This week, the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) testified in support of House Bill 126, urging lawmakers to prevent public nuisance law from being turned into a backdoor litigation tool against lawful products and businesses.

In testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, OMA Legal Counsel Anne Marie Sferra said Ohio manufacturers need a civil justice system that is rational, fair and predictable in order to invest, grow and compete globally. The bill would help preserve that stability by codifying the Ohio Supreme Court’s recent decision in In re National Prescription Opiate Litigation, which made clear that public nuisance claims tied to the sale of a product must be handled under Ohio’s product liability laws.

“House Bill 126 helps maintain Ohio’s stable legal climate and promotes a common-sense civil justice system,” Sferra told lawmakers. “In particular, this bill protects against misuse of public nuisance claims.”

The bill is an important safeguard against lawsuit abuse and legal theories that stretch public nuisance law far beyond its original purpose. OMA urged lawmakers to support House Bill 126 and keep Ohio’s legal climate predictable, rather than allowing product liability disputes to be repackaged as open-ended nuisance lawsuits. 5/13/2026