1     
EGG PRODUCTION AMENDMENTS

2     
2024 GENERAL SESSION

3     
STATE OF UTAH

4     
Chief Sponsor: Michael K. McKell

5     
House Sponsor: Jefferson S. Burton

6     

7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This bill modifies provisions related to the confinement of egg-laying hens.
10     Highlighted Provisions:
11          This bill:
12          ▸     extends the deadline for a farm owner or operator to have a cage-free housing
13     system for an egg-laying hen in an enclosure; and
14          ▸     requires the department to provide a report to the Business and Labor Interim
15     Committee related to farm owner and operator implementation of the cage-free
16     requirement.
17     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
18          None
19     Other Special Clauses:
20          None
21     Utah Code Sections Affected:
22     AMENDS:
23          4-4a-103, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2021, Chapter 323
24          4-4a-107, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2021, Chapter 323
25     

26     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
27          Section 1. Section 4-4a-103 is amended to read:
28          4-4a-103. Prohibitions.
29          Beginning on January 1, [2025] 2035, a farm owner or operator may not knowingly
30     confine an egg-laying hen in an enclosure:
31          (1) that is not a cage-free housing system; or
32          (2) that has less than the amount of usable floor space per hen as required by the 2017
33     edition of the United Egg Producers' Animal Husbandry Guidelines for U.S. Egg-Laying
34     Flocks: Guidelines for Cage-Free Housing.
35          Section 2. Section 4-4a-107 is amended to read:
36          4-4a-107. Report.
37          (1) The department shall provide a report on this chapter to the Business and Labor
38     Interim Committee [during or before the November interim meeting in 2023] at an interim
39     meeting in 2029 that occurs before October 31.
40          (2) The report described in Subsection (1) shall include an update on:
41          (a) [efforts taken] the progress by farm owners and operators to [come into
42     compliance] comply with Section 4-4a-103; and
43          (b) the retail demand for and conditions related to the sale of cage-free eggs.
44          Section 3. Effective date.
45          This bill takes effect on May 1, 2024.