The Senate Agriculture Committee marks up the Farm Bill on Thursday, August 6, 2026 — and factory farming lobbyists are pushing to add the Save Our Bacon Act back in. Email your Senator now.

In 2018, California voters passed Proposition 12 — a landmark law banning the sale of pork, veal, and eggs from animals raised in extreme confinement (gestation crates, veal crates, battery cages). A dozen other states have since passed similar laws. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld Prop 12 in 2023.

Ever since, factory farming lobbyists have pushed Congress to override these state protections. They've failed repeatedly over more than a decade. Now they're trying again — by inserting the Save Our Bacon Act into the 2026 Farm Bill.

Why this week matters: At the August 6 markup, committee members can offer amendments — including any attempt to add the Save Our Bacon Act back into the bill. Industry groups like the National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation are pushing hard to get the language inserted, whether at markup or later through a floor amendment. The next few days are when pressure counts most.

How we got here: The House passed its Farm Bill on April 30, 2026 — 224 to 200 — with the Save Our Bacon Act still in it. Despite 23 bipartisan cosponsors fighting to strip it out, Republican leadership blocked the amendment from even getting a floor vote.

The good news from the Senate: On June 23, 2026, the Senate Agriculture Committee released its own draft Farm Bill — and it left the Save Our Bacon Act out entirely. On July 31, 2026, Chairman John Boozman released updated "Farm Bill 2.0" text — and it still leaves the provision out. Boozman has chosen not to include it in either version, a sign he doesn't see a path to the 60 votes needed with it in the bill. Animal protection groups, independent farmers, and consumer advocates are calling it a major win — but one that industry is working to reverse.

If the Save Our Bacon Act becomes law it would:

• Override Prop 12 and similar state laws, allowing products from extreme-confinement operations to be sold in states that have banned them
• Put at risk more than 600 state and local laws identified by a Harvard Law School analysis — including food safety rules, disease prevention measures, labeling standards, and consumer protections
• Undercut thousands of farmers who have already invested in higher-welfare systems to comply
• Hand more control of America's food supply to foreign-owned factory farms — including Chinese-owned Smithfield, which controls more than a quarter of U.S. pork production

Even if it advances out of committee, the Farm Bill still needs 60 votes to pass the full Senate — so every vote counts at every stage.

Who's fighting this: 32 Senate Democrats, major animal protection organizations including the ASPCA and Animal Legal Defense Fund, independent farmers, veterinarians, and consumer groups are all opposing this effort.

What we need from you: Send a message to your Senators today using the form below. It takes less than a minute — add your name, and your message urging them to oppose any Farm Bill containing the Save Our Bacon Act will be delivered straight to their offices. With the committee markup set for August 6, the Senate is our last line of defense, and this week is when your voice matters most.