By Zachery Schmidt | The Center Square contributor
The Nevada Legislature Wednesday passed Assembly Bill 171, which attempts to bring down the state’s egg prices.
AB 171 would suspend any Nevada regulations on eggs for no more than 120 consecutive days.
Nevada, according to this bill, can allow the sale of grade B eggs, limit the amount of eggs local governments can buy and authorize small egg flock farmers to produce egg products.
The bill says the suspension of regulations can only be done when an event “negatively impacts the national supply chain for egg products.” These events include a foreign disease, a disease emergency or a natural disaster.
Nevada can only issue “temporary suspensions” twice in a calendar year.
The Nevada Legislature fast-tracked this legislation to address the country’s rising egg costs.
In January, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said egg prices increased by 15.2%. The prices of eggs over the last 12 months have risen 53%.
America is currently experiencing a bird flu pandemic that has caused the price of eggs to go up.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are 68 cases of bird flu in America. Twenty-three of those are coming from “poultry farms and culling operations.”
Nevada confirmed its first case of a human case of bird flu this week. The individual got it from working on a dairy farm, The Center Square reported.
According to the CDC, this bird flu outbreak has affected 157,774,658 birds. In Nevada, only 1,660 birds have been affected by this virus.
AB 171 will now be sent to Gov. Joe Lombardo’s desk.
Nevada State Democratic Party Executive Director Hilary Barrett released a statement urging the governor to sign AB 171.