(d) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, the duty of a manufacturer or seller of a pesticide to warn a consumer or the public about the risks associated with the pesticide shall be presumed to be satisfied if the pesticide bears the label approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (7 U.S.C. § 136 et seq.) and the pesticide is registered with the Pesticide Board pursuant to G.S. 143-442. This presumption may be rebutted only by a showing that the weight of the scientific evidence does not support the scientific basis on which the required warning is premised and that the manufacturer or seller knew or should have known at the time the pesticide was sold that the required warning was not supported by the weight of scientific evidence. At a minimum, evidence to rebut the presumption shall be academically peer reviewed, published in a recognized academic journal, capable of replication, and reflected by a reliable application of scientific principles and methods to the risks associated with the use of the product.“
    • Despite what the lobbyists are saying, this language is not about farmers having access to “crop protection tools.” It’s not about preventing frivolous lawsuits. It’s not about the EPA refusing to let BAYER put cancer warnings on Roundup labels—BAYER has never asked for cancer warnings on the labels, disregarding all the published science and court cases revealing Roundup is carcinogenic.
    • This language is about shielding all pesticide manufacturers, including those owned by China, from product liability lawsuits, allowing manufacturers and the EPA to evade accountability by violating North Carolinians’ constitutional “inviolable” right to a jury trial.
    • EPA-approved labels should never be presumed to satisfy a pesticide manufacturer’s duty to warn in a products liability action, and peer reviewed, published science should not be required to rebut the presumption. Here’s why:
      1. The EPA does not require pesticide manufacturers to perform chronic toxicity studies with full product formulations. Testing requirements for full product formulations are limited to acute toxicity, such as oral, dermal, and inhalation studies (40 CFR Part 158).
      2. The EPA only requires active ingredients to be studied for chronic toxicity, such as for carcinogenicity, fertility issues, and neurotoxicity. If a product has more than one active ingredient, toxicity data must be submitted for each individually, but data on the synergistic effects of combined active ingredients, or the synergistic effects of the full formulation are not required.
      3. The EPA does not require manufacturers to submit their effectiveness data for the vast majority of pesticide products.
      4. Pesticide manufacturers perform their own efficacy and safety studies and they draft their own product labels, including updated labels. EPA checks to see if the submitted data complies with FIFRA, they don’t check to see if the manufacturer withheld or altered data.
      5. Decades elapse between the licensing of a pesticide and the first independent peer-reviewed published science showing harm. The discovery process in jury trials is the fastest and best way to uncover a manufacturer’s own scientific evidence that a pesticide can cause harm and that they covered it up.
    • The significant gaps in EPA’s evaluation process means that important safety and effectiveness data may be missing from the label. Label reliability is further undermined by a history of criminal fraudulent behavior by pesticide manufacturers, documented efforts by EPA to delay risk reviews and soften regulations, and courts repeatedly revoking EPA’s chemical assessments—like those for dicamba and glyphosate—for failure to align with scientific evidence and statutory duties.
    • BAYER recently removed glyphosate from their lawn & garden (L&G) Roundup products. On their website they state: “The vast majority of claims in the Roundup litigation have come from residential L&G users, so this step largely eliminates the primary source of future claims.”
    • BAYER replaced glyphosate in those L&G Roundup products with four active ingredients: fluazifop-P-butyl, triclopyr TEA salt, diquat dibromide, and imazapic ammonium. Each has known serious health risks. Diquat dibromide is so toxic, it has been banned in the EU, UK, and Hungary. Apply points 1-4 above, along with BAYER’s 2028 target date for the release of a new patented glyphosate replacement, and BAYER’s massive push to quickly pass state and federal liability shield bills becomes more clear.

References:
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-E/part-158
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17185266/
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/pesticides_reduction/pdfs/Toxic_concoctions.pdf
https://downloads.regulations.gov/EPA-HQ-OPPT-2009-0150-0002/content.pdf
https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/pesticide-registration-manual-chapter-1-overview-requirements-pesticide
https://usrtk.org/monsanto-papers/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36926962/
https://www.amazon.com/Poison-Spring-Secret-History-Pollution/dp/1608199142
https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/federal-court-halts-spraying-of-monsantos-dicamba-pesticide-across-millions-of-acres-of-cotton-soybeans-2024-02-06/
https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/6659/federal-court-rejects-glyphosate-registration-decision-because-epa-ignored-cancer-risks-endangered-species-risks
https://www.bayer.com/en/managing-the-roundup-litigation
https://www.agbolt.com/post/bayer-develops-alternative-to-glyphosate-herbicide

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Scott Kiley

Associate Director of Local Advocacy

Scott Kiley has been married to Jill Kiley for 37 years. Together they have 3 children, 3 grandchildren and reside in Florida. He is an entrepreneur having founded several businesses, one that remains today.

