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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
AMENDED
technical
correction: obstructing governmental operations
(NOW: egg-laying hens; housing size standards)
Purpose
Prohibits the Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) from adopting rules that require or prescribe minimum housing size standards for egg-laying hens.
Background
The AZDA
protects consumer safety, facilitates commerce, promotes equity in the Arizona
marketplace and safeguards market access both domestically and internationally
through a variety of inspection, licensing, and certification programs
involving: 1) plants; 2) livestock; 3) meat;
4) dairy; 5) vegetables; 6) citrus; 7) fruit; 8) eggs; 9) feed fertilizer; 10)
seed; 11) agricultural and nonagricultural pesticides; 12) packaged consumer
goods, 13) retail pricing; and 14) commercial weight and measuring devices (A.R.S. Title 3).
Statute outlines the powers and duties of the AZDA relating to the regulation of egg and egg products that include: 1) prescribing minimum standards for egg processing plants and sanitary standards for processing shell eggs; 2) acquiring and distributing useful information relative to preparing for market, handling, transporting, storing and marketing eggs and eggs products in accordance with the uniform standards and grades prescribed in the regulation of eggs and egg products statutes; and 3) establishing an egg promotion program to provide certification, inspection and grading services and prescribing, by rule, fees for those services (A.R.S. § 3-710).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Prohibits the AZDA from adopting rules that require or prescribe minimum housing size standards for egg-laying hens.
2. Makes technical changes.
3. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
· Adopted the strike-everything amendment.
Senate Action
RAGE 2/20/25 DPA/SE 5-2-0
Prepared by Senate Research
February 25, 2025
JT/KP/ci