HOWELL’S SENATE BILL 199
DELIVERED TO THE GOVERNOR
Consumer protections and alignment with federal law
FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 18, 2026) — Senate Bill (SB) 199, proposed by Sen. Jason Howell, R-Murray and chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, achieved final passage through the Kentucky House of Representatives Tuesday. The goal of this bill is to ensure Kentucky’s pesticide labeling standards mirror the national Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines.
“SB 199 aligns Kentucky law with federal standards, providing a consistent framework that protects farmers, safeguards consumers and ensures continued access to the tools and products that Kentucky agriculture depends on,” said Rep. Ryan Bivens, R-Hodgenville, who carried SB 199 on the House floor. “This is about making sure everyone, from family farmers to large-scale producers, has clear, reliable information about the products they use every day.”
The federal EPA establishes pesticide regulation and approves the content of all warning labels. Under SB 199, a pesticide label approved by the EPA is deemed sufficient under Kentucky law for duty-to-warn claims. The bill sustains consistency and provides protection for farmers against increased prices and lawsuit risks.
A floor amendment stipulated that pesticides with EPA-approved labels, including agricultural use requirements labels, serve as sufficient warnings for residential or production agricultural purposes.
The agricultural use requirements outline federal worker protection standards, including requirements like users are to wear personal protective equipment and provide additional restrictions. With this update, this language now applies to a smaller number of products that carry both labels and points to the user's responsibility for safe use.
This bill strikes a fair balance between protecting Kentucky production agriculture while preserving all possible consumer protections," Howell said. “This measure will enhance consistency between state and federal law, while also preserving consumer protections.”
Moreover, Howell stated this legislation would essentially enforce accountability and liability methods when safety warnings lack accuracy, thereby efficiently directing agricultural and business operations.
The bill has been sent to the governor for signature who can sign it into law, allow it to become law without his signature or veto the bill. With the supermajorities in both chambers, the General Assembly can swiftly override any veto.
For the complete bill language, including the floor amendments placed on the bill, go to SB 199 here.