House Passes Farm Bill With Save Our Bacon Act Targeting 2 State Pork-Crate Bans
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 14
House Passes Farm Bill With Save Our Bacon Act Targeting 2 State Pork-Crate Bans
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 14
Summary
The House’s farm bill includes the Save Our Bacon Act, a provision aimed at overriding state restrictions on pork from pigs kept in gestation crates.
Those restrictions stem from 2016 and 2018 ballot measures in Massachusetts and California banning the sale of pork from breeding sows confined in crates so small they cannot turn around.
The measure was folded into the broader farm bill because it would be unlikely to pass the Senate as a standalone bill.
The fight centers on factory-farming practices for 400- to 500-pound sows that can spend years in two-by-seven-foot crates, widening the clash between production efficiency and animal-welfare rules.
As a federal 'bacon bill' heads to the Senate, will states lose their power to regulate animal welfare?
Is our pursuit of cheap food creating a hidden crisis for animals, workers, and our health?
The "Save Our Bacon Act" in the 2026 Farm Bill: Economic, Legal, and Ethical Impacts on U.S. Agriculture
Overview
The 2026 Farm Bill has reached a pivotal moment as the House passed its version, but it faced strong criticism for failing to address key issues like high costs and food prices, while shifting billions from SNAP to large farm operations. The main controversy centers on the 'Save Our Bacon Act,' which has sparked intense debate over state rights and animal welfare. As the Senate prepares its own version, it plans to remove this controversial provision, setting the stage for a major legislative showdown that will shape the future of farm policy and state authority in the U.S.