Governor Ducey has signed SB 1498, a bill sponsored by Senator Sine Kerr that will make sure quality, third-party inspections of eggs produced at Arizona facilities will continue uninterrupted.

Currently, state employees are conducting inspections under agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture. In testimony at the Capitol, Glenn Hickman of Hickman Family Farms testified that the federal government planned a major cost increase for the egg inspections. The result would have been the termination of several egg inspectors, and the loss of a third-party inspection program.

With the signing of SB 1498, the State establishes its own Egg Promotion Program, providing certification, inspection and grading services. The program is paid for through industry fees and requires no money from the General Fund.