Washington, D.C.— Indian-origin business leaders found themselves on opposite sides of a fierce congressional debate this January over proposed legislation that would shield stone slab manufacturers and distributors from workplace-related lawsuits. The clash highlights a deepening divide between worker safety advocates and small business owners who say mounting litigation costs threaten their survival.
The House Judiciary subcommittee hearing centered on H. R. 5437, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Stone Slab Products Act. Former U.S. occupational safety chief David Michaels testified that the bill would worsen a growing silicosis epidemic among countertop fabrication workers.
Silicosis—a deadly lung disease caused by inhaling fine silica dust—has already claimed dozens of lives in the U.S. Michaels presented alarming California data: nearly 500 confirmed cases, 27 deaths, and dozens of lung transplants.
Michaels opposed the legislation, arguing that civil lawsuits force industries to adopt safer practices and materials. He cited Australia's approach—banning high-silica engineered stone rather than restricting litigation—which prompted manufacturers to shift to safer alternatives without job losses.
Gary Talwar, vice president of Natural Stone Resources, an Indian-origin family business based in California, offered a starkly different perspective. His parents immigrated legally from India in 1980 and built the company from scratch, he told lawmakers.
Talwar argued that responsibility for worker safety lies with fabrication shops—companies that cut and polish stone—not distributors like his firm.
He warned that distributors are increasingly named in dozens of lawsuits for unsafe practices they don't oversee. Small family-run businesses across the country now face hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal defense costs.
The mounting legal expenses force businesses to choose between defending themselves in court or keeping operations running.
The Natural Stone Institute's chief executive, Jim Hieb, echoed these concerns. He supported worker safety but opposed what he called misdirected litigation against stone slab sellers.
Rebecca Shult, chief legal officer of Cambria, a Minnesota-based quartz manufacturer, supported the legislation to protect American manufacturing jobs and domestic producers.
The U.S. stone slab industry contributes approximately $30 billion to the economy and employs over 100,000 workers. The debate now centers on whether Congress should limit civil liability or rely on workplace enforcement and market shifts toward safer materials.
Indian-origin entrepreneurs and businesses have become central to this industry, with many family-run operations now caught in the crossfire between protecting workers and preserving their enterprises.
Image from Wikimedia Commons