Ending the Intensive Confinement of Hens Used by the Egg Industry (Nevada)
Mandating hens be provided cage-free environments as well as vital enrichments (AB 399)
Nevada became the 9th state to pass a hen welfare bill when Governor Steve Sisolak signed AB 399 on June 4, 2021. It becomes effective July 1, 2022.
Status
Hens used by the egg industry are among the most abused animals in the country yet have few legal protections.
AB 399, sponsored by the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources, mandates cage-free conditions for hens, outlawing battery cages — small wire cages where each hen is given less space than a sheet of printer paper to spend her entire life. It also ensures that hens be able to engage in certain vital natural behaviors such as perching, nesting in boxes, dust bathing, and fully extending their wings.
Since 2016, multiple states — California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, Washington, Rhode Island, and Utah — have passed similar laws. More than 200 corporations are requiring their suppliers to switch to cage-free systems, including McDonald’s, Burger King, Hannaford, Shaw’s, Walmart, Dollar Tree, IHOP, and Denny’s.
Nevada became the 9th state to pass a hen welfare bill when Governor Steve Sisolak signed AB 399 on June 4, 2021. The Animal Legal Defense Fund was glad to assist the broad coalition of organizations supporting this bill and engage advocates in Nevada. It becomes effective July 1, 2022.
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