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Chickens stand in battery cages at a farm near Stuart, Iowa. Massachusetts voters approved Question 3 on 2016 statewide ballot, banning the sale of eggs and meat from cage-confined animals, but state lawmakers are proposing changes before the law takes effect in January.

Chickens stand in battery cages at a farm near Stuart, Iowa. Massachusetts voters approved Question 3 on 2016 statewide ballot, banning the sale of eggs and meat from cage-confined animals, but state lawmakers are proposing changes before the law takes effect in January.

BOSTON — A legislative panel began deliberations Monday on a proposal to change the 2016 voter-approved law requiring larger enclosures for egg-laying chickens to reduce the size of their coops.

The proposal is aimed at scaling back the voter-approved requirement of at least 1.5 square feet per bird to only 1 square foot for large “aviary systems.”

Question 3 on the 2016 ballot, which banned shelled eggs, veal and other meat produced by cage-confined farm animals, was approved by more than 77% of voters.

But egg producers say its limits are stricter than what other states require and would lead to egg shortages and higher prices in Massachusetts when the law goes into effect in January.

Lawmakers approved the changes recently, but must now work out differences between House and Senate versions of the legislation to update the law.

A six-member conference committee, which includes Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, and Rep. Dan Cahill, D-Lynn, is meeting privately to hammer out a final version of the bill.

On Monday, the panel convened a livestream public hearing but voted shortly after to continue the deliberations offline in an executive session.

Food industry officials are urging lawmakers to come up with a final version of the bill to avert shortages and price hikes next year.

“We’re hoping they move quickly,” said Brian Houghton, senior vice president for governmental affairs and communications for the Massachusetts Food Association, which represents grocers and supermarkets. “The two sides aren’t very far apart so they should be able to hammer something out.”

William Bell, general manager of the New England Brown Egg Council, said about 98% of eggs sold in Massachusetts come from out of state and producers will be reluctant to make costly modifications to cages to comply with its rules. He said the update is crucial.

“Massachusetts has become an outlier,” he said. “The industry is converting to cage-free, but if the state is requiring 50% more floor space per bird, nobody is going to be in a hurry to supply it.”

One of the biggest differences between the two bills is a requirement approved by the House that would delay implementation of the rules for pig closures. The Senate version didn’t include that provision.

Most animal welfare groups are on board with the update, which includes enhancements to improve the welfare of egg-laying hens used to supply retail markets.

The 1.5-square-foot dimensions would still be required for egg-producing farms that only use cages. But the limit would be reduced for cage-free aviary systems, which allow birds to move around.

A poll conducted by the Humane Society earlier this year found at least 68% of Massachusetts voters surveyed supported changes to the law.

Massachusetts isn’t home to many large-scale egg and pork-producing farms. Most products sold here come from other states. But the 2016 referendum also applies to products sent to Massachusetts.

Attorney General Maura Healey’s office has released draft regulations for the law, which largely keep the voter-approved plan intact.

But those regulations would need to be updated before the law goes into effect, to reflect changes to the size of the enclosures and other adjustments.

To be sure, not everyone is pleased the legislation is finally advancing.

Some groups, such as the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation, have pushed the state to implement the law as approved. They say some egg-producing farms have already made costly modifications to comply.

And a California-based animal welfare group sued the sate last year to force implementation of the law, saying the changes will mean “cruel” conditions for the birds that supply the state’s eggs.

Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@northofboston.com.

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