The Roundup Settlement Was Heard on September 14, 2026 — Final Approval Not Granted as of September 30
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A proposed $7.25 billion settlement covering Roundup non-Hodgkin lymphoma claims received preliminary approval from a Missouri court on 4 March 2026. That is not the same as final approval, and no payments go out until final approval happens. The fairness hearing where a judge decides whether to approve the deal, originally set for 19 August 2026, took place on 14 September 2026: Judge Timothy Boyer heard supporters and objectors and reserved his decision, and as of 30 September 2026 the official settlement site still says the court has not yet granted final approval. The deadline to opt out of the settlement, 4 June 2026, has long passed; the 21 August 2026 date that circulates was the court's deadline for responses to challenges over which opt-outs were valid, not a second opt-out window. This page walks through exactly where the case stands, what final approval would change, and why the opt-out window closing matters even though nothing has been paid.
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What the Roundup Litigation Is About
The underlying claims allege that exposure to Roundup, a glyphosate-based weed killer made by Monsanto (now owned by Bayer), caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma in people who used the product, often over years of agricultural, landscaping or home use. Tens of thousands of individual lawsuits built up around that allegation before this settlement was proposed. The $7.25 billion figure covers a defined group of claims within that larger litigation — it is a negotiated resolution for the people it applies to, not a court finding that Roundup causes cancer, and not a resolution of every Roundup case in the country.
Case Details
The settlement was proposed in a Missouri state court — King v. Monsanto Company, Case No. 2622-CC00325, Missouri Circuit Court, Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit (City of St. Louis), Division 8, Judge Timothy Boyer — where preliminary approval was granted on 4 March 2026 and the fairness hearing was held on 14 September 2026. A separate track of individual Roundup litigation continues in the federal MDL and in state courts: on 29 September 2026, according to Reuters, a Missouri jury began hearing a trial brought by three cancer patients that could help determine which Roundup lawsuits remain viable after the Supreme Court's Durnell ruling.
Where the Settlement Stands as of 30 September 2026
Preliminarily approved, not finally approved. On 4 March 2026, a Missouri court granted preliminary approval to the proposed $7.25 billion Roundup settlement, which had been filed on 17 February 2026. Preliminary approval is the step where a judge agrees the settlement is worth putting in front of the people it covers — it clears the way for notice to go out and for people to decide whether to stay in or opt out. It is not the court's final sign-off, and it does not release any money.
The fairness hearing was held on 14 September 2026 — the decision is pending. The hearing was originally scheduled for 19 August 2026. Judge Timothy Boyer's order of 6 August 2026 granted a joint request from the parties to move it to 14 September 2026, because “a significant number of challenges to the validity or invalidity of opt out requests” had been filed and the court wanted them resolved first. At the hearing, according to Law Commentary, Judge Boyer heard arguments from supporters and opponents of the deal, reserved his decision and invited additional filings through the end of that week. Monsanto's lawyer told him: “This is the settlement. There is not another settlement.” As of 30 September 2026, the official settlement site says registration and claim submission “are not available right now, as the Court has not yet granted final approval of the settlement.”
What objectors argue. Objectors challenge the Missouri court's authority to approve a nationwide class and question the $675 million in attorneys' fees sought by the lawyers who negotiated the deal; the law firm Miller & Zois counted 135 objectors heard at the hearing. On 27 August 2026 the Eighth Circuit dismissed an attempt by objectors to challenge the federal ruling that returned the case to Missouri state court.
The opt-out deadline has already passed. The date by which someone could choose to leave this settlement and pursue their own claim separately was 4 June 2026 — the official settlement site lists the same date for objections. That window is closed now. The 21 August 2026 date is different: Judge Timothy Boyer's order of 6 August 2026 moved the deadline for responding to challenges to the validity of opt-out requests to that day and referred unresolved challenges to the special master. If you were weighing whether to opt out, that decision point is behind us — nobody can opt out for the first time now. According to the law firm Miller & Zois, people who previously opted out can still revoke that decision until final approval, and Monsanto does not expect a final opt-out count until Judge Boyer rules; whether the settlement becomes binding is now up to the court.
No money has been paid out. That is true for everyone covered by this settlement, regardless of where their individual claim stands. Final approval — which, as of 30 September 2026, had not been granted — is a required step before any distribution begins. After it, the official site gives people already diagnosed 180 days to register and a claim deadline of 180 days after any appeals are resolved.
