A new bipartisan farmworker bill seeks to reform the H-2A agricultural guestworker program and creates a merit-based visa program specifically designed for the nation’s agricultural sector, opening a path for the legalization of immigrants who work in the fields in the United States.
Representatives Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19), Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04), Collin Peterson (D-MN-07), Mike Simpson (R-ID-02), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01), and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-25) introduced the Farm Workforce Modernization Act (HR 4916), which was negotiated over several months with input from agricultural stakeholders and labor organizations. The bill was introduced with the bipartisan support of 24 Democrats and 20 Republicans.
The bill has garnered the wide-spread support of nearly 250 agriculture groups and labor organizations, according to a press release from the office of Representative Lofgren.
“The men and women who work America’s farms feed the nation. But, farmworkers across the country are living and working with uncertainty and fear, contributing to the destabilization of farms across the nation,” said Rep. Lofgren. “Our bill offers stability for American farms by providing a path to legal status for farmworkers. Also, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act addresses the nation’s future labor needs by modernizing an outdated system for temporary workers while ensuring fair wages and workplace conditions.”
THE PROPOSED FARMWORKER BILL IS BASED ON THREE MAIN TITLES
- Earned Status for Certified Agricultural Workers:
Establish a program for agricultural workers, their spouses and minor children to earn legal status through continued agricultural employment and contribution to the U.S. agricultural economy. - Improves the H-2A Program:
To provide more flexibility for employers, while ensuring critical protections for workers. The bill 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. - Mandatory E-Verify for the Agricultural Sector:
Establish a mandatory, nationwide E-Verify system for all agricultural employment with a structured phase-in and guaranteed due process for authorized workers who are incorrectly rejected by the system.
The California Farm Bureau Federation, representing nearly 36,000 members statewide and as part of a nationwide network of nearly 5.6 million Farm Bureau members, said it supports the bipartisan bill.
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“This comprehensive legislation contains key elements that address current and future workforce needs for agricultural employers and employees in California and throughout the nation,” CFBF President Jamie Johansson said in a statement. “The reforms in the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019 will provide much-needed solutions for agricultural employers and employees.”
The bill could legalize up to about 325,000 immigrants currently working in agriculture who do not have legal status.
“After months of negotiations, the UFW and the UFW Foundation are enthusiastic about passing legislation that honors all farmworkers who feed America by creating a way for undocumented workers to apply for legal status and a roadmap to earn citizenship in the future without compromising farmworkers’ existing wages and legal protections. Understanding that compromise is required to meaningfully improve the lives of immigrant field laborers, it is our hope this will be the first time the House of Representatives, under the leadership of either party, will approve an agricultural immigration bill,” said Arturo S. Rodriguez, President Emeritus of United Farmworkers & Spokesperson of UFW Foundation.
Other agricultural leaders expressed their support to the Farm Workforce Modernization Act.
“We have supported numerous efforts to address dairy’s acute labor needs. Passing legislation in the House is a critical step in the process. We urge the Senate to work with us on this important issue so we can get an ag worker bill across the finish line in this Congress,” said Jim Mulhern, President and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF).
“More work is needed to improve this legislation, but in a time where Washington can’t seem to agree on anything, these members have stepped forward and recognized that the challenge of immigration reform is not a Democratic problem or a Republican problem, it is an American problem, and we need to fix it,” said Tom Stenzel, President & CEO, United Fresh Produce Association.
The Western Growers Association was also pleased with the introduction of the Act. The association’s president and CEO Tom Nassif said: “The act addresses two critical needs for American agriculture – to retain existing, experienced workers and to ensure a reliable future flow of guest workers. Furthermore, after a satisfactory transition period, the bill includes E-Verify for agricultural employers, demonstrating the commitment our industry has made toward a long-term labor solution”.Share