Results for
FARM Laborers Protection Act
S #4042 | Last Action: 6/23/2020Frontline At-Risk Manual Laborers Protection Act or the FARM Laborers Protection Act This bill requires agricultural employers that receive federal agricultural-specific funding related to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) to provide employees with emergency paid sick leave and specified premium pay through 90 days after the date on which the COVID-19 public health emergency ends. Specifically, during such period, such agricultural employers must provide paid sick time to employees who are unable to work due to the effects of COVID-19. Full-time employees are entitled to 80 hours of such leave and part-time employees are entitled to such leave in the amount of the average number of hours the employee works during an average two-week period. Under current law, employers of fewer than 50 employees may be exempt from these emergency paid sick leave requirements. The bill also requires such agricultural employers to provide premium pay of $13 per hour up to a maximum of $10,000 per employee, or a maximum of $5,000 for employees who earn $100,000 or more per year, during the public health emergency and 90 days thereafter. The Department of Labor must provide grants for agricultural employers to meet these premium pay requirements. Labor also must promulgate rules to limit the involuntary furlough or termination of applicable agricultural workers during such time period. Additionally, the bill establishes grants to agricultural employers with 50 or fewer employees to provide employees with handwashing stations, portable restrooms, and personal protective equipment that comply with guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.To amend the Head Start Act to extend the duration of grants under such Act, and for other purposes.
HR #8004 | Last Action: 8/11/2020This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to make grants to Head Start agencies to provide children with access to full-school-year and full-school-day services, provide access to additional service hours for migrant and seasonal agencies, or enhance the quality of existing services.Fairness for Farm Workers Act
HR #1080 | Last Action: 2/7/2019Fairness for Farm Workers Act This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 with respect to agricultural workers. The bill requires employers, beginning in 2021, to compensate agricultural workers for hours worked in excess of their regular hours (i.e., 55 hours in 2021, 50 hours in 2022, 45 hours in 2023, and 40 hours in 2024) at not less than one and one-half times the employee's regular rate. For employers with 25 or fewer employees, the overtime pay requirements begin in 2024. These overtime pay requirements do not apply, as in current law, to employees who are the parent, spouse, child, or other member of the employer's immediate family. The bill also repeals the exemption from overtime pay requirements for employers in various agriculture-related industries, including certain small farms, irrigation projects, sugar processing, and cotton ginning and compressing.Fairness for Farm Workers Act
S #385 | Last Action: 2/7/2019Fairness for Farm Workers Act This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 with respect to agricultural workers. The bill requires employers, beginning in 2021, to compensate agricultural workers for hours worked in excess of their regular hours (i.e., 55 hours in 2021, 50 hours in 2022, 45 hours in 2023, and 40 hours in 2024) at not less than one and one-half times the employee's regular rate. For employers with 25 or fewer employees, the overtime pay requirements begin in 2024. These overtime pay requirements do not apply, as in current law, to employees who are the parent, spouse, child, or other member of the employer's immediate family. The bill also repeals the exemption from overtime pay requirements for employers in various agriculture-related industries, including certain small farms, irrigation projects, sugar processing, and cotton ginning and compressing.National Commission To Investigate the Treatment of Migrant Families and Children Act of 2019.
HR #3777 | Last Action: 7/16/2019National Commission To Investigate the Treatment of Migrant Families and Children Act of 2019 This bill establishes the National Commission to Investigate the Treatment of Migrant Families and Children By the Trump Administration within the legislative branch. The commission shall report on the actions of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services, specifically in relation to individuals apprehended along the U.S.-Mexico border since January 2017.End the Migrant Protection Protocols Act of 2019
HR #5207 | Last Action: 11/20/2019End the Migrant Protection Protocols Act of 2019 This bill revokes the Department of Homeland Security's statutory authority to return an alien to a contiguous country while removal proceedings are pending against that alien, if the alien arrived in the United States by land from that contiguous country.Responsible and Efficient Agriculture Destination Act
HR #4919 | Last Action: 10/30/2019Responsible and Efficient Agriculture Destination Act This bill modifies exemptions from service hour requirements for drivers transporting agricultural commodities who are within a 150 air-mile radius from their destination. The bill allows this exemption to be utilized yearly rather than only during planting and harvesting seasons.Condemning the Trump Administration's systematic cruel and inhumane treatment of migrants, particularly children, at the southern border.
