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.

What happened: The House passed the 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 fight moves to the Senate. The Senate needs 60 votes to pass the Farm Bill. 32 Senate Democrats are already on record opposing the Save Our Bacon Act. Senate Agriculture Chair John Boozman has publicly signaled he will strip controversial provisions to meet that threshold. This provision has failed in the Senate every single time it has been attempted over more than a decade.

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

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: Call your Senator today and urge them to oppose any Farm Bill containing the Save Our Bacon Act. The Senate is our last line of defense.