Proposals to Adopt, Amend or Repeal Certain AHFSS Regulations

California Building Standards Commission (CBSC)

No actions are proposed by the Department of Food and Agriculture, Animal Health and Food Safety Services, at this time. For recent actions taken by the CBSC, please visit their website at: www.bsc.ca.gov.

Animal Blood Banks Program

The California Department of Food and Agriculture proposes to amend the California Code of Regulations (CCR) Title 3, Division 2, Chapter 8 heading, and adopt new Articles 1 - 4 (commencing with section 1303) to implement, interpret, and make specific the laws related to animal blood banks. The public comment period begins February 2, 2024 and ends on March 18, 2024. Any interested person, or his or her duly authorized representative, may submit written comments relevant to the proposed regulatory action to the Department according to the instructions contained in the Notice posted in the documents below.

• Notice of Proposed Rule Making
• Proposed Text of Regulation
• Initial Statement of Reasons
• Notice of Extension of the Public Comment Period

September 1, 2026: The California Department of Food and Agriculture (Department), Animal Blood Banks Program, has adopted new Sections 1308 and 1309 of Chapter 8 of Division 2 of Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations, relating to animal blood banks and animal blood products. The Department has also amended Section 839 of Chapter 2 of Division 2 of Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations.

The regulations were filed with the Secretary of State on August 31, 2026, and will become effective on October 1, 2026.

• Approved Regulation Text

Animal Care Program

Proposition 12, Farm Animal Confinement

The Animal Confinement regulations are finalized and effective September 1, 2022. For more information visit Animal Care Program.

Bureau of Livestock Identification

Bureau of Livestock Identification - Proposed Regulation

The Department of Food and Agriculture, Animal Health and Food Safety Services, Bureau of Livestock Identification, proposes to amend section 850 of Article 1, Chapter 3, Division 2 of Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations. Refer to the Notice of Proposed Action for detailed instructions on how to submit written comments on the proposed regulatory action.

The following regulation was approved by OAL and will go into effect on January 1st, 2025.

• Initial Statement of Reasons
• Notice of Proposed Action
• Proposed Regulation
• Approved Regulation

Meat, Poultry and Egg Safety Branch, Egg Safety and Quality Management Program, Shell Egg Food Safety, Section 1350

Meat, Poultry and Egg Safety Branch, Egg Safety and Quality Management Program, Shell Egg Food Safety, Section 1350 of Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations. The Department is proposing to update its requirements to conform its enclosure requirements for egg-laying hens to Health and Safety Code sections 25990(b)(3) and 25991(e)(4). The 45-day public comment period for this proposal ended on February 25, 2020.

• Shell Egg Notice Documents
• Legislative Analyst Information
• STD 399 Fiscal and Economic Impact

The Department is now publishing a 15-day notice of documents added to the rulemaking file. The public comment period is from April 6 – 21, 2020.

The documents added are:

• Addendum to the Initial Statement of Reasons
• Revised STD 399 [Economic/Fiscal Impact form]
• Report from UCD Davis dated March 5, 2020

For a copy of the 15-day notice and the above-noted documents added to the rulemaking file, please contact: Nancy.grillo@cdfa.ca.gov

Any comments pertaining to the 15-day notice and the documents added to the rulemaking file, must be submitted in writing to: Michael.Abbott@cdfa.ca.gov

Meat, Poultry and Egg Safety Branch, Egg Safety and Quality Management - Cage Free Definition CCR 1354 (d)(3)

The Department is amending the California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 3, Division 3, section 1354. Specifically, this rulemaking action clarifies and makes specific the requirements to label consumer containers of eggs as "cage free". This was submitted to Secretary of State on July 1, 2022 and are effective October 1, 2022.

• Regulation Packet
• Regulation Text Approval

Meat, Poultry and Egg Safety Branch – Proposed Regulation – Mobile Custom Livestock Slaughter AB-888

The California Department of Food and Agriculture proposes to amend various sections of the California Code of Regulations (CCR) Title 3, Division 2, Chapter 4 Meat Inspection, Subchapter 1, to set fees and establish technical standards specific to a newly enacted law pertaining to Custom Mobile Slaughter Operations. The public comment period begins August 16, 2024 and ends on September 30, 2024. Any interested person, or his or her duly authorized representative, may submit written comments relevant to the proposed regulatory action to the Department according to the instructions contained in the Notice posted in the documents below.

