Please contact your state representative today and ask them to support An Act to Upgrade Hen Welfare and Establish Uniform Cage-free Standards (S.2481)!

In 2016, Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly passed An Act to Prevent Cruelty to Farm Animals in Massachusetts, which was the strongest farm animal law in the world at that time. Known as Question 3, the law prohibits the cruel confinement of egg-laying chickens, mother pigs, and calves raised for veal.

Since then, progress for farm animal welfare has continued with several other states mandating even stronger standards in the shift to cage-free conditions for chickens. Now, MA has the chance to improve our existing law and align our standards with other states.  

• S.2481, An Act to Upgrade Hen Welfare and Establish Uniform Cage-free Standards, would upgrade conditions for egg-laying hens by requiring enrichments that provide hens the ability to engage in vital natural behaviors such as dust bathing, perching, scratching, and laying eggs in a nest.

• S. 2481 also expands the number of chickens protected under the law. Currently, only hens producing “shell” eggs, like those seen in egg cartons in the grocery store, are protected under the law. This upgraded version would require that any “liquid” eggs sold, which are pre-cracked eggs most used at schools, colleges, and restaurant chains— must also come from cage-free chickens, resulting in millions more chickens being positively affected.

Time is of the essence to keep this important bill moving forward, which is why we are asking you to  please make a brief, polite call to your state representative today and ask them to upgrade Massachusetts’ Question 3 animal cruelty law by supporting S. 2481.

You can say: "As your constituent, I am calling to ask you to please support S.2481, An Act to Upgrade Hen Welfare and Establish Uniform Cage-free Standards, to upgrade Massachusetts’ farm animal cruelty law."

Don’t know your State Representative or need to find their contact information? Visit https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator

After making your call, please amplify your impact by sending a polite, follow-up email like this one below:

Dear Representative,

As your constituent, I am writing to respectfully ask for your support of S.2481, An Act to Upgrade Hen Welfare And Establish Uniform Cage-Free Standards.

In 2016, Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly passed Question 3, An Act to Prevent Cruelty to Farm Animals, which prohibits the confinement of egg-laying chickens, mother pigs and calves raised for veal in spaces that prevent them from lying down, standing up, fully extending their limbs or turning around freely.

In passing Question 3, citizens across the Commonwealth made it clear that they strongly support farm animal welfare. Now in 2021, MA has the chance to make protections for egg-laying hens even stronger.

S. 2481 goes beyond the existing MA law by requiring the inclusion of enrichments that provide hens with the ability to engage in vital natural behaviors such as dust bathing, perching, scratching, and laying eggs in a nest. S.2481 would also expand protections to include millions more chickens by covering egg types beyond shell eggs (those typically sold in cartons) to those egg products that are typically used in cafeterias and fast-food chains (e.g. liquid and frozen eggs).

As my Representative, please help improve conditions for millions of egg-laying hens by supporting S.2481.

Thank you for your time and consideration.