WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD-TV News) — The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act is making its way through Congress with the goal of addressing the decades-long worker shortage on U.S. farms.
Matt Teagarden with the American Business Immigration Coalition says the bill could be a game changer for many operations.
“The other piece that is equally important is the opportunity that our existing workforce can be vetted and determined that they’ve been productive members, good members of our communities, have been working hard, paying taxes, and doing the work that frankly many folks aren’t willing to do. We have an opportunity to add those individuals to the H-2A program and get them full legal work authorization. These are folks that have been part of these operations for years and years and years, and have been in these communities for years. We really need to address this issue and provide them an opportunity to get legal.”
The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act would make some of the biggest changes to the H-2A farm labor program in decades, expanding access to year-round operations, including livestock and dairy, while changing wage rules and streamlining the application process.
The bipartisan bill was introduced by House Agriculture Committee Chairman GT Thompson and is currently in the House Judiciary Committee.
