The U.S. House has passed the Farm Workforce Modernization Act (H.R. 5038). The bill, sponsored by Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), and Mike Simpson (R-ID), now goes to the U.S. Senate for consideration.
The National Onion Association (NOA) supports the bill and outlined some of the highlights in a press release:
· A merit-based immigration program for our current workforce, based on past and future work commitments, to ensure the stability of American agriculture.
· Current H-2A visa holders can remain in the program as they are now.
· Reduce the time and cost for growers who utilize the program, so they have access to a legal source of labor when they need it.
· It modernizes and applies caps to out-of-control wage growth in the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR).
· Addresses year-round labor needs
· Improves the current E-Verify program with a structured phase-in and guaranteed due process for authorized workers who are incorrectly rejected by the system. This phase-in will ensure that agricultural employers are not inadvertently harmed while the new systems the bill puts into place are being stood up.