Senate Bill Could Roll Back State Animal Welfare Laws and Voter Protections

A new Senate bill is raising major concerns among animal advocates. According to Humane World for Animals, the Food Security and Farm Protection Act, introduced by Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), would undo key animal welfare and public health laws across the United States. Humane World for Animals, formerly the Humane Society of the United States, and the Humane World Action Fund are warning that this bill is essentially a revival of the controversial EATS Act.

Kitty Block, president and CEO of Humane World for Animals, explained that the bill would “nullify a slew of state laws” designed to protect farm animals and public health. She stressed that it would punish farmers who have invested in higher animal welfare standards. Sara Amundson, president of the Humane World Action Fund, added that the bill “would hand over sweeping power to a narrow segment of the agriculture industry,” ignoring voter-supported protections for humane farming practices, food safety, and farm workers’ rights.

One major target of the bill is California’s Proposition 12, a landmark law passed in 2018 that bans the sale of pork, veal, and eggs from animals raised in cruel confinement. The law was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2023, but if the new bill passes, Prop 12 and over a thousand other laws could be wiped out, including those related to child labor and disease control.

Animal advocates are clear: this isn’t about food security—it’s about protecting the interests of Big Pork at the expense of animals, consumers, and states’ rights. As Block and Amundson warn, the bill would create chaos in the food system and undermine the values of American voters.

If you believe animals deserve better, now is the time to speak out. Call your senators, share this news, and keep choosing plant-based options to stand up against cruelty and corporate greed.

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