The US Supreme Court has upheld California’s Proposition 12, an animal confinement initiative approved by voters in 2018 and subsequently challenged.
Californians voted to adopt Proposition 12 by an overwhelming margin (63%-37%), which established minimum confinement standards for the sale of certain animal products within California borders. CDFA issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court decision:
“CDFA is grateful that the United States Supreme Court has firmly upheld the people’s will in its decision in the National Pork Producers case. Throughout the country, many pork distributors have already begun complying with Proposition 12 by registering with the Department – including a large number of new registrations that were submitted following the release of the Court’s decision yesterday.
“As it has since the beginning of 2022, CDFA’s Animal Care Program will continue to focus on implementation of distributor registration requirements, accreditation of third-party certifiers, and outreach and technical assistance to businesses throughout the supply chain.
“As we approach July 1, when a previous court order suspending Prop 12 enforcement expires, CDFA looks forward to engaging with industry representatives to further discuss what is needed to achieve a smooth transition to compliance.
“CDFA appreciates the investments made by many pork producers and packers across the nation over the past couple years to ensure that California will have Prop 12-compliant pork, and looks forward to continuing to assist businesses with implementation of all regulatory requirements.”