Agriculture - Confinement of Egg-Laying Hens in Commercial Egg Production - Prohibitions
Sponsor: Benjamin F. Kramer (District 19)Committee: Education, Energy, and the EnvironmentSubject: AgricultureStatus: Hearing 2/27 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.
AI analysis is off. Set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY to enable summaries, pros and cons, and questions.
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 listFAV 41FavorableFWA 1Favorable with amendmentsUNF 7UnfavorableINFO 2Information 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 | Gleckel, Jareb | Animal Outlook | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Resnick, Laura Beth | Butterbee Farm | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Downer, Bridgette | Chicken Of The Woods Permaculture Farm | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Braver, Cleo | Cottingham Farm | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Broad, Max | DMV Voters for Animals | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Eisen, Miranda | Farm Sanctuary | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Waters, Carrie | HSVMA | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Alexander, Kim | Heartwood Farm | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Shields, Sara | Humane Society International | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Bevan-Dangel, Jenniferlobbyist | Humane World For Animals | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Brindle, Kate | Humane World for Animals | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Tabrizi, Maryam | Humane World for Animals | Oral |
| 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 Nursery & Farm | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Waldman, Michele | Rosie’s Farm Sanctuary | Oral + 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 | Fernando, Christeen | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Joseph, Adeniyi | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Kessinger, Hayden | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Kleinhans, Michelle | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Linhart, Jenna | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Mack, Leah | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Senator Kramer, Senator Kramerlegislator | Individual | Oral |
| FAV | Shireman, Thomas | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Stein, Kent | Individual | Position only |
| FAV | Szabo, Robert | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Van Etten, Laura | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Van Norden, Wendy | Individual | Position only |
| 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 | Hough, Tylerlobbyist | Maryland Farm Bureau | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| UNF | Price, Sarahlobbyist | Maryland Retailers Alliance | Written (PDF) |
| UNF | Gross, Kenneth | Individual | Position only |
| UNF | Lang, Alan | Individual | Position only |
| UNF | Shih, Nancy | Individual | Position only |
| UNF | Thompson, Lindsaylobbyist | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FWA | Plante, Cecilia | Maryland Legislative Coalition | Written (PDF) |
| INFO | Bauer Farace, Danielle | Maryland Veterinary Medical Association | Written (PDF) |
| INFO | Harris, Mrs. | Individual | Position only |
Organizations on record
Ambling Brook FarmFAV 1
Animal OutlookFAV 1
ASPCAFAV 1
Butterbee FarmFAV 1
Cottingham FarmFAV 1
Farm SanctuaryFAV 1
Heartwood FarmFAV 1
HSVMAFAV 1
Maryland Farm BureauUNF 1
Mercy For AnimalsFAV 1
NAFAV 1
The Humane LeagueFAV 1
Registered lobbyists who testified
FAVBevan-Dangel, JenniferHumane World For AnimalsRegistered for: Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition DBA Economic Action Maryland; Humane Society of the United States; Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Humane World for Animals
UNFPrice, SarahMaryland Retailers AllianceRegistered for: Maryland Retailers Alliance; Maryland Retailers Association
UNFThompson, LindsayRegistered for: Alliance to Prevent Legionnaire's Disease; American Farmland Trust; CropLife America; Delaware-Maryland Agribusiness Association; Denali Water Solutions; Horizon Farm Credit…
