New York currently supports extreme confinement of egg laying hens in battery cages. Hens confined to battery cages aren't able to display any of their natural behaviors (opening wings, nesting, dust bathing, feather pecking, scratching). This leads to a high amount of stress on the individual and can lead to cannibalism. The industry response to this is debeaking, removing the tip of the hens beaks, typically without anesthetic, at 1-10 days old. Hens in battery cages also suffer from osteoporosis and various other health concerns that increase suffering.  There is active legislation to end this cruelty but it is stuck in the agricultural committees.   Read the Legislation: S950 / A652  This petition is to let the agricultural committees know that New Yorkers care about animal welfare and to VOTE YES TO CAGE FREE NEW YORK  Keep New York from falling behind. California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, and Washington already have Cage-Free Laws Corporations are in favor of Cage Free Policy. McDonalds, Starbucks, Aldi, Taco Bell, Panera, Shake Shack, just to name a few, have all already gone 100% cage free with hundred of companies following their lead.  -------- Please consider joining NYSenate.Gov and voting Aye to S950 / A652 & contacting your representative Senate Agricultural Comittee Members Chair Michelle Hinchey (D, WF) 41st District George M. Borrello ( R, C ) 57th District Samra G. Brouk ( D, WF ) 55th District Patricia Fahy ( D, WF ) 46th District Nathalia Fernandez ( D ) 34th District Pamela Helming ( R, C ) 54th District Peter Oberacker ( R, C ) 51st District Christopher J. Ryan ( D ) 50th District  Lea Webb ( D, WF ) 52nd District    Assembly Agriculture Comittee Members  Chair: Donna A. Lupardo Assembly District 123 Didi Barrett Assembly District 106 Ken Blankenbush Assembly District 117 Marianne Buttenschon Assembly District 119 Michael S. Cashman Assembly District 115 Brian Cunningham Assembly District 43 Michael J. Fitzpatrick Assembly District 8 Jodi Giglio Assembly District 2 Stephen Hawley Assembly District 139 Paula Elaine Kay Assembly District 100 Anna R. Kelles Assembly District 125 John Lemondes Assembly District 126 Brian D. Miller Assembly District 122 Diana C. Moreno Assembly District 36 Steven Raga Assembly District 30 Linda B. Rosenthal Assembly District 67 Tommy John Schiavoni Assembly District 1 Amanda Septimo Assembly District 84 Al Stirpe Assembly District 127 Chris Tague Assembly District 102 Jaime R. Williams Assembly District 59 Carrie Woerner Assembly District 113 Stefani Zinerman Assembly District 56 ☆Please note this is the statewide digital petition to accompany the paper petitions being gathered in the committe member districts. Please contact organizer if you would like to sign paper petition May 25-June 26.  From the bill:  According to the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production, food animals that are treated well and provided with at least minimum accommodation of their natural behaviors and physical needs are healthier and safer for human consumption.   A key finding from the World Health Organization and Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations Salmonella Risk Assessment was that reducing flock prevalence results in a directly proportional reduction in human health risk.  Egg-laying hens subjected to stress are more likely to have higher levels of pathogens in their intestines and the conditions increase the likelihood that consumers will be exposed to higher levels of food-borne pathogens.  Salmonella is the most commonly diagnosed food-borne illness in the United States. It is the intent of the legislature to protect consumers from the deleterious, health, safety, and welfare effects of the sale and consumption of eggs derived from egg-laying hens that are exposed to significant stress and may result in increased exposure to disease pathogens including salmonella.