House Introduces Farm Workforce Modernization Act

On October 30, a bipartisan House coalition led by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-19) and Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-4) introduced the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. The legislation takes a two-pronged approach to solving the labor crisis in American agriculture. First, it would establish a program for agricultural workers in the U.S. to earn legal status through continued employment in the agriculture sector. Secondly, it would reform the existing H-2A program to provide flexibility for employers and to provide access to agricultural sectors with year-round employment needs. Additionally, after a phase-in period, it would establish an E-Verify program for agricultural workers. A full one-pager on the bill can be found here.

ASTA is a member of the Agricultural Workforce Coalition, which will be working with Congress to move the legislation forward in the coming months.