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What Final Approval Would Actually Decide
It helps to be precise about what "preliminary" and "final" approval each mean, because the difference is exactly what's still open here.
- Preliminary approval (already granted, 4 March 2026) means a judge reviewed the proposed settlement terms and agreed they were reasonable enough to send out for notice and objections. It is a green light to move the process forward — not a judgment that every term is fair to every claimant, and not a release of funds.
- Final approval (hearing held 14 September 2026; not granted as of 30 September 2026) is where the judge considers objections, reviews how notice and the opt-out process went, resolves disputes like the one over opt-out validity that caused this postponement, and then decides whether to approve the settlement as final and binding on the people who did not opt out.
Until that final approval happens, the settlement is not locked in. It is possible for a court to require changes before granting final approval, or to reject a settlement; as of 30 September 2026 we could not confirm how Judge Boyer will rule. The postponement from 19 August was specifically about the opt-out dispute, not about the settlement terms. At the hearing, Monsanto's lawyer told the court there is “not another settlement” and that the company is prepared to keep fighting individual lawsuits if this one is rejected.
For anyone who did not opt out by 4 June 2026, no further action is required to remain part of the settlement while the court process plays out. As of 30 September 2026, there is nothing to file and nothing to submit: registration opens only after final approval.
What the Settlement Amounts Mean — and What Comes Off the Top
Reported individual payouts under this settlement range from roughly $6,000 to $165,000. Claims evaluated under the settlement's point system — which accounts for factors like diagnosis type, exposure history and other case specifics — can reach a higher standard maximum, reported at around $198,000.
Those figures describe the range of gross settlement awards, not what lands in any individual's bank account. Attorney's fees, medical liens and other case-related deductions come out of a settlement payment before it reaches the claimant. How much comes off depends on each person's individual fee arrangement and any outstanding medical liens tied to their treatment — there is no single number that applies across every claim. Anyone estimating what they'd personally receive should treat the published range as a starting point for the gross award, not the final number.
It's also worth separating this settlement from the litigation as a whole. Outside of this $7.25 billion deal, Bayer says it has resolved well over 100,000 Roundup claims over time and paid roughly $11 billion doing it, according to the law firm Miller & Zois. As of September 2026, Bayer faces about 65,000 Roundup claims in state and federal courts, according to Law Commentary; how many of them this settlement would resolve depends on final approval and on which opt-outs are confirmed. This settlement is one resolution among several, not the entire Roundup litigation.
How the Settlement Reached This Point
- 1
17 February 2026 — the $7.25 billion settlement is filed
A proposed settlement covering Roundup non-Hodgkin lymphoma claims, valued at $7.25 billion, is submitted to a Missouri court for review.
- 2
4 March 2026 — preliminary approval granted
The Missouri court grants preliminary approval, clearing the way for notice to go out to covered claimants and for the opt-out and objection process to begin. This is not final approval and does not release funds.
- 3
4 June 2026 — the opt-out and objection deadline passes
The deadline for class members to opt out of the settlement and preserve the right to pursue an individual claim separately — and the deadline to object — both fall on 4 June 2026 per the official settlement site. That window is now closed. Over the summer a significant number of challenges to the validity of individual opt-out requests were filed; the court's 6 August order moved the deadline for responding to those challenges to 21 August 2026 and referred unresolved ones to the special master.
- 4
25 June 2026 — the Supreme Court rules in Monsanto Co. v. Durnell
The U.S. Supreme Court rules 7-2 in favor of Monsanto, holding that federal pesticide law (FIFRA) preempts a state-law failure-to-warn claim. The decision does not resolve this settlement directly, but it narrows the legal footing for individual Roundup lawsuits going forward, which is one reason a negotiated settlement has become a more attractive option for many claimants than pursuing an individual case.
- 5
6 August 2026 — the fairness hearing is moved from 19 August to 14 September
The hearing where the court would consider final approval had been calendared for 19 August 2026. Judge Timothy Boyer granted a joint motion from the parties to continue it to 14 September 2026, because “a significant number of challenges to the validity or invalidity of opt out requests” had been filed and the court wanted them resolved first. The settlement terms and payout ranges are not reported to have changed.
- 6
14 September 2026 — the fairness hearing is held
Judge Boyer heard arguments from supporters and opponents of the deal in St. Louis, reserved his decision and invited additional filings through the end of that week, according to Law Commentary. Monsanto's lawyer told the court: “This is the settlement. There is not another settlement.”
