Protection of Lawful Commerce in Stone Slab Products Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill would block lawsuits against manufacturers and sellers of stone slab products (like kitchen countertops) by workers who got sick from breathing silica dust during cutting and polishing. The protection covers quartz, porcelain, glass, and similar materials.
• The bill argues that manufacturers should not be held responsible when third-party fabricators fail to follow existing workplace safety rules. It points to federal and state regulations that already require safety measures to reduce silica dust exposure.
• Any lawsuits already in progress would be dismissed as soon as possible after the bill becomes law. No new cases of this type could be filed in any federal or state court going forward.
• There is an important exception: workers can still sue if their employer is also the manufacturer or seller of the stone slab product. The shield only protects companies further up the supply chain from lawsuits by workers they did not employ.
• The bill frames its purpose as protecting an industry that employs tens of thousands of workers across multiple states, and preventing what it calls an abuse of the legal system that could destabilize the industry.