WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives voted 224-200 last week to approve the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, a sweeping new Farm Bill that critics say strengthens industrial agriculture while weakening animal welfare protections.
The legislation, H.R. 7567, would continue federal support for large-scale meat, dairy, and egg production while also including provisions opposed by several animal welfare groups.
“The House Farm Bill is a missed opportunity to address the deep and systemic problems embedded in industrial animal agriculture,” said Susan Millward, executive director and CEO of the Animal Welfare Institute. “Instead, it props up intensive confinement operations and sidelines higher-welfare practices.”
The Farm Bill, traditionally renewed every five years, shapes federal food and agriculture policy and also touches areas ranging from public health to animal welfare programs. Congress has not passed a full reauthorization package since 2018.
Farm Animal Provisions
Among the most controversial sections is language based on the Save Our Bacon Act, which would limit state-level animal welfare laws such as California’s Proposition 12.
Proposition 12 established minimum space requirements for breeding pigs, egg-laying hens, and calves raised for veal, while also restricting the sale of products from animals raised under more restrictive conditions.
Animal welfare advocates argue the new federal language would undermine state efforts to ban extreme confinement practices.
The bill also includes provisions expanding sales of certain uninspected meat products through language tied to the PRIME Act. Critics say custom slaughterhouses are subject to less oversight than federally inspected facilities and have documented histories of humane handling violations.
Another provision would make mink fur farms eligible for federal assistance aimed at expanding international markets. Opponents argue mink farms pose public health risks because the animals can spread and mutate diseases including COVID-19 and avian influenza.
Horse Slaughter Debate
The House measure does not include a ban on the slaughter of American horses for human consumption, despite bipartisan support for legislation known as the SAFE Act.
Supporters of the proposal said the amendment would have extended existing federal protections against dog and cat slaughter to include horses.
Some Animal Welfare Measures Included
Not all provisions drew criticism from animal welfare organizations.
The bill would reauthorize the Protecting Animals with Shelter, or PAWS, grant program through 2031. The program helps domestic violence shelters accommodate survivors with pets.
The House also adopted amendments requiring federal research facilities to provide adoption or placement options for animals no longer needed in laboratory research and restricting certain painful experiments involving dogs and cats.
The legislation now moves to the Senate, where lawmakers may take up the House version or draft their own competing bill before any final package heads to the president’s desk.