California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently signed landmark legislation requiring that shelled whole eggs sold in California come from cage-free hens as of Jan. 1, 2015. This effectively means that whole eggs served in every restaurant across the state will be cage-free by 2015. The bill, A.B. 1437, backed by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), follows on the heels of the landslide passage of Proposition 2, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act in California.

"By signing this bill, Governor Schwarzenegger has taken an important step in protecting animal welfare in a way that will also improve food safety for consumers across California," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the HSUS, in a statement. "Californians have made it clear that they don't want unsafe eggs from hens crammed into cages, and we applaud the legislature and governor for heeding this call."