Jan 14
2026

Legislation to protect sellers of stone slab material from civil actions in silica related lawsuits has been introduced in Congress. The Natural Stone Institute (NSI) is advocating approval and key amendments to broaden the scope.

On January 14th, NSI CEO, Jim Hieb, will address the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet.

His testimony will focus attention on the plight silica related lawsuits are causing NSI members including stone distributors, quarriers, fabricators, tooling suppliers, and others. Jim will share the stories of several members and how they are facing consequential decisions related to their businesses and employees; he will illustrate why NSI feels it is wrong to shift responsibility from noncompliant employers to those who follow the law and provide meaningful employment in safe workplaces to thousands.

If you would like to watch the live stream of the hearing, you can access it on Youtube.

more: https://www.naturalstoneinstitute.org/silica/silica-related-lawsuits/