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Agriculture:
Animal "Welfare" Bills

Our Position: no position
Bill Number: HB 5127-5128
Sponsor: Simpson/Mayes
Legislative Session: 2009-10

Sierra Club originally opposed these bills. After a significant amount of negotiations between the agricultural community and the Humane Society of the US, the Sierra Club is now Neutral on the bills and recommends a vote in favor of their passage.

Status

The Sierra Club originally opposed this bill in committee and worked to stop it from moving forward to the full House. At the urging of Sierra Club and others opposed to the bill, a stakeholder meeting was convened after the objectionable bill passed committee and negotiations began. The Humane Society of the US went into negotiations with the agriculture community and agreed on a compromise. The negotiations and the resulting substitute (replacement) bill (HB 5127, version H-4) eliminated the areas of concern for the Sierra Club and environmental community. Sierra Club was neutral on the bill and it passed the full house with broad support. It will move immediately into the Senate.

The compromise bill that passed the House is acceptable to the Sierra Club. It forces certain industrial agricultural producers (pork, egg-laying chicken and veal) to make significant improvements in the management of their animals. Under the substitute bills, within 10 years, hogs (during pregnancy), egg-laying chickens and veal calves will have enough room to stand up, lie down, turn around and stretch their limbs and wings. This is a major improvement in animal care standards for these three species of intensively confined animals. It will take time for the industry to adapt to these new changes.

The Sierra Club is officially NEUTRAL on the bill, but sees it as an important step forward in making industrial animal agriculture a more humane industry.

Action Needed

Contact

Gayle Miller, Sierra Club Legislative Director, (517) 484-2372, gayle.miller@sierraclub.org