In battling the tyranny that unfolded during the Covid pandemic, Scott uses his organizational and entrepreneurial skills to focus on health care freedom. Scott and his wife Jill organize health freedom advocates in an effort to deliver meaningful change at a local level. Doctors, attorneys, nurses and passionate health freedom warriors make up the team. The advocates focus on their local county commissioners, city council members, school board members, sheriff and police. The advocacy work is always collaborative, respectful and educational while bring real change that enhances health care freedom. Team effort success has come in the form of local legislation through resolutions and ordinances.

Scott and his wife Jill share a vision of uniting every county within their state of Florida and using this unity to bring change in Tallahassee.

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Jill earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Southern Illinois University and a master’s in Clinical Social Work from the University of Illinois-Chicago. As a Youth and family therapist, mother of three, and grandmother, Jill has always stayed abreast of health issues affecting our society’s physical and mental well-being.

During the COVID lockdowns, she realized that the gaslighting of the public and the straying from evidence-based medical advice from our medical authorities needed to be questioned. The flawed science around the pretrials of the COVID-19 vaccines was alarming!  Jill and her husband, Scott, decided they needed to stand up and fight back locally against the deceptive narrative invoked against our society and continue advocating for our God-given rights

Jill and her husband, Scott, have become the local conduits of truth in a society of censorship. They have coordinated with activists in their community to educate local officials, resulting in impactful changes to local legislation to protect residents and their freedoms. “Bringing Truth to Light gracefully, opens doors to dialog and spurs curiosity for truth.”

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Directory of Advocacy
A former banker turned homeschool mom, Jill Hines began researching alternatives to conventional medicine in 2010 and what she discovered changed the trajectory of her life. She corrected a worrisome health issue, and embraced a natural approach to wellness. Advocating for informed consent and parental rights became a full-time mission when she joined the board of the Georgia Coalition for Vaccine Choice and later became the co-director of Health Freedom Louisiana. Due to her advocacy efforts during the COVID crisis, Jill was one of 25 Louisianans selected by Central City News as “a hero of the constitutional crisis.” She was also presented the Impact Award for Outstanding Public Service from the government watchdog organization Citizens for a New Louisiana. Jill now represents hundreds of millions of Americans who experienced censorship due to the Biden administration's efforts to suppress disfavored speech as a plaintiff in the landmark lawsuit Missouri v. Biden. Jill holds a marketing degree from Louisiana Tech University and now passionately “sells” health freedom full-time. Serving as Stand for Health Freedom’s advocacy director provides an incredible opportunity to advance the growing movement to preserve the sacred right to refuse unwanted medical interventions for ourselves and our children without fear of retribution.
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A labor and delivery nurse with a lifelong passion for maternal and fetal health, Chrissy Scott left her job of 19 years after learning the truth about the harms caused by the medical system. In 2009, she was mandated by her employer to receive the H1N1 vaccine during her first trimester of pregnancy with her second child. She was assured that the vaccine was “safe and effective” for pregnant women, but her son was born with a kidney defect that could have been fatal. She didn’t connect the dots to vaccine injury until several years later when the declining health of her oldest son drove her to seek answers outside of allopathic medicine.

This personal journey ignited in her a new passion for truth and transparency in health care. As SHF’s Executive Assistant, Chrissy facilitates communication and local advocacy initiatives alongside Leah Wilson for their home state of Indiana. She also manages and creates graphics for SHF’s social media accounts and the website’s swag shop.

Chrissy earned her nursing degree from Anderson University and served her entire career at her local hospital. While she’s no longer a floor nurse, her five very active boys frequently test her nursing skills! She homeschools her children and has been co-owner of a successful home décor sign business with her sister.

“Parents, being the experts on their own children, are best suited to make decisions for the well-being of their family. To do this properly, they must be given full and accurate information and be free from force or coercion.”

