Animal welfare protections are still at risk and we need your help! House Agriculture Committee Chairman GT Thompson has proposed a farm bill, which would backtrack the progress advocates have fought for regarding animal welfare, in favor of the pork industry. This bill would undermine animal-protection laws including California's historic Proposition 12, which bans the sale of animal products that do not follow cage confinement guidelines. Thompson is pushing for states to lose the right to set their own standards in regards to animal welfare, subjecting animals to more suffering and eradicating all the work that has been done in defense of animals' livelihoods. This bill exemplifies the commodification of animals and the refusal to acknowledge their sentience.

Additionally, this bill harms local farmers, the environment, and the American population. It claims to serve the food insecure and center public health but fails to invest in SNAP, the nationwide food assistance program that keeps millions of Americans fed. In a conversation about food security, this cannot be overlooked. Local laws have enacted regulations around pesticide-use and disclosures, which protects American families and the farmers who are regularly exposed, and stripping those laws back would aid in a public health risks. States have also addressed the environmental impacts of concentrated animal feeding operations--also known as factory farming, and this bill would weaken environmental protections that were put in place.

Changes to this bill would strip states of the ability to regulate agricultural practices that directly affect public health, animal welfare, and the environment. This fight regarding the reconsideration of Prop 12 is an ongoing battle that NARN will continue to advocate for.

As of April 2026, this bill is one step closer to getting passed and your advocacy is crucial to help save farmed animals. Write to your members of Congress and urge them to oppose any version of this bill that overturns state agriculture laws and fails to protect human and nonhuman animals.