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, effective January 1, 2025.

• Prohibits businesses from selling shell eggs or egg products in Hawaii that were produced using non-compliant confinement methods, effective January 1, 2025.

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

• Requires the Department of Agriculture to certify that shell eggs and egg products sold in Hawaii comply with standards through acceptable third-party inspection documentation.

• Establishes penalties of $500 to $1,000 per violation and allows violations of sales prohibitions to be treated as unfair or deceptive trade practices under Chapter 481A; provides a good faith defense for businesses relying on supplier certifications.