A.B. 2098, introduced by Assemblymember Paul Krekorian (D-43rd), prohibits slaughterhouses, stockyards, auctions or dealers from buying, selling or receiving downed animals and also prohibits slaughterhouses from butchering or processing any downed animals. The HSUS worked with Assemblyman Krekorian and the Humane Farming Association on the legislation.

The Humane Society of the United States praised Gov. Schwarzenegger for signing the legislation, which addresses the cruel treatment of downed cows documented by an undercover HSUS investigation at the Hallmark/Westland plant in Chino, Calif.

"The Humane Society of the United States' shocking investigation brought to light abuses that compelled lawmakers to step up enforcement of the state's no-downer law, in order to prevent any repeat of the cruelty that occurred in Chino," said Michael Markarian, executive vice president of The HSUS. "We hope that Congress and the Department of Agriculture enact similar strong protections for the rest of the country." The HSUS investigation led to the nation's largest ever meat recall.

During the investigation, The HSUS documented the abuse of "spent" dairy cows slaughtered at the plant, and workers who kicked them, hit them with electric prods, rammed them with forklifts, and even used water pressure to try to force the animals to stand. Much of the meat produced there was served to school children through the National School Lunch Program.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has introduced legislation at the federal level to strengthen farm animal welfare laws and improve enforcement, and Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer has announced plans to change federal regulations to prohibit all downed cows from being slaughtered for human consumption, though the USDA has not yet taken action on this.

This November, California voters will consider Prop 2 -- the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act -- a modest measure that will provide the most basic protection to animals confined on California factory farms: that they merely be able to turn around and extend their limbs. Prop 2 has already attracted hundreds of endorsements.