2007 Farm Bill Update
Update
July 18, 2007: Good news! The House Agriculture Committee has removed Section 123 from the most current draft of the 2007 Farm Bill. Thank you for all of your calls, emails and letters to your federal legislators in opposition to Section 123. Please be forewarned, however, that this dangerous language could be re-inserted in later versions of this or other legislation. We will continue to monitor events and alert you should the need arise.
June 22, 2007
A subcommittee in the U.S. House of
Representatives has recently drafted language for the upcoming 2007 Farm Bill
which could effectively block crucial advancements in state and local animal
protection laws.
The purpose of Section 123 of the Farm Bill, as
described by the subcommittee, is to prevent states from prohibiting food
products the USDA has "inspected and passed" or "determined to be of
non-regulated status."*
If enacted, this vague and overreaching language
could trump state efforts to take meaningful stands against animal
cruelty, including such following harmful effects:
- Prohibit states from enacting their own more-humane farm animal standards;
- Prohibit states from banning the production and sale of products like foie gras, which is produced by force-feeding ducks and geese massive amounts of food until their livers become enlarged by disease;
- Prohibit states from passing other important safeguards for animals that fall outside of federal protections.
*A copy of Section 123 is available at the House Committee on Agriculture’s Farm Bill website. (PDF)
