BILL NUMBER: S950
SPONSOR: KAVANAGH
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to provid-
ing for cage-free egg production
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill will require all eggs sold in New York State to come from
cage-free and free-range environments.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one contains the legislative findings.
Section two amends the agriculture and markets 160-f establishing stand-
ards for the cage-free law by adding a new section housing of egg-laying
hens.
Section three amends the title of article 13-a law to read: "Sale of
Eggs"of the agriculture and markets
Section four establishes the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Most egg-laying hens in the United States are confined in battery-cage
systems, wire cages where as many as five to ten hens are housed their
entire lives to produce eggs. Inside these cramped cages, each hen is
only afforded an average of 60-75 square inches of space, smaller than
the size of a standard piece of paper. The space is so small that it
restricts the hens from being able to move about or spread their wings,
causing severe deterioration of their muscles and bones. The overcrowd-
ing of these cages also causes the birds to lose their feathers and
prevents them from performing some of their natural behaviors, such as
nesting, perching and dust bathing.
In recent years, consumers have increasingly called for more humane
conditions for animals used in agriculture. Several countries around the
world have banned the use of battery cages, gestation crates and veal
crates, yet the animal agriculture industry in the United States has
been slower to respond. In fact, 95% of eggs sold in the United States
continue to come from battery-caged hens. This legislation will force a
more humane industry in New York State by requiring all eggs sold in the
state be produced in cage free and free-range systems.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2024: S2957 (Kavanagh) referred to agriculture-REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
/A107(Rosenthal L) - (Rosenthal L) - (Rosenthal L) - (Rosenthal L) -
2023: S2957 (Kavanagh) referred to agriculture-REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
/A.107 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE /A3630 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE /A3630
2022: S6971(Kavanagh) referred to agriculture
2021: S6971(Kavanagh) - referred to agriculture
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect twenty-four months after it shall have become
a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of
any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on
its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before
such effective date.