CRS – Table Egg Production and Hen Welfare: The UEP-HSUS Agreement and H.R. 3798

Table Egg Production and Hen Welfare: The UEP-HSUS Agreement and H.R. 3798, May 14, 2012

  • “The United Egg Producers (UEP), the largest group representing egg producers, and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the largest animal protection group, have been adversaries for many years over the use of conventional cages in table egg production. In July 2011, the animal agriculture community was stunned when the UEP and HSUS announced that they had agreed to work together to push for federal legislation to regulate how U.S. table eggs are produced. The agreement between UEP and HSUS called for federal legislation that would set cage sizes, establish labeling requirements, and regulate other production practices. The goal of the agreement is to have federal legislation in place by June 30, 2012. As part of the agreement, HSUS agreed to immediately suspend state-level ballot initiative efforts in Oregon and Washington…If enacted, H.R. 3798 would require that U.S. egg producers transition egg production from conventional cages that average about 67 square inches of floor space to enriched cages that nearly double floor space for laying hens by the end of the 15- to 18-year phase-in period. The new enriched cages must also have environmental enrichments such as perch spaces, dusting or scratching areas, and nesting areas that allow laying hens to express natural behaviors that conventional cages do not allow.”
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    Posted in: Congress, Government Documents, Legislation
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