Farm Labor Legislation
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. Congress could soon be considering not just a new farm bill, but farm
labor legislation.
The farm labor shortage is a decades’ old problem and one lawmakers have tried unsuccessfully to address.
House Ag Chair GT Thompson hopes a new effort stemming from recommendations by an ag labor working group will change that, telling state ag leaders recently …
THOMPSON … “We have drafted a bill…I think we’ve finished with technical assistance from the Department of Labor…and our next step is putting it out for discussion draft.”
The legislation is expected to streamline the producer application process, boost access to labor year-round, and protect migrant labor health during extreme heat and other conditions.
Thompson says the farm labor bill could be ready after his farm bill action next week …
THOMPSON … “Couple of weeks, three-weeks, a month at the most…and then, we’ll be introducing that bill. And I think it’s going to be a great bipartisan bill. I think it’s going to be one that, perhaps, breaks this whole farm worker gridlock.”
Gridlock, Thompson says, mired in incessant fights over illegal immigration …
THOMPSON … “It’s not about citizenship. This is about reliable workforce. This is about food security.”
A major concern in dairy, produce, and other ag sectors, as immigration enforcement increases and the farm economy declines.