• Notice of Proposed Action
• Proposed Text of Regulation
• Initial Statement of Reasons

June 26, 2025: The California Department of Food and Agriculture (Department), Meat, Poultry and Egg Safety Branch, is proposing to modify the originally proposed text for the California Code of Regulations Title 3, Division 2, Chapter 4 heading, subchapter 1 pertaining to Mobile Slaughter Operation requirements as described in the California Regulatory Notice Register on January 14, 2025, Register 2025, Notice File Number Z-2024-0806-03. Only those portions of the originally proposed text that are indicated by a double underline or double strikethrough have been modified. The remainder of the text is the same as the originally proposed text. A copy of the text of the regulation with the proposed modifications can be found below.

• 15-day Notice
• Proposed Modified Text

The following regulation was approved by OAL and will go into effect on January 1st, 2026.

• Approved Regulation

Milk and Dairy Food Safety Branch - Petition for Rulemaking

The Department of Food and Agriculture (Department), Animal Health and Food Safety Services, Milk and Dairy Food Safety Branch, is in receipt of a petition for rulemaking for temporary standards for two products from Lyrical Foods, Inc. The Department has set the matter for a public hearing via written brief. The deadline for submittal of comments is contained in the Notice of Public Hearing posted below.

• Petition from Lyrical Foods, Inc.
• Department Petition Response
• Notice of Public Hearing
• Department Petition Decision

Animal Health Branch – Proposed Rulemaking

Vesicular Stomatitis Virus - Entry Requirements of Susceptible Animals

The Department is proposing the amendment to section 799 under of Article 11, Chapter 2, Division 2, of Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations, to update the interstate movement requirements for VSV susceptible animals during an active outbreak in the United States of VSV. The public comment period begins April 28, 2023 and ends on June 12, 2023. Any interested person, or his or her duly authorized representative, may submit written comments relevant to the proposed regulatory action to the Department according to the instructions contained in the Notice posted in the documents below.

• Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
• Proposed Text of the Regulation
• Initial Statement of Reasons

This proposal was adopted and becomes effective October 1, 2023.

Trichomonosis Control Program – Bull Slaughter Agreement Exemption & Cattle Special Entry Permits

The Department is proposing amendments to sections 820 and 820.4 of Article 12 , Bovine Trichomonosis Control Program, Chapter 2, Division 2, of Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations, to update the Bull Slaughter Agreement exemption to provide clarity for the application and scope of the regulated exemption. Additionally, the Department is proposing amendments to sections 831 and 831.4 of Article 14 Animal Disease Traceability, Chapter 2, Division 2, of Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations, to include changes consistent with previous amendments to cattle entry regulations.

The public comment period begins May 26, 2023 and ends on July 10, 2023. Any interested person, or his or her duly authorized representative, may submit written comments relevant to the proposed regulatory action to the Department according to the instructions contained in the Notice posted in the documents below.

• Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
• Proposed Text
  • Trichomonosis Control Program
  • Animal Disease Traceability – Documentation & Special Entry Permits Required for Cattle and Bison
• Initial Statement of Reasons

The Department is now publishing a 15-day notice of documents added to the rulemaking file. The public comment period is from October 23, 2023 – November 7, 2023.

• 15-Day Notice
• Modified Regulation Text (820 and 820.4)
• Modified Regulation Text (831 and 831.4)
• Modified Regulation Text (839)

Code

• California code relating to Animal Health
• For a complete set of the California code, visit the California Food and Agricultural Code web site.

California's agricultural abundance is a reflection of the people who made the Golden State their home. In the process, they brought their agricultural heritage with them. Early California farmers and ranchers were the Spanish missionaries, followed by Mexicans, Japanese, Chinese and Russians. Today, nearly every nationality is represented in California agriculture.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture strives to support this tradition of innovation and agricultural diversity by working with private industry, academia and public sector agencies. These partnerships allow the department to adapt public policy to a rapidly changing industry — California agriculture.