As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session S. B. No. 369

2025-2026

To enact section 959.22 of the Revised Code to establish prohibitions against the force-feeding of birds.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That section 959.22 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 959.22. (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Bird" means any species of domestic poultry, including ducks, geese, chickens, turkeys, or quail.

(2) "Force-feed" means to manually or mechanically force a bird to ingest more food or any substance than it would voluntarily consume under normal feeding conditions, including insertion of feed or any material into the bird's throat or esophagus by tube or similar device commonly referred to as gavage, cramming, force-feeding, hand-feeding, or fattening.

(3) "Force-fed product" means any product or derivative obtained in whole or in part from a bird that has been force-fed, including both of the following:

(a) Food products such as foie gras, magret, confit, pâté, fattened carcasses, or rendered fats;

(b) Non-food products such as feathers and down.

(B) No person shall knowingly do any of the following:

(1) Force-feed a bird, resulting in the overfeeding of such bird;

(2) Hire a person to force-feed a bird, resulting in the overfeeding of such bird;

(3) Distribute, sell, or offer for sale a force-fed product.

(C)(1) The director of agriculture shall do both of the following:

(a) Issue a written warning to a person that violates division (B) of this section on a first offense;

(b) Assess a civil penalty of not more than one hundred dollars for each subsequent offense. Each day of violation constitutes a separate offense.

(2) A person that is assessed a civil penalty under division (C)(1) of this section may appeal the assessment in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.