HRES #499 | Last Action: 7/17/2019This resolution condemns the Trump Administration's treatment of migrants, particularly children, at the southern border.Worker Flexibility and Small Business Protection Act of 2020
S #4738 | Last Action: 9/24/2020Worker Flexibility and Small Business Protection Act of 2020 This bill classifies certain workers as employees, permits employees to request work schedule flexibility, expands oversight mechanisms for certain labor protections, requires employers to post compliance ratings, and provides standards for interpreting and applying certain worker rights. First, the bill provides that workers only may be classified under various labor laws as independent contractors, and not employees, in specified circumstances. It also permits employees to continue, or request, work schedule flexibility. The bill also defines the termmultiple employersunder various labor laws and makes parent companies responsible for the labor requirements of subsidiary employers. Certain owners, officers, and managers of companies may be assessed civil penalties for violations of certain labor laws; the 10 largest shareholders of employers also may be jointly liable for damages and civil penalties against such employers. Employers also are responsible for the labor protections of employees provided through staffing companies (e.g., temporary employees), including providing wages comparable to direct employees performing similar work. Additionally, employers must post a rating of their compliance with applicable labor laws as determined by the Department of Labor. Finally, the bill requires that specified labor laws are interpreted to include as employees workers or individuals claiming such classification. Further, agencies may not take actions to reduce employee protections under such laws without approval by Congress, and the bill provides standards of interpretation for judicial review.Worker Flexibility and Small Business Protection Act of 2020
HR #8375 | Last Action: 9/24/2020Worker Flexibility and Small Business Protection Act of 2020 This bill classifies certain workers as employees, permits employees to request work schedule flexibility, expands oversight mechanisms for certain labor protections, requires employers to post compliance ratings, and provides standards for interpreting and applying certain worker rights. First, the bill provides that workers only may be classified under various labor laws as independent contractors, and not employees, in specified circumstances. It also permits employees to continue, or request, work schedule flexibility. The bill also defines the termmultiple employersunder various labor laws and makes parent companies responsible for the labor requirements of subsidiary employers. Certain owners, officers, and managers of companies may be assessed civil penalties for violations of certain labor laws; the 10 largest shareholders of employers also may be jointly liable for damages and civil penalties against such employers. Employers also are responsible for the labor protections of employees provided through staffing companies (e.g., temporary employees), including providing wages comparable to direct employees performing similar work. Additionally, employers must post a rating of their compliance with applicable labor laws as determined by the Department of Labor. Finally, the bill requires that specified labor laws are interpreted to include as employees workers or individuals claiming such classification. Further, agencies may not take actions to reduce employee protections under such laws without approval by Congress, and the bill provides standards of interpretation for judicial review.Commemorating the 30th annual event of the All Souls Procession in Tucson, Arizona, and calling for an end to migrant deaths along the United States-Mexico border.
HRES #670 | Last Action: 10/31/2019This resolution commemorates the 30th annual All Souls Procession in Tucson, Arizona, and urges the United States to promote policies that preserve human dignity and end migrant deaths along the U.S.-Mexico border.BARN Act
HR #60 | Last Action: 1/3/2019Better Agriculture Resources Now Act or the BARN Act This bill revises the H-2A visa program for temporary nonimmigrant agricultural workers. It moves administration of the program from the Department of Labor to the Department of Agriculture, and eliminates the requirement that employers hire any qualified U.S. applicants until 50% of the time period of the H-2A worker's contract has elapsed. The bill also revises requirements for employer-provided housing or housing allowances for H-2A workers, including standards for such accommodations. The employer shall request an inspection of the housing to certify that it meets the required standards. Aliens admittted as H2-A workers who overstay their visas are barred from the program for five years. Aliens admitted on the basis of fraud or who commit certain crimes are barred permanently. Employers who knowingly hire H-2A workers who overstay their visas or employers who engage in fraud or misrepresentation shall be barred from the program.Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019
