Stone slab makers shielded from lawsuits over silica dust injuries
H.R. 5437 — Protection of Lawful Commerce in Stone Slab Products Act · Filed by Tom McClintock (R-CA) · 16 cosponsors · Introduced Sep 17, 2025 · Reported out
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What it does
This bill prohibits lawsuits against manufacturers and sellers of stone slab products (like quartz countertops) for injuries workers suffer from silica dust exposure during fabrication—even if the product itself is safe when sold. The bill shields manufacturers and sellers from liability for harm caused by third-party fabricators' failure to follow workplace safety rules, and requires dismissal of all pending cases.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is a blanket immunity for stone slab manufacturers and sellers from civil liability for workplace injuries caused during product fabrication, regardless of product design or warnings. This is a classic liability carve-out, not a safety or consumer-protection measure.
What the text implies
- Workers injured by silica dust may have no solvent defendant to sue: fabricators are often small, undercapitalized shops; manufacturers remain wealthy and judgment-proof to injured workers.
- The bill does not require manufacturers to design safer products, provide warnings, or improve product safety—it only shields them from liability for harm caused by others' non-compliance with existing OSHA rules.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Stone slab manufacturers (quartz, engineered stone producers); Stone slab importers and distributors; Retailers and suppliers of stone slab products