December 12, 2019
The House passed the Farm Workforce Modernization Act on a 260-165 vote on Dec. 11, sending the bill to the Senate.
The bill balances the interests of agricultural employees and workers, making it easier for farmers to hire workers by simplifying the H-2A application process and increasing the availability of green cards and visas for year-round workers. It also establishes a program for workers who have been engaged in agricultural work for at least two years and plan to continue working in agriculture to earn legal status.
“Our current farm labor system is badly broken," said National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson. "It’s a time-consuming, convoluted, and restrictive process for farmers and ranchers, who often don’t have the time to spare, and it’s a dead-end for farmworkers, who currently have no straightforward path for longer-term employment or legal status. Farmers and farmworkers alike deserve a better, fairer system – which is what the Farm Workforce Modernization Act aims to establish. Not only would it secure a legal and adequate supply of workers for family farmers and ranchers, but it would also provide stability for the farmworkers who put food on our tables."
The last time Congress addressed agricultural labor was in 1986. This bill was introduced with the support of 26 Democrats and 23 Republicans. Chief authors included Reps. Joe Lofgren, D-California; Dan Newhouse, R-Washington; Mike Simpson, R-Indiana; Jimmy Panetta, D-California; Doug LaMalfa, R-California; and Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Florida.