HR #4916 | Last Action: 10/30/2019Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019 This bill contains provisions related to alien farmworkers, including provisions establishing a certified agricultural worker (CAW) status and changing the H-2A temporary worker program. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may grant CAW status to an applying alien who (1) performed at least 1,035 hours of agricultural labor during the two-year period prior to October 30, 2019, (2) was inadmissible or deportable on that date, and (3) has been continuously present in the United States from that date until receiving CAW status. The bill imposes additional crime-related inadmissibility grounds on CAW applicants and makes some other grounds inapplicable. CAW status shall be valid for 5.5 years and may be extended. DHS may grant dependent status to the spouse or children of a principal alien. An alien with a pending application may not be detained or removed by DHS and shall be authorized for employment until DHS makes a final decision on the application. A CAW alien (and dependents) may apply for lawful permanent resident status after meeting various requirements, including performing a certain amount of agricultural labor for a number of years. DHS shall create an electronic platform for (1) filing H-2A petitions, (2) facilitating the processing of H-2A cases, and (3) providing agencies a single tool for obtaining H-2A-related case information. The bill makes various changes to the H-2A program, such as (1) modifying the method for calculating and making adjustments to the H-2A worker minimum wage, (2) specifying how an employer may satisfy requirements that it attempted to recruit U.S. workers, (3) requiring H-2A employers to guarantee certain minimum work hours, and (4) making the program available for year-round agricultural work and reserving a visa allocation for the dairy industry. DHS shall establish a pilot program allowing certain H-2A workers to apply for portable status, which gives the worker 60 days after leaving a position to secure new employment with a registered H-2A employer. DHS shall establish an electronic system patterned on the E-Verify Program for employers to verify an individual's identity and employment authorization. Employers hiring individuals for agricultural employment must use the system. This bill permanently establishes the Housing Preservation and Revitalization Program, which provides financing assistance for rural rental housing and off-farm labor housing and rental assistance for qualified tenants of such housing. It also authorizes the Department of Agriculture to provide various assistance, including funding for insuring loans and grants for new farmworker housing.Accountability for Migrant Deaths Act of 2019
HR #3660 | Last Action: 7/30/2019Accountability for Migrant Deaths Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security or the Department of Health and Human Services to report to Congress within 24 hours of a death of a foreign national while in the respective department's custody. The House of Representatives shall hold a hearing within a week of receiving such a report. Executive privilege may not be asserted with respect to testimony before Congress about such a death.Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019
HR #5038 | Last Action: 12/11/2019Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019 This bill contains provisions related to alien farmworkers, including provisions establishing a certified agricultural worker (CAW) status and changing the H-2A temporary worker program. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may grant CAW status to an applying alien who (1) performed at least 1,035 hours of agricultural labor during the two-year period prior to November 12, 2019, (2) on that date was inadmissible, deportable, or under a grant of deferred enforced departure or temporary protected status, and (3) has been continuously present in the United States from that date until receiving CAW status. The bill imposes additional crime-related inadmissibility grounds on CAW applicants and makes some other grounds inapplicable. CAW status shall be valid for 5.5 years and may be extended. DHS may grant dependent status to the spouse or children of a principal alien. An alien with a pending application may not be detained or removed by DHS and shall be authorized for employment until DHS makes a final decision on the application. A CAW alien (and dependents) may apply for lawful permanent resident status after meeting various requirements, including performing a certain amount of agricultural labor for a number of years. DHS shall create an electronic platform for (1) filing H-2A petitions, (2) facilitating the processing of H-2A cases, and (3) providing agencies a single tool for obtaining H-2A-related case information. The bill makes various changes to the H-2A program, such as (1) modifying the method for calculating and making adjustments to the H-2A worker minimum wage, (2) specifying how an employer may satisfy requirements that it attempted to recruit U.S. workers, (3) requiring H-2A employers to guarantee certain minimum work hours, and (4) making the program available for year-round agricultural work and reserving a visa allocation for the dairy industry. DHS shall establish a pilot program allowing certain H-2A workers to apply for portable status, which gives the worker 60 days after leaving a position to secure new employment with a registered H-2A employer. DHS shall establish an electronic system patterned on the E-Verify Program for employers to verify an individual's identity and employment authorization. Employers hiring individuals for agricultural employment must use the system. This bill permanently establishes the Housing Preservation and Revitalization Program, which provides financing assistance for rural rental housing and off-farm labor housing and rental assistance for qualified tenants of such housing. It also authorizes the Department of Agriculture to provide various assistance, including funding for insuring loans and grants for new farmworker housing.Moving H–2A to United States Department of Agriculture Act of 2020
