(Mar. 27, 2026) News from the front lines of informed consent. Do people know enough about the pesticides they use every day and that are sprayed on crops? Do patients know enough about prescription drugs or vaccines? Did any citizen consent to having the skies above sprayed with heavy metals that rain upon their land and children? Bernadette Pajer returns to tell us about legislative efforts seeking to secure informed consent in many aspects of our lives.
References:
Pesticide Liability Shield Bills and a Court Case (status as of post date)
Enacted (State)
- North Dakota HB 1318 — signed April 2025, effective July 1, 2025.
- Georgia SB 144 — signed May 2025, effective January 1, 2026. Both shield manufacturers from failure-to-warn claims when the product bears an EPA-approved label.
Delivered to Governor
- Kentucky SB 199 — passed Senate 23–13 on March 5, passed House 53–37 on March 17 (with amendment limiting scope to agricultural pesticides only), delivered to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear on March 19, 2026. If signed or allowed to pass without action, Kentucky becomes the third state to enact such a law. Beshear has 10 days to sign, veto, or allow it to become law without his signature.
Passed One Chamber
- Kansas HB 2476 — passed House 81–36 on January 30, 2026; engrossed and sent to Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee hearing March 10. Awaiting Senate action before legislature adjourns April 10.
- Tennessee SB 527 — passed the Senate 21–7 in 2025. House companion HB 809 brought back to House Judiciary Committee January 21, 2026, but sponsor declined to present it; currently stalled in committee with no floor vote scheduled. Tennessee adjourns April 24.
Did Not Pass / Died This Session
- Florida HB 443 / SB 518 — HB 443 filed November 2025, SB 518 introduced January 2026. Florida legislature adjourned March 13 with no passage recorded — both appear to have died for this session.
Introduced / Active
- Missouri HB 2712 — before the House; legislature adjourns May 30. Third consecutive year Missouri has attempted this legislation.
Federal — Appropriations (resolved)
- FY26 Interior-Environment Appropriations Bill, Section 453— passed the House Appropriations Committee July 2025 with pesticide immunity language, then removed from the conferenced version following significant public opposition.
Federal — Farm Bill (active)
- ⬇️ H.R. 7567 — Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026— passed House Agriculture Committee March 5, 2026, 34–17. Contains Section 10204 (FIFRA labeling uniformity/liability shield), Section 10205 (prohibits failure-to-warn lawsuits), and Section 10206 (preempts state and local pesticide authority). House floor vote targeted before Easter recess (March 28). Senate Agriculture Committee has not yet introduced its version. The 2018 Farm Bill extension expires September 30, 2026; 60 Senate votes required. The pesticide provisions are considered a “poison pill” by some lawmakers, making passage uncertain.
- S. 2324 — Pesticide Injury Accountability Act (Sen. Booker, D-NJ) — counter-bill; would create a federal private right of action for individuals harmed by pesticides; referred to committee.
Judicial Branch: The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Monsanto v. Durnell this term, which directly asks whether FIFRA preempts state failure-to-warn claims. A ruling could render much of this state and federal legislative activity moot. Arguments due April 27, 2026, according to ScotusBlog.
- Amicus Brief from Stand for Health Freedom is expected.
Psychotropic Drug Informed Consent Bills
Watch the movie Medicating Normal, four stories documenting the overuse of psychotropic drugs.
Enacted (State)
- Tennessee HB 1349 / SB 1146 — enacted April 30, 2025. Mandates toxicology testing for psychotropic drugs in autopsies of deceased mass shooters who killed four or more, with results reported to UT Health Science Center and the state Department of Health.
Active (State)
- Tennessee HB 1160 / SB 1064 — Died in subcommittee; promoted by activist and former president of ICWA, Bernadette Pajer.
- Tennessee SB 2088 — Introduced March 2026; would require blood or urine testing of living mass shooting suspects for the presence of psychotropic drugs, administered at a hospital and results sent to UT Health Science Center. Passed in Senate committee, House committee pending.
- Tennessee HB 2389 / SB 2255 — Requires TennCare to biannually publish statewide data reports on psychotropic medication use and costs. SB 2255 enrolled and signed by Senate Speaker March 17, 2026; awaiting Governor’s signature.
- New York S893A — requires enhanced written informed consent before prescribing psychotropic medications to nursing home and adult care facility residents, with 48-hour family notification; pending in Senate.
- Illinois HB 2512 (Rep. Jed Davis, 2025) — requires FDA Medication Guides given to parents, written parental consent before prescribing psychotropics to minors, and an adverse drug reaction reporting system; pending.
Federal
- H.R. 4837 — Written Informed Consent Act (119th Congress) — would establish written informed consent requirements for psychotropic medications in VA facilities; referred to committee.
Geoengineering Bills
Enacted (State)
- Tennessee HB 2063 / SB 2691 (2024) — broad ban on intentional atmospheric interventions including solar radiation modification.
- Florida SB 56 — signed June 2025; broad ban on intentional atmospheric interventions including solar radiation modification and cloud seeding.
- Montana SB 473 — passed March 2025; bans stratospheric aerosol injection and solar radiation management while explicitly permitting cloud seeding for water resource management.
Introduced / In Committee (State)
- New Jersey SB 4161 — bans release of hazardous chemicals for geoengineering including cloud seeding and aerosol injection; in committee.
- Pennsylvania SB 508 (Clean Air Preservation Act) — bans cloud seeding and solar radiation modification; felony charges for violations; in Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.
- Rhode Island HB 5217 — bans geoengineering and weather modification; in committee.
- Vermont HB 217 — bans geoengineering and atmospheric interventions; in Environment and Energy Committee.
Federal Level
- H.R. 4403 — Clear Skies Act (Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-GA) — would prohibit weather modification nationwide; referred to House committees on Energy and Commerce and others.
- H.R. 7452 — Air Quality Act (Rep. Greg Steube, R-FL) — introduced February 2026; would ban aerosol spraying, cloud seeding, and solar radiation management with criminal penalties, taking effect 90 days after passage; referred to committee.
Vaccine Informed Consent Bills (partial)
(See National Vaccine Information Center – Advocacy for detailed lists for Washington and all other states.
State Level
- South Carolina S. 343 — requires verbal and written informed consent before administering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, including specific disclosure of ingredients and unknown long-term safety; pending in Senate Medical Affairs Committee.
- South Carolina S. 54 — Medical Informed Consent Act — broader bill banning vaccine mandates, requiring written informed consent for any vaccine or “novel vaccine,” and protecting pharmacists’ right to refuse; advanced out of committee in 2025, pending full Senate vote.
- New York A3807 — “Vaccine Bill of Rights” prohibiting mandated experimental vaccines, requiring VAERS disclosure to patients, and banning private businesses from conditioning participation on vaccination status; pending in Assembly.
- Iowa SF 360 — sought to prohibit “gene-based vaccines” (mRNA/DNA technology); did not advance in 2025. At least seven states introduced mRNA vaccine restriction bills during 2025 sessions; most did not advance.
Federal Level
- No Vaccine Mandates Act of 2023 (Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX) — requires written informed consent before administering any COVID-19 vaccine or booster, and parental consent for minors, with civil penalties for violations; referred to committee.
- End the Vaccine Carve Out Act of 2026 (Sen. Rand Paul, R-KY) — introduced a federal bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to end the liability shield for vaccine manufacturers; referred to committee.
