The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture is backing new legislation introduced in the U.S. House aimed at reforming the H-2A guestworker visa program and addressing labor shortages across the agricultural sector.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson introduced the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act with support from more than 40 bipartisan co-sponsors, signaling broad congressional interest in updating the current agricultural labor system.
NASDA said the measure addresses what state agriculture departments have identified for years as one of the industry’s most pressing concerns: access to a stable workforce.
The legislation would make several significant changes to the H-2A program, including removing the requirement that labor be seasonal. It also would broaden the definition of temporary agricultural work to include positions lasting fewer than 350 days.
Supporters say those changes would expand the program’s reach to sectors that have historically struggled to qualify for H-2A labor, including dairy, aquaculture processing and controlled environment agriculture.
The bill also would formally establish recent U.S. Department of Labor changes to the Adverse Effect Wage Rate, the wage calculation used for H-2A workers, and add measures intended to improve transparency across the agencies involved in administering the program.
NASDA said modernizing agricultural labor policy remains a top priority as producers face ongoing workforce shortages that affect farm productivity, food supply stability and U.S. competitiveness in global markets.
The organization said it views the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act as a key step toward building a more reliable legal workforce system for farmers and ranchers while supporting long-term food security.
Source: National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, "NASDA Applauds Introduction of the Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act"