More than 100 U.S. pork producers traveled to Capitol Hill this week to urge lawmakers to address California Proposition 12, arguing the law has increased consumer costs, disrupted production and created uncertainty for farms nationwide.

The National Pork Producers Council said 105 producers from 23 states met with federal lawmakers armed with new retail and USDA data they say shows ongoing economic impacts from the animal housing law.

According to research from the North Dakota State University Agricultural Risk Policy Center, price increases tied to Proposition 12 have continued two years after full implementation. The study found covered pork products in California averaged 20% higher prices than comparable increases in the rest of the country.

Researchers said pork loin prices were up 32%, ribs 22%, shoulders 16% and bacon 16% due to the law.

NPPC said California consumers have paid an estimated $350 million more for pork products while pork consumption in the state has declined.

The group also argued Proposition 12 has intensified concerns about a growing patchwork of state animal housing standards that producers say complicates interstate commerce and long-term investment decisions.

NPPC voiced support for the bipartisan Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, also referred to as Farm Bill 2.0, which the organization said would prevent individual states from imposing production standards on farms located outside their borders.

“We’re all singing from the same songbook – real pork producers of all sizes. We need relief from a patchwork of state animal housing laws, which will surely be the nail in the coffin for a number of farms across the country,” NPPC President Rob Brenneman, a pork producer from Washington, Iowa, said in a statement. “The mission is clear: We need Congress to exercise their authority and fix Prop. 12.”

The organization said a coalition representing millions of agricultural producers and members has also called on Congress to intervene.

NPPC additionally cited opposition from the American Veterinary Medical Association, which it said has stated Proposition 12 does “not objectively improve animal welfare and may unintentionally cause harm.”

California voters approved Proposition 12 in 2018, establishing minimum space requirements for breeding pigs, egg-laying hens and veal calves, and barring in-state sales of products not produced under those standards. The law has faced multiple legal challenges, including a U.S. Supreme Court case that upheld the measure in 2023.

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