WASHINGTON, DC – On Wednesday, May 7 U.S. Representatives Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-18), Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04), Mike Simpson (R-ID-02), Jim Costa (D-CA-21), David Valadao (R-CA-22), and Adam Gray (D-CA-13) reintroduced the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, H.R. 3227, which creates a workforce solution for America's agriculture industry, one of the most critical sectors of the national economy.
The bill, which passed the House of Representatives with strong bipartisan support in the 116th and 117th Congresses, and introduced in the 118th Congress, updates the H-2A agricultural guest worker program and is a compromise solution that provides needed stability for farms and farmworkers.
“The men and women who work America’s farms feed the nation. However, in the past few years, we’ve seen labor shortages contribute to high food prices,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren. “As economic chaos and confusion continues, it is essential we provide stability to this critical workforce. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act would do so, which will protect the future of our farms and our food supply. It is well-past time we get this bipartisan legislation twice passed by the House of Representatives to the President’s desk.”
“The workforce crisis has come to a boiling point for farmers across the country. Reintroducing the Farm Workforce Modernization Act sends a clear message to farmers that we are working hard to find solutions that ease the burdens brought on by the current state of the H-2A program. This legislation is necessary to lay the groundwork for continued negotiations, and I am committed to working closely with my colleagues to enact long-term, durable reforms to our agriculture guest worker programs. This issue has been, and remains, my top priority and unified Republican government is an opportunity to deliver for our farmers and ranchers,” said Rep. Dan Newhouse.
Background
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 Members has continually been working to move the bill through the legislative process.
Why? Because farmers and ranchers across the United States are in desperate need of a high-quality, reliable workforce, farmworkers need a stable future, and the current H-2A guestworker program needs meaningful, bipartisan reform.
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.
Support
“Across America, farm workers are still going to work everyday to put food on our tables,” said UFW President Teresa Romero. “Yet even as they feed our nation, too many farm workers are living in fear and uncertainty. The farm workers who feed America have earned the right to call America home. This bipartisan, common sense legislation will create an opportunity for these workers to step out of the shadows and become full members of the society they feed.”
With the reintroduction of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, we thank Representatives Lofgren and Newhouse for their continued leadership on this important issue. During this legislative process, we implore Congress to provide much-needed updates to this bill to provide both immediate relief and long-lasting solutions for American agriculture. As always, we stand ready to engage with our elected officials on both sides of the aisle and in both houses of congress to develop legislation that can be signed into law,” said Western Growers’ CEO Dave Puglia.
"The workforce crisis is the most important issue facing agriculture in our country," said Rep. Mike Simpson. "Supporting American agriculture means providing a stable, reliable, and legal workforce, and this legislative solution addresses one of the most pressing concerns our farmers and ranchers face. Now that we finally have an administration taking the border crisis seriously, Congress must address this issue and enact necessary reforms. It is well past time we solve this problem. I look forward to working with my colleagues and getting this critical legislation across the finish line to President Trump's desk for his signature."
“American agriculture depends on a reliable workforce and nowhere is that more true than in California’s San Joaquin Valley, where farmworkers are the backbone of our economy. This legislation is a common-sense, bipartisan solution that provides stability for our farmers and dignity for the workers who feed America. If President Trump is serious about fixing our broken immigration system, he should work with us to get this bill across the finish line,” said Rep. Jim Costa.
“Central Valley farmers are the backbone of our nation’s agricultural industry, but they continue to face serious challenges finding and retaining a reliable workforce,” said Rep. David Valadao. “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. Food security is national security, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find long-term solutions that support our farmers and strengthen our food supply chain.”
“Farm workers and the larger agricultural community are the backbone of the Central Valley’s economy,” said Rep. Adam Gray. “Labor shortages on our farms could lead to higher food prices across the country and the Valley cannot afford to be shorthanded. This commonsense bipartisan bill would stabilize our vital workforce and make sure Valley farmers can continue to feed families across the country.”
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