Failure to Warn: NALC’s latest webinar dives into efforts to limit liability for pesticide manufacturers
May 1, 2026
By Ramie Parsons
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts
- Webinar examines state and federal developments on pesticide labeling and liability
- Covers recent legislation and U.S. Supreme Court case involving failure to warn claims
- Free registration available online
(336 words)
Download PHOTO of Brigit Rollins
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The National Agricultural Law Center will host an upcoming webinar, “Failure to Warn? A Look at Recent State and Federal Action on Pesticide Labeling,” on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, from noon-1 p.m. EDT or 11 a.m. to noon CDT.
The webinar will focus on legislative and legal developments surrounding pesticide labeling and liability, including efforts at the state level to limit liability for pesticide manufacturers facing claims that they failed to warn consumers about potential health risks.
Beginning in 2024, several states introduced legislation that would make a federally registered pesticide label a complete defense to state law failure-to-warn claims. That trend has continued through 2025 and into 2026, with multiple states considering similar measures.
The webinar will also explore the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to hear Durnell v. Monsanto, a case involving allegations that a pesticide manufacturer failed to warn a user of potential cancer risks associated with its product. The webinar will break down the arguments raised by both parties and consider how a ruling could impact the broader landscape of pesticide regulation and litigation.
The program will be presented by Brigit Rollins, a staff attorney at the National Agricultural Law Center. Rollins’ work focuses on environmental law as it intersects with agriculture, including issues related to pesticide regulation, water law and sustainability.
“These lawsuits have raised some questions about how state law and federal pesticide law interact,” Rollins said. “The Supreme Court may be able to provide some clearer answers.”
Rollins earned her Bachelor of Arts in environmental studies from Sonoma State University and her Juris Doctor from Lewis & Clark Law School. During law school, she worked with organizations including the Western Resources Legal Center, the California Farm Bureau Federation and Somach Simmons & Dunn, focusing on issues such as water law, environmental regulation and agricultural policy. She joined the National Agricultural Law Center full-time in 2019 after serving as a research fellow.
Additional information about the webinar, including registration details, is available on the National Agricultural Law Center’s website.
For information about the NALC, visit nationalaglawcenter.org. The NALC is also on X, Facebook and LinkedIn. Subscribe online to receive NALC Communications, including webinar announcements, the NALC’s Quarterly Newsletter, and The Feed.
About the National Agricultural Law Center
Created by Congress in 1987, the National Agricultural Law Center serves as the nation’s leading source of agricultural and food law research and information. The NALC works with producers, agribusinesses, state and federal policymakers, lenders, Congressional staffers, attorneys, land grant universities, students, and many others to provide objective, nonpartisan agricultural and food law research and information to the nation’s agricultural community.
The NALC is a unit of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and works in close partnership with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural Library.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 22 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three system campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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Media Contact:
Ramie Parsons
Resource Editor & Digital Operations Specialist
National Agricultural Law Center
rparsons@uark.edu