The State of California will end the sale of eggs from out-of-state battery cage facilities beginning January 1, 2015.

On Tuesday, July 6, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law Assembly Bill No. 1437, which requires all sales in California of shell (whole) eggs for human consumption to comply with the state’s Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act. This act prohibits the confinement of egg-laying hens in a manner that does not allow the birds to fully extend both wings without touching the side of an enclosure or other egg-laying hens, effectively banning the use of battery cages.

The Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act, also known as Prop 2, was brought into law through a successful November 2008 state-wide ballot measure. It phases out the use of battery cages by Californian egg producers by January 1, 2015, while the new assembly bill extends that ban to out-of-state producers selling to consumers in California.

The Associated Press reports Schwarzenegger as saying the new law is a positive step both for California egg producers and for animal welfare. With just under 40 million consumers, California is the most populous state in the nation. Observers expect AB1437 to have significant impacts on egg production methods outside of the state.