HB 834

Agriculture - Confinement of Egg-Laying Hens in Commercial Egg Production - Prohibitions

Sponsor: Jen Terrasa (District 13)Committee: Environment and TransportationSubject: AgricultureStatus: Hearing 2/19 at 1:00 p.m. (as of Dec 1, 2025)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Prohibiting a certain farm owner or operator from knowingly confining egg-laying hens in an enclosure that is not a cage-free housing system and does not meet certain space requirements, subject to certain exceptions, on and after January 1, 2030; and prohibiting a business owner or operator or a farm owner or operator from selling shell eggs or egg products without a certain certification of compliance on and after January 1, 2030.

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Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.

Testimony (0)

MGA witness list

FAV 40FavorableUNF 6UnfavorableINFO 1Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Shannon, Kara	ASPCA	Written (PDF)
FAV	Matzinger, Polly	Ambling Brook Farm	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kelly, Cat	Animal Legal Defense Fund	Written (PDF)
FAV	Resnick, Laura Beth	Butterbee Farm	Written (PDF)
FAV	Downer, Bridgette	Chicken Of The Woods Permaculture Farm	Written (PDF)
FAV	Dominguez, Matthew	Compassion in World Farming	Written (PDF)
FAV	Braver, Cleo	Cottingham Farm	Written (PDF)
FAV	Terrasa, Jen	Delegate, MD General Assembly	Written (PDF)
FAV	Zhao, Xinyi	Ever Verdant Corp	Written (PDF)
FAV	Eisen, Miranda	Farm Sanctuary	Written (PDF)
FAV	Waters, Carrie	HSVMA	Written (PDF)
FAV	Shields, Sara	Humane Society International	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Brindle, Kate	Humane World for Animals	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Evans, Kathryn	Legal Impact for Chickens	Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Radov, Lisa	Maryland Votes for Animals, Inc.	Written (PDF)
FAV	Lifton, Claudia	Mercy For Animals	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kogan, Molly	NA	Written (PDF)
FAV	Olmo, Larry	Olmo Bros Farm	Written (PDF)
FAV	Waldman, Michele	Rosie’s Farm Sanctuary	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Koppelman, Rachel	Springfield Farm	Written (PDF)
FAV	Truxell, Hannah	The Humane League	Written (PDF)
FAV	McNair, Lee	Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice Ministry	Position only
FAV	Ayres, Ken	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Balasubramaniam, Indhu	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Campion, Lisa	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Delegate Terrasa, Delegate Terrasalegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Eckmann, Moshe	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Fernando, Christeen	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Gally, Ericlobbyist	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Joseph, Adeniyi	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kessinger, Hayden	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kleinhans, Michelle	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Mack, Leah	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Shireman, Thomas	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Van Etten, Laura	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Van Wagner, Lindsey	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Voelker, Jennifer	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Waterman, Chloe	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Whitten, Gary	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Middleton, Graysonlobbyist	Delmarva Chicken Association	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Glenn, Barb	Glen Family Farm	Written (PDF)
UNF	Rill, Bradley	Lippy Brothers Farms	Position only
UNF	Hough, Tylerlobbyist	Maryland Farm Bureau	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Klippen, Ken	National Assoc. of Egg Farmers	Written (PDF)
UNF	Thompson, Lindsaylobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
INFO	Bauer Farace, Danielle	Maryland Veterinary Medical Association	Written (PDF)

Organizations on record

Ambling Brook FarmFAV 1

Animal Legal Defense FundFAV 1

ASPCAFAV 1

Butterbee FarmFAV 1

Chicken Of The Woods Permaculture FarmFAV 1

Compassion in World FarmingFAV 1

Cottingham FarmFAV 1

Delegate, MD General AssemblyFAV 1

Delmarva Chicken AssociationUNF 1

Ever Verdant CorpFAV 1

Farm SanctuaryFAV 1

Glen Family FarmUNF 1

HSVMAFAV 1

Humane Society InternationalFAV 1

Humane World for AnimalsFAV 1

Legal Impact for ChickensFAV 1

Lippy Brothers FarmsUNF 1

Maryland Farm BureauUNF 1

Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 1

Maryland Veterinary Medical AssociationINFO 1

Maryland Votes for Animals, Inc.FAV 1

Mercy For AnimalsFAV 1

NAFAV 1

National Assoc. of Egg FarmersUNF 1

Olmo Bros FarmFAV 1

Rosie’s Farm SanctuaryFAV 1

Springfield FarmFAV 1

The Humane LeagueFAV 1

Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice MinistryFAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVGally, EricRegistered for: American Heart Association; Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Chesapeake Bay Trust; Earthjustice; Forever Maryland, Inc.; Gally Public Affairs, Inc.…

UNFMiddleton, GraysonDelmarva Chicken AssociationRegistered for: Delmarva Chicken Association

UNFHough, TylerMaryland Farm BureauRegistered for: Maryland Farm Bureau

UNFThompson, LindsayRegistered for: Alliance to Prevent Legionnaire's Disease; American Farmland Trust; CropLife America; Delaware-Maryland Agribusiness Association; Denali Water Solutions; Horizon Farm Credit…