- 7
Pending as of 30 September 2026 — the ruling on final approval
As of 30 September 2026, the official settlement site says the court has not yet granted final approval, so registration and claims are closed and no distributions can begin. If approval is granted, people already diagnosed get 180 days to register.
What to Watch Out For While This Is Pending
A settlement sitting between preliminary and final approval, with real dollar figures already public, is a period when it's easy for outdated or misleading claims to circulate. These are the specific things worth checking here.
"The settlement is final — payments are going out"
The fairness hearing was held on 14 September 2026, and as of 30 September 2026 final approval had not been granted. No payments have been distributed under this settlement to anyone. Any message, call or ad suggesting checks are already being issued is describing a step that hasn't happened.
"You can still opt out"
The opt-out deadline was 4 June 2026, and it has long passed — 21 August 2026 was only the deadline for responses to opt-out challenges, not a second chance to opt out. Anyone offering to help file an opt-out now, or suggesting that window is still open, is either mistaken or working from outdated information.
Treating the top-line payout figure as what you'll receive
The $165,000 to $198,000 range describes the higher end of gross settlement awards before attorney's fees and medical liens are deducted, not a guaranteed take-home amount for any individual claim. A pitch that quotes the top number as "what you'll get" is skipping the part of the process that determines an actual net payout.
Common Questions
Has the Roundup settlement received final approval?
Not as of 30 September 2026. The settlement received preliminary approval from a Missouri court on 4 March 2026. The fairness hearing, originally set for 19 August 2026, was held on 14 September 2026; Judge Timothy Boyer reserved his decision, and as of 30 September 2026 the official settlement site says the court has not yet granted final approval.
Why was the fairness hearing postponed?
A Missouri judge granted a joint motion from the parties to move the hearing from 19 August to 14 September 2026, specifically so they could resolve a dispute over whether certain opt-out submissions were validly filed. The postponement is about that procedural question, not about the settlement's dollar amount or eligibility terms.
Can I still opt out of the settlement?
No. The opt-out deadline was 4 June 2026, and it has passed. The 21 August 2026 date in the court's 6 August order was the deadline for responding to challenges to opt-outs already submitted, not a new opt-out window. If you did not submit an opt-out by 4 June 2026, the option to opt out of this particular settlement is no longer available.
Has any money been paid out under this settlement?
No. As of 30 September 2026, no distributions had been made under this settlement. Payment cannot begin until the court grants final approval; Judge Boyer heard the settlement on 14 September 2026 and reserved his decision. After approval, people already diagnosed get 180 days to register, and claims are due within 180 days after any appeals are resolved.
How much will I actually receive from the Roundup settlement?
Reported individual payouts range from about $6,000 to $165,000, with claims evaluated through the settlement's point system able to reach roughly $198,000 at the standard maximum. Those are gross figures before attorney's fees, medical liens and other case-specific deductions, which reduce what any individual claimant actually receives. There is no single net figure that applies to everyone.
What did the Supreme Court's Monsanto v. Durnell decision change?
On 25 June 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in favor of Monsanto in Monsanto Co. v. Durnell, holding that federal pesticide labeling law (FIFRA) preempts a state-law failure-to-warn claim. The ruling doesn't apply directly to this settlement, but it makes the legal path for pursuing an individual Roundup lawsuit narrower going forward, which is part of why a negotiated settlement has become a more attractive route for many claimants than litigating individually. This is a factual description of the ruling's effect, not legal advice about any specific case.
Is this the only Roundup settlement?
No. Separate from this $7.25 billion settlement, Bayer says it has resolved well over 100,000 Roundup claims through other settlements and paid roughly $11 billion doing it, according to the law firm Miller & Zois. As of September 2026, Bayer faces about 65,000 Roundup claims in state and federal courts (Law Commentary), including more than 4,000 cases in the federal MDL (Miller & Zois); how many of them this settlement would resolve depends on final approval and on which opt-outs are confirmed.
What happened at the 14 September 2026 hearing?
Judge Timothy Boyer heard arguments from supporters and opponents of the settlement and reserved his decision; according to Law Commentary, he invited additional filings through the end of that week and is expected to rule on final approval at a later date. As of 30 September 2026, the official settlement site says final approval has not yet been granted. If the court grants it, the settlement becomes binding on the class members who remained in it, people already diagnosed get 180 days to register, and claims are due within 180 days after any appeals are resolved. Until then, no timeline for actual payments has been established.
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