A bipartisan group of U.S. representatives recently reintroduced the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, H.R. 3227. The bill would update the H-2A agricultural guest worker program. It is a compromise solution that supporters said provides stability for farms and farmworkers.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, one of those who reintroduced the bill, said, “It is well-past time we get this bipartisan legislation, twice passed by the House of Representatives, to the President’s desk.”
Other representatives who joined in reintroducing the bill were Dan Newhouse of Washington, Mike Simpson of Idaho, and Jim Costa, David Valadao and Adam Gray, all of California.
“This legislation is necessary to lay the groundwork for continued negotiations,” Newhouse said.
“The current H-2A program doesn’t meet the labor needs of many producers, but the Farm Workforce Modernization Act is a positive step to addressing our agriculture workforce needs and securing our food supply chain,” Valadao said.
The bill was negotiated over eight months in 2019 with input from farmers, agricultural stakeholders, labor organizations and farmworker advocates. In December 2019, it became the first agriculture labor reform legislation to pass the House of Representatives since 1986. Since its passage, a bipartisan coalition of representatives has continually worked to move the bill through the legislative process.
Supporters said the bill is needed because the current H-2A guestworker program needs reform. They said the bill:
- Reforms the H-2A program to provide more flexibility for employers, while ensuring critical protections for workers
- Establishes a program for agricultural workers in the United States to choose to earn legal status through continued agricultural employment and contribution to the U.S. agricultural economy
- Focuses on modifications to make the program more responsive and user-friendly for employers and provides access to the program for industries with year-round labor needs
Read Lofgren’s summary of the bill here .
Source: U.S. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren
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