ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-seventh Legislature

First Regular Session

Senate: RAGE DPA/SE 5-2-0-0 | 3rd Read 16-11-3-0

SB 1721: egg-laying hens; housing size standards

Sponsor: Senator Bolick, LD 2

Committee on Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs

Overview

Prohibits the Arizona Department of Agriculture (Department) from adopting rules that prescribe housing requirements for egg-laying hens.

History

The Arizona Administrative Code (ACC) requires all egg-laying hens in Arizona to be housed in a cage-free manner. The ACC also requires all eggs and egg products sold in Arizona to be produced from hens housed in a cage-free manner. However, this requirement does not apply to egg producers that operate egg ranches with fewer than 20,000 egg-laying hens. The Department's Animal Services Division is responsible for enforcing these requirements (A.R.S. § 3-1201 et seq.)(R3-2-907).

The United Egg Producers Animal Husbandry Guidelines (Guidelines) recommend that cage-free hens have a minimum range of 1.0 to 1.5 square feet of usable space per hen, depending on whether the hens are housed in multitiered aviaries, partially slatted systems, or single-level all litter floor housing systems. The Guidelines also contain additional recommendations for perch and nesting space for cage-free hens.

Additionally, U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations generally require producers with more than 3,000 egg-laying hens to implement measures to prevent salmonella from contaminating eggs on farms or from growing when these eggs are stored and transported (21 Code of Federal Regulations Part 118).

Provisions

1. Restricts the Department from adopting rules that require or prescribe minimum housing size standards for egg-laying hens. (Sec. 1)

2. Makes technical changes. (Sec. 1)

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6. SB 1721

7. Initials BSR Page 0 Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs

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