Hinson Introduces the Save Our Bacon Act to Block California's Radical Prop 12, Protect Interstate Commerce

Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (IA-02) introduced the Save Our Bacon Act to protect access to interstate commerce for Iowa family farmers and lower grocery prices for consumers. California and Massachusetts have proposed arbitrary mandates on production practices for farmers in other states. The Save Our Bacon Act would alleviate this overregulation by prohibiting state and local governments from interfering with the production of livestock in other states. 

“California’s Proposition 12 and Massachusetts’ Question 3 pose a major threat to family farms and food security—both in Iowa and across the country. The Save Our Bacon Act reaffirms livestock producers’ right to sell their products across state lines, without interference from arbitrary mandates. This legislation will stop out-of-touch activists—who don’t know the first thing about farming—from dictating how Iowa farmers do their job.

“Since day one in Congress, I’ve fought to keep food affordable and protect local producers. Under the Trump Administration, rural America will continue to be at the forefront of policy conversations that impact producers’ ability to feed and fuel the world—and there will be no bacon ban on my watch.” – Congresswoman Ashley Hinson

“With Proposition 12, California has set out-of-touch, arbitrary requirements for how producers should operate their farming businesses. California activists now claim to know what’s best for the producers who have raised livestock from generation to generation. The Save Our Bacon Act will allow Iowa’s farmers to continue doing what they do best - feeding our country and the world.” – Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds

“California needs to keep its hands off our bacon. No other state should dictate how Iowans farm, let alone California’s bureaucrats. The Save Our Bacon Act stops California’s overreach, protects hog farmers, and lets states like Iowa regulate how their own farmers raise livestock. I want to thank Representative Hinson for her work on this important legislation, and I urge Congress to pass it and stand up for livestock producers across the nation.” – Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird
 
"I applaud Congresswoman Hinson for introducing legislation to address the overreach of California’s Prop 12 and restore robust interstate commerce. As the nation’s leading pork-producing state, Iowa plays a critical role in maintaining the safest, most abundant, and most affordable food supply in the world. Allowing states like California to dictate farming practices only creates a patchwork of requirements that drive up production costs and food prices for consumers. This important legislation, which previously earned bipartisan support in the House Agriculture Committee’s passage of last year’s Farm Bill, is essential to safeguarding Iowa’s agriculture and preventing any single state from setting a precedent that undermines the foundation of our food supply. This legislation would protect Iowa’s farmers from burdensome out-of-state regulations that threaten our rural economies and communities, and I urge the House and Senate to send this legislation to President Trump for his signature.” – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig
 
“We sincerely appreciate Representative Hinson for consistently engaging with family farmers and championing legislation that provides the certainty we need to pass along our farms to the next generation. Without legislation to shield America’s 60,000+ pork-producing family farms from heavy-handed, multi-state regulations, many producers otherwise would be faced with business-crushing decisions.” – National Pork Producers Council President Duane Stateler, a pork producer from McComb, Ohio
  
“We appreciate Rep. Hinson’s leadership in fighting to protect Iowa pig farmers, who work hard every day to care for their animals and produce safe, high-quality pork. The Supreme Court made it clear the best option is for Congress to address California’s Prop 12 to prevent a patchwork of conflicting state regulations. Since Prop 12 took effect, the law has negatively impacted both consumers and producers. We urge Congress to act this year and support Rep. Hinson’s efforts to stop this burdensome mandate.” – Aaron Juergens, a pig farmer from Carroll County who serves as president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association. 
 
“Iowa Farm Bureau members are thankful for Rep. Hinson’s unwavering support for Iowa agriculture and being a champion for fair interstate commerce through the introduction of the Save Our Bacon Act. When states enact laws that restrict or ban the sale of any type of goods from other states, they hinder market access for both farmers and businesses. This creates a negative ripple effect, as these entities struggle with arbitrary business standards and increased costs. Farm families and consumers are grappling with record-high prices, and without congressional action to strengthen the Interstate Commerce Clause, consumers will face fewer choices and higher costs at the grocery store.” – Iowa Farm Bureau Federation

Background: 

• In 2018, California passed Proposition 12, which prohibits the sale of certain meat and poultry products unless they are produced in compliance with the state’s arbitrary animal housing requirements.
• In May 2023, the US Supreme Court upheld Proposition 12 in a 5 - 4 decision, with the Court noting that Congress has the authority to determine how states may interfere with interstate commerce.
• California makes up nearly 15% of the national market for pork, leading many Iowa livestock producers to choose between complying with another state’s mandate and losing access to a major market for their products. Similar state-level mandates – such as Massachusetts’ Question 3 – create further uncertainty for livestock producers and risk an unworkable patchwork of state regulations for American farmers.  
• Research from economists has shown that mandates like Prop 12 come at a significant cost to both producers and consumers. Following the implementation of Prop 12, the cost per pound of pork loin in California increased by 41%. Estimates also show that pork producers face costs of up to $4,000 per sow to comply with California’s arbitrary mandate.
• Rep. Hinson has been a tireless champion for Iowa pork producers against this overreach.   
  • In December 2023, Rep. Hinson testified before the House Agriculture Committee to share stories from farmers in Iowa about the negative impact that mandates like Prop 12 would have on their operation.
  • In a recent House Appropriations Committee hearing, Hinson asked USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins about the potential consequences of laws like Prop 12. Secretary Rollins called mandates like Prop 12 “unsustainable.”
• On July 9, the Trump Administration’s Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the State of California over state laws that have caused grocery prices to skyrocket, including Prop 12.

This bill was introduced with Representatives Feenstra, Nunn, Miller-Meeks, Sam Graves, Rouzer, Murphy, Messmer, Adrian Smith, Flood, LaMalfa, Alford, Dusty Johnson, Bost, Newhouse, Mark Harris, Finstad, Wied, and Rose.

The bill text can be found here. Click here to read exclusive reporting by Bloomberg News.