State Laws Protecting Farm Animals Are At Risk
State-level laws that protect breeding pigs from extreme confinement are at high risk of being undone by Congress. Research has consistently shown that confining pregnant pigs to gestation crates, whose use is prohibited by Proposition 12 and Question 3, causes significant physical harm and psychological distress.
VAFAW is working to ensure these state laws stay in place. You can help.
Want to help protect farm animals from extreme confinement? Send a message to your U.S. Senator now and tell them to oppose efforts to preempt Proposition 12.
Make sure to become a VAFAW member to receive advocacy engagement alerts.
Background
Congress is working to reauthorize the Farm Bill, wide-reaching legislation that governs agriculture and food programs. The House-passed version of the bill includes a provision that undermines farm animal welfare protections. Section 12006, derived from the Save Our Bacon Act, would prohibit state laws that regulate out-of-state livestock production standards. Cage-free laws for egg-laying hens would stand, but laws against the use of gestation crates for pigs and veal crates for calves would be undone.
VAFAW is working alongside others to ensure this provision is not included in the Senate version of the bill.
You can help protect farm animals from extreme confinement. Veterinarians provide especially strong credibility on this issue, though all VAFAW members are encouraged to weigh in.
If you're short on time, the items with a " " provide a good overview of the issue.
Educational Resources
VAFAW-hosted webinars:
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Sows Need Space: Understanding Sow Welfare and Federal Efforts to Undo State Animal Welfare Laws (Abigale Zoltick, DVM, MSc, DACAW; Gwendolen Reyes-Illg, DVM, MA; Cameron Krier Massey, JD, MPH, MSc) June 2026.
Full webinar recording is here or watch specific parts of the presentation below.
Part I: Learn about sow behavior, research showing the impact of gestation crates on sow welfare, and group housing alternatives from Dr. Abigale Zoltick, DVM, MSc, DACAW.
Part II: Learn about state laws prohibiting the extreme confinement of farm animals, legal action to undo them, and past veterinary engagement to protect Proposition 12 from Dr. Gwendy Reyes-Illg, DVM, MA.
Part III: Learn about efforts by Congress to undo state laws prohibiting the extreme confinement of farm animals, VAFAW advocacy engagement, and how you can help ensure these laws stay in place from Cameron Krier Massey, JD, MPH, MSc.
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I want to break free: gilt preference for motivation to be outside crates (Thomas Ede, PhD) October 2025
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The Sow-cial Network: Designing Pens for Harmony, Not Havoc (Kevin Kurbis) October 2025
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Essential Elements for Successful Group Housing of Sows (Jeremy Marchant, PhD) May 2025
VAFAW position statement on sow and gilt housing.
Save Our Bacon Act (H.R. 4673) - Incorporated as Sec. 12006 in the House-passed version of the 2026 Farm Bill.
Advocacy Engagement
VAFAW engagement
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Letter from VAFAW and the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) to the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry opposing federal efforts to preempt state laws protecting farm animals from extreme confinement, like Proposition 12. (May 2026)
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VAFAW opinion article in Agri-Pulse about a Farm Bill provision that would undo state laws, like Proposition 12, that protect farm animals from extreme confinement. (April 2026)
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VAFAW letter to the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture opposing federal efforts to preempt state laws protecting farm animals from extreme confinement, like Proposition 12. (September 2025)
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VAFAW letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry opposing the inclusion of the EATS Act in the reauthorization of the Farm Bill. (October 2024)
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Stakeholder letter to the U.S. Congress opposing the EATS Act. (July 2024)
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VAFAW comments to the AVMA Animal Welfare Committee on their Pregnant Sow Housing Policy. (July 2024)
American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) letters to Congress supporting preemption of Prop.12. (2024 letter) (2026 letter) AVMA sow housing policy and resolution encouraging movement within the swine industry to group housing.
Amicus Brief to the U.S. Supreme Court from veterinarians supporting Proposition 12.