Cotton’s ‘Lowering Egg Prices Act’ Would Loosen Hatchery Rules To Boost Supply And Cut Costs

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) plans to introduce the Lowering Egg Prices Act of 2025, a bill designed to increase the number of eggs available for consumption by making it easier for surplus broiler hatching eggs to be processed into pasteurized liquid egg products.

President Donald Trump delivers remarks during an event at Mount Airy Casino Resort on Dec. 9, 2025, in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania.

Under the proposal, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in coordination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), would be required to revise federal egg-handling rules to create a clear regulatory pathway allowing eggs originally intended for hatching to enter the human food supply after appropriate processing.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, Dec. 18, 2022.

"Arkansas consumers have paid higher egg prices and faced egg shortages because of bureaucratic red tape that forces farmers to throw out hundreds of millions of usable eggs each year," Cotton said. "My bill will cut these excessive regulations and lower egg prices."

The bill targets surplus broiler hatching eggs — fertile eggs produced for raising meat chickens — which, if diverted and pasteurized, could expand supply for processors and retailers. Pasteurization and other food-safety steps would be required before such eggs enter supermarkets or food-service supply chains.

Eggs for sale at a grocery store in Los Angeles, Feb. 26, 2025.

The legislation comes after a volatile period for egg markets. Prices climbed late last year and into early 2024, peaking in some areas at more than $6 per dozen in March as outbreaks of avian influenza prompted widespread flock culls. When avian flu is detected on a farm, standard containment often includes culling affected flocks, which can sharply reduce domestic egg output and push prices higher.

Federal efforts to stabilize supply have included a USDA plan backed with about $1 billion for biosecurity, farmer assistance, vaccine research and increased imports. The sector also faced antitrust litigation this year and a federal challenge to California’s egg production rules, which Washington argued raised costs.

Recent USDA market data show egg prices have eased from spring highs. In the first week of December, the USDA’s egg markets overview reported broadly lower prices in many regions; for example, large white eggs averaged about $1.91 per dozen — roughly a 17% decline from earlier levels — although prices in some markets, including California, remained higher.

Implications: Supporters say the bill would reduce waste and relieve consumer prices by expanding the pool of eggs available to the food supply. Critics may raise food-safety and animal-health concerns or question whether regulatory changes alone will meaningfully alter retail prices. The FDA and USDA would play key roles in designing any safety protocols and implementation timeline if the bill advances.