The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman. 
The House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Representatives Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), Lamar Smith (R-Texas), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), Michael Conaway (R-Texas), and Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) today introduced the bipartisan AG and Legal Workforce Act (H.R. 6417). Representatives Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), chair of the House Freedom Caucus, Mark Walker (R-N.C.), chair of the Republican Study Committee, and John Katko (R-N.Y.), chair of the Tuesday Group, are also original cosponsors.
The AG and Legal Workforce Act replaces the outdated and broken H-2A agricultural guestworker program with a new, workable agricultural guestworker program, known as the H-2C program, to ensure America’s farmers and ranchers have access to a reliable workforce. The H-2C program is available to both seasonal and year-round agricultural employers, provides a generous visa allocation to ensure labor needs are met, provides much needed flexibility to minimize disruptions in farm operations, eliminates regulatory burdens, and contains effective accountability and enforcement provisions. These provisions are supported by over 200 agricultural groups.
Chairman Goodlatte: “Importantly, the AG and Legal Workforce Act also creates a new, workable agricultural guestworker program to ensure labor demands are met and crops get to market on time. The bill incorporates many of the comments and concerns I have heard from the agriculture community over the past several years. When not enough Americans can be found to fill jobs, the bill ensures that American farmers have access to a reliable workforce to fill positions needed to keep their farms afloat. The agricultural community has waited far too long for a workable guestworker program and it’s past time to enact a solution.”
Additional original cosponsors of the bill are: Representatives Ralph Abraham (R-La.), Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), Andy Barr (R-Ky.), Ken Buck (R-Colo.), Steve Chabot (R-Ohio), Tom Cole (R-Okla.), Chris Collins (R-N.Y.), James Comer (R-Ky.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.), Sean Duffy (R-Wis.), Neal Dunn (R-Fla.), Ron Estes (R-Kan.), John Faso (R-N.Y.), Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), Andy Harris (R-Md.), Lynn Jenkins (R-Kan.), Walter Jones (R-N.C.), Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), Tom Marino (R-Pa.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), Tom Reed (R-N.Y.), Dennis Ross (R-Fla.), David Rouzer (R-N.C.), Austin Scott (R-Ga.), Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Steve Stivers (R-Ohio), Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.), Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), Fred Upton (R-Mich.), and Ted Yoho (R-Fla.).
A summary of key provisions of the AG and Legal Workforce Act can be found HERE.
Chairman Goodlatte: “Importantly, the AG and Legal Workforce Act also creates a new, workable agricultural guestworker program to ensure labor demands are met and crops get to market on time. The bill incorporates many of the comments and concerns I have heard from the agriculture community over the past several years. When not enough Americans can be found to fill jobs, the bill ensures that American farmers have access to a reliable workforce to fill positions needed to keep their farms afloat. The agricultural community has waited far too long for a workable guestworker program and it’s past time to enact a solution.”
Additional original cosponsors of the bill are: Representatives Ralph Abraham (R-La.), Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), Andy Barr (R-Ky.), Ken Buck (R-Colo.), Steve Chabot (R-Ohio), Tom Cole (R-Okla.), Chris Collins (R-N.Y.), James Comer (R-Ky.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.), Sean Duffy (R-Wis.), Neal Dunn (R-Fla.), Ron Estes (R-Kan.), John Faso (R-N.Y.), Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), Andy Harris (R-Md.), Lynn Jenkins (R-Kan.), Walter Jones (R-N.C.), Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), Tom Marino (R-Pa.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), Tom Reed (R-N.Y.), Dennis Ross (R-Fla.), David Rouzer (R-N.C.), Austin Scott (R-Ga.), Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Steve Stivers (R-Ohio), Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.), Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), Fred Upton (R-Mich.), and Ted Yoho (R-Fla.).
A summary of key provisions of the AG and Legal Workforce Act can be found HERE.
