Bill > S3401

Introduced Session

This bill prohibits the confinement of breeding pigs and calves raised for veal in a manner that unduly restricts movement or provides inadequate space. A violation of the bill's prohibitions would constitute a disorderly persons offense. The bill also provides that a violation of the bill's provisions would be a civil violation of the animal cruelty laws and a violator would be subject to a civil penalty of not less than $250 or more than $1,000. The bill prohibits a farm owner or operator from knowingly confining a breeding pig or a calf raised for veal: 1) in a manner that prevents the animal from lying down, standing up, fully extending the animal's limbs, or turning around freely; 2) in the case of a breeding pig, within an enclosure with less than 24 square feet of useable floor space per breeding pig; or 3) in the case of a calf raised for veal, within an enclosure with less than 43 square feet of useable floor space per calf. In addition to any other penalties applicable pursuant to Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes, section 1 of the bill provides that a violator would be fined for each offense not less than $250 nor more than $1,000, or be imprisoned for a term of not more than six months, or both, and that each breeding pig or calf raised for veal that is confined in violation of the provisions of the bill would be a separate and distinct offense. The bill exempts from the bill's provisions confinement during: 1) the conduct of medical research; 2) the conduct of an examination, testing, individual treatment, or surgery for veterinary purposes; 3) transportation of the animal; 4) a State or county fair exhibition, 4-H program, or similar exhibition; 5) temporary periods for animal husbandry purposes, provided the confinement is for no more than six hours in any 24-hour period and no more than a total of 24 hours in any 30-day period; 6) humane slaughtering of the animal in accordance with all applicable laws, and rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto, concerning the slaughter of animals; or 7) for a breeding pig, the five-day period prior to the expected date of the breeding pig giving birth or any day the breeding pig is nursing piglets. The bill is needed to address the animal cruelty issues regarding the restrictive confinement of pregnant pigs and calves being raised for the production of veal. Confinement restricting the free movement of pregnant pigs and veal calves is cruel and negatively affects the health of the pregnant pig and the quality of the pork from its offspring. The use of restrictive enclosures such as gestation crates for pregnant pigs and veal crates for calves has been banned in many jurisdictions as a result. Canada banned gestation crates nationwide in 2014. The states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, and Rhode Island established similar bans on the use of gestation crates and veal crates. Florida and Oregon have also banned the use of gestation crates and Kentucky has banned the use of veal crates.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Vin Gopal (D)*,  Nick Scutari (D)*,  Dawn Addiego (D),  Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D),  Joe Cryan (D),  Sandra Cunningham (D),  Patrick Diegnan (D),  Linda Greenstein (D),  Tom Kean (R),  Declan O'Scanlon (R),  Teresa Ruiz (D),  Nicholas Sacco (D),  Brian Stack (D),  Loretta Weinberg (D), 

Senate Amendment (23-0) (Gopal) (on 02/19/2021)