The Chamber

The Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce joins with the Michigan Chamber of Commerce in vocal opposition to HB 4316 due to the damage it would cause small and large business alike. The bill, if it were passed, would technically allow action against the FDA, but the real issue is the exposure to litigation for smaller companies that provide the FDA with sampling and testing for certain drugs that the FDA later approves.

The effect the legislation would have on our already struggling economy would be crippling. Michigan has been searching for a profitable industry to offset the struggling automobile sector, and to date the life science industry has been the best economic option available.

The impacts of this legislation are not limited to only large pharmaceutical companies. The companies with the most to lose with the least resources to meet this challenge are the small businesses that help Michigan's economy stay afloat. If the legislation were to be passed, there would be a surge in class action lawsuits that would send countless businesses into a downward spiral that many would likely be unable to recover from.

Making it harder to do business in this state for one of our most important growing economic segments is not wise policy. It discourages new investment and encourages existing firms to seek a friendlier legal climate elsewhere.