HB 1293 Summary

• Requires farm owners or operators to house egg-laying hens in cage-free systems with minimum usable floor space per hen as specified in the 2017 United Egg Producers' Animal Husbandry Guidelines for Cage-Free Housing, effective January 1, 2025.

• Prohibits business owners or operators from selling shell eggs or egg products produced by hens confined in non-cage-free systems or with insufficient space, with exceptions for medical research, veterinary treatment, transportation, fair exhibitions, slaughter, and temporary animal husbandry periods.

• Exempts farms confining a maximum of 75,000 egg-laying hens and businesses selling eggs from such farms from the cage-free confinement requirements.

• Requires the department of agriculture to certify that shell eggs and egg products sold in Hawaii were produced in compliance with the chapter based on documentation from government or private third-party inspection services.

• Establishes penalties of $500 to $1,000 per violation, with violations of sales prohibitions also treated as unfair or deceptive trade practices under Hawaii law.