Bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act Passes House Judiciary Committee

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, The Farm Workforce Modernization Act, a bipartisan bill introduced by Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19), with Congressman Lou Correa (D-CA-46), Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04), Mike Simpson (R-ID-02), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01), and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-25) was passed by the House Judiciary Committee. This bipartisan bill was carefully negotiated over eight months with input from agricultural stakeholders and labor organizations and was introduced with the support of 26 Democrats and 23 Republicans.

Congressman Correa said, “Today we have made huge progress for America’s farmworkers. I am proud to co-sponsor the Farm Workforce Modernization Act and proud to have helped pass this bill out of the House Judiciary Committee. It will finally treat our immigrant farmworkers with the dignity and respect they have earned and create a pathway to citizenship.

“Countless immigrants come to the United States and do jobs most Americans won’t do. For decades these individuals have been treated poorly while our economy and farmers have depended on them. Without immigrants in our fields, our tables would be bare, and our markets empty. These individuals are integral to our society and have helped make America the breadbasket of the world. They have earned a seat at our table.”

“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. Zoe Lofgren. “Our bill offers stability for American farms by providing a path to legal status for farmworkers. In addition, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act addresses the nation’s future labor needs by modernizing an outdated system for temporary workers, while ensuring fair wages and workplace conditions. This momentous vote today in the Judiciary Committee moves our proposal forward so all Members can soon vote on the first-of-its-kind bipartisan immigration compromise in decades that improves America’s agricultural labor programs and laws.”

“This is an excellent step forward for a bipartisan bill that will be a building block to improve and modernize America’s agriculture industry,” said Rep. Dan Newhouse. “As the Farm Workforce Modernization Act continues to move through the legislative process, I am grateful for my colleagues, the farmers and farmworkers, and the organizations and stakeholders who worked to make this legislation a reality. I am hopeful the legislation will now move quickly to the House floor, and I look forward to the continued opportunity to perfect the bill in the Senate.”

Click here for a one-pager, click here for bill text and click here to read a letter of support from more than 300 agricultural groups.

Background:

Farmers and ranchers across the United States are in desperate need of a high-quality, reliable workforce, and the current H-2A guestworker program is in need of meaningful, bipartisan reform. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act creates a workforce solution for America’s agriculture industry by providing stability, predictability, and fairness to one of the most critical sectors of our nation’s economy.

The bill will:

• Establish a program for agricultural workers in the United States to earn legal status through continued agricultural employment and contribution to the U.S. agricultural economy.
• Reform 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 allows access to the program for industries with year-round labor needs.
• 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.