Supporters of House workforce act legislation can voice opinions online

U.S. House Agriculture Committee chair Glenn Thompson has released details for the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act and is working to secure House cosponsors before its introduction in late June.

The legislation addresses ongoing agricultural labor challenges through three main pillars:

• Expanding access: The bill removes the requirement that agricultural work must be seasonal. It retains the temporary designation, defining it as a job contract of 350 days or less. Additionally, it updates what qualifies as “agricultural labor or services” and transfers the authority to further refine that definition to the Secretary of Agriculture.

• Controlling costs: The legislation codifies recent reforms to the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) methodology and simplifies overall program requirements.

• Streamlining operations: The bill requires federal agencies to build a unified online platform to ensure timely communication and tracking for employers. It clearly outlines agency roles to eliminate regulatory duplication and offers flexibility to accommodate diverse production needs while maintaining rules-based standards.

Organizations and growers interested in showing support for the bill can fill out an official webform.

The Ag Wage Reform Coalition has expressed support for the bill.

The coalition, which represents agricultural organizations, specialty crop producers and farm employers across multiple states and commodities, said the legislation addresses many of the workforce challenges that have threatened the long-term viability of domestic fruit, vegetable, horticulture, nursery and other labor-intensive agricultural sectors.

“This legislation represents one of the most comprehensive efforts in decades to modernize agricultural workforce policy,” Chris Butts, coalition spokesperson and executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, said in a statement. “It reflects many of the recommendations developed through extensive stakeholder discussions and addresses real-world challenges faced by specialty crop producers every day.”

Among the provisions supported by the coalition are:

• Expanded access for more workforce availability to meet the year-round needs of today’s diverse agricultural operations that extend beyond traditional seasonal production cycles

• Streamlined application, certification and hiring processes designed to reduce bureaucratic delays and improve workforce reliability

• Creation of a single online portal to simplify interactions between employers and federal agencies

• Multi-year labor certifications and housing inspections that reduce unnecessary administrative burdens

• Wage reforms that provide greater predictability and stability while continuing to protect workers

• Clarification of agricultural labor eligibility to better reflect the diversity of modern agriculture