House Ag Chair Introduces Ag Labor Bill

Last week, Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture introduced H.R. 9535, the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act of 2026 (SAWA). This bill seeks to overhaul the nation’s Temporary Agricultural Worker Program (H-2A), the only visa program designed specifically to regulate agricultural work. Demand for H-2A visas has grown from roughly 100,000 certified positions in 2013 to nearly 400,000 in 2025.

SAWA would revise the H-2A process in the following ways:

• Allow H-2A visas to last a maximum of 350 days (as opposed to 10 months);
• Enable existing unauthorized agricultural workers to acquire an H-2A visa if they are otherwise eligible and can meet the program requirements;
• Expand the kinds of work that could be eligible for this program, including controlled environment agriculture, forestry, aquaculture, and the “harvest” of livestock;
• Update the kind and level of compensation employers must provide to seasonal agricultural workers; and
• Streamline the application and review process.

The legislation currently has 49 cosponsors, including Republican and Democrat members. Notably, the House Judiciary Committee, not the House Agriculture Committee, will consider SAWA and decide whether to advance it to the whole chamber for consideration.