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Ellen is most energized by working on projects that transform lives. A truth seeker as well as a journalist, she’s disturbed by the lack of accuracy in today’s media and determined to help share fact rather than fiction. And having found greater healing with alternative approaches, she’s also passionate about preserving our freedom to make informed health choices.

Past projects include serving as regional editor of a dog magazine, color and trend specialist for a small cosmetics company, arts columnist, newspaper reporter, ghostwriter, and creator of website content for artists and small businesses.

With a degree in journalism and theatre, Ellen is also a performer. She enjoyed singing and dancing on a cruise ship and traveling with a national musical theatre tour, as well as recording industrial videos, television commercials, and radio voiceovers. She also creates handcrafted jewelry in wire, chain maille, and fused glass.

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Executive Director and Co-founder

An attorney with a background in complex litigation and advocacy, Leah Wilson is passionate about children’s health and has researched and worked on child welfare issues for more than a decade.

The overmedication of children in foster care as a form of behavior management is what compelled Leah to become an advocate and foster parent. During her time as a court-appointed special advocate for abused and neglected children, Leah witnessed the rampant use of psychiatric drugs among foster kids. She also discovered that, in addition to many extensive requirements, the state had a policy that all foster children and foster families be fully vaccinated, without exception. Through her involvement in law, health and the foster care system, it became abundantly clear to Leah that the single most important issue affecting child welfare in the United States is the practice of one-size-fits-all medicine via medical mandates. This motivated Leah to expand her advocacy beyond foster care to all children nationwide and to start Stand for Health Freedom (SHF) in 2019.

A graduate of the Saint Louis University School of Law, Leah holds dual bachelor degrees in political science and Spanish from Indiana University. In addition to her advocacy work with SHF, Leah is the owner and former operations director of MaxLiving Indy, one of the largest natural health centers in the Midwest. She is also an educator on holistic health as well as a sought-after speaker on issues ranging from religious rights to greening your home.

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Sayer Ji is a widely recognized researcher, author, lecturer, activist, and educator on natural health modalities. Among his many roles, he is an advisor to Stand for Health Freedom, a reviewer and editor of the International Journal of Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine, an advisory board member of the National Health Federation, a steering committee member of the Global GMO Free Coalition, and the co-founder and CEO of Systome Biomed Inc., a revolutionary scientific validation framework.

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Sayer attended Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, where he studied under the notable American philosopher Dr. Bruce W. Wilshire. He received a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy in 1995, with a focus on the philosophy of science. His new book, Regenerate: Unlocking Your Body’s Radical Resilience through the New Biology, was released in March 2020 and is an Amazon bestseller.

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Bailey earned a design degree from Harrington Institute of Design in 2008. She then served as a production assistant on several shows for HGTV, followed by working behind the scenes on the X Factor, small indie films, music videos, and documentaries. Bailey joined Health Freedom Florida after moving to the East Coast, becoming co-president of the grassroots organization in 2019. While at Health Freedom Florida, she successfully filed a state bill designed to stop discrimination based on your health status. She joined SHF in the fall of 2020.

“God placed a calling on my heart back in 2008 to be a part of something bigger for Him. Twelve years later, the opportunity came knocking to help others lean into their natural-born rights and take a stand for themselves and their families. I knew this is where I was called to be, and I have never looked back.”

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Before joining SHF, Valerie specialized in health and parenting rights at her boutique law firm, especially surrounding birth and vaccine rights. She advocated for informed consent in health care and transparent food labeling in her state. She helped found the Birth Rights Bar Association and was honored to present their argument to the Delaware Supreme Court that midwifery is not the practice of medicine, in support of a trailblazing midwife.

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Sheila and her twins were featured in the documentary “Vaxxed.” She has traveled extensively, advocating for medical freedom. She continues to educate disenfranchised parents about their fundamental rights to religious and philosophical exemptions, their ability to live sustainably on a limited budget, and the importance of nutrition and biomedical interventions for optimum health with autism. She also writes individual homeschool curriculums for parents of children with autism or intellectual disorders. Sheila is a trustee for the Autism Trust, USA, and on the board of directors of Children’s Health Defense.

Over the past 20 years, she has educated herself to use natural healing modalities for the body and brain. Her formal education includes degrees in communication, special education curriculum, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership in Special Education. Sheila serves as an assistant content advisor and political analyst for SHF.

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