HR #5795 | Last Action: 2/6/2020Moving H-2A to United States Department of Agriculture Act of 2020 This bill moves administration of the H-2A (temporary agricultural workers) program from the Department of Labor to the Department of Agriculture.Protecting America's Food and Agriculture Act of 2019
HR #4482 | Last Action: 10/2/2019Protecting America's Food and Agriculture Act of 2019 This bill authorizes U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), every fiscal year, to hire, train, and assign 240 new agricultural specialists until the total number of specialists equals and sustains the requirements identified each year in the Agriculture Resource Allocation Model. The CBP may also hire, train, and assign support staff to assist the specialists and specified levels of agricultural canine teams. In calculating the number of specialists needed at each port of entry through the Agriculture Resource Allocation Model, the Office of Field Operations of the CBP must (1) rely on data collected regarding the inspections and other activities conducted at each such port of entry; and (2) consider volume from seasonal surges, other projected changes in commercial and passenger volumes, the most current commercial forecasts, and other relevant information.COVID–19 as a Presumptive Disease in Wildland Firefighters Act
S #3910 | Last Action: 6/8/2020COVID-19 as a Presumptive Disease in Wildland Firefighters Act This bill entitles federal wildland firefighters who contract COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) to federal workers' compensation benefits and also establishes certain testing and screening requirements for such firefighters during the wildfire season (May 15-November 15, 2020). Specifically, the bill provides that if a federal wildland firefighter exhibits specified symptoms, tests positive, or is otherwise determined by a physician as likely having COVID-19 during the wildfire season or during a specific wildfire (or in the following 28 days), the firefighter is presumed to have incurred an injury while on duty that qualifies for workers' compensation benefits. Additionally, the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture must ensure that all of their firefighters are tested for COVID-19 or related symptoms, or self-quarantine for at least 14 days with no symptoms, before the wildfire season or before responding to a wildfire.Protecting America's Food and Agriculture Act of 2019
S #2107 | Last Action: 2/10/2020Protecting America's Food and Agriculture Act of 2019 This bill authorizes U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), every fiscal year, to hire, train, and assign 240 new agricultural specialists until the total number of specialists equals and sustains the requirements identified each year in the Agriculture Resource Allocation Model. The CBP may also hire, train, and assign support staff to assist the specialists and specified levels of agricultural canine teams. In calculating the number of specialists needed at each port of entry through the Agriculture Resource Allocation Model, the Office of Field Operations of the CBP must (1) rely on data collected regarding the inspections and other activities conducted at each such port of entry; and (2) consider volume from seasonal surges, other projected changes in commercial and passenger volumes, the most current commercial forecasts, and other relevant information. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) must conduct a review of the efforts of the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Agriculture, and other federal agencies to address risks to the agricultural supply. The GAO must analyze (1) interagency coordination and the distribution of responsibilities among federal agencies with respect to the inspection of agricultural commodities entering the United States; (2) the effectiveness of such inspection responsibilities among federal agencies; and (3) the training provided to, and working conditions of, CBP Agriculture Specialists.To require the Secretary of Defense to establish a process for the inspection of facilities used to house, detain, screen, and review migrants and refugees, and for other purposes.
HR #3727 | Last Action: 7/11/2019This bill requires the Department of Defense to establish a process under which the Government Accountability Office and the Inspectors General of the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services may be provided with access—for purposes of conducting surprise inspections—to federally-owned installations where there are facilities used to house, detain, screen, or review migrants, refugees, or other persons recently arriving in the United States.Commemorating the unofficial start of the inland waterway system navigation season and the role of the Corps of Engineers in facilitating access and increasing efficiencies in the American agricultural and trade economy.
HRES #484 | Last Action: 7/11/2019This resolution (1) recognizes the start of the inland waterway system navigation season, (2) acknowledges the work of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in maintaining the inland waterway system as vital to the nation's economy, (3) recognizes that more than 78% of the locks and dams operated by the Corps on the system are well beyond their 50-year design life, and (4) expresses that investment in the inland waterway system is needed and would significantly impact the competitiveness of American commodities in international markets.Fairness for Farm Workers Act
S #4480 | Last Action: 6/23/2022Fairness for Farm Workers Act
S #2253 | Last Action: 7/12/2023Fairness for Farm Workers Act
HR #4579 | Last Action: 7/12/2023