[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4545 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4545

  To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 
  with respect to emergency assistance for farmworkers, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 13, 2024

Mr. Bennet (for himself and Mr. Padilla) introduced the following bill; 
  which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, 
                        Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 
  with respect to emergency assistance for farmworkers, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Disaster Relief for Farmworkers Act 
of 2024''.

SEC. 2. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR FARMWORKERS.

    Section 2281 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act 
of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 5177a) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 2281. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR FARMWORKERS.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Covered disaster.--The term `covered disaster' 
        means--
                    ``(A) an adverse weather event, such as a drought, 
                wildfire, earthquake, hurricane, flood, derecho, 
                excessive heat, tornado, winter storm, freeze, hail, 
                polar vortex, smoke exposure, or excessive moisture;
                    ``(B) an unexpected health crisis, such as a 
                pandemic; and
                    ``(C) such other event or condition--
                            ``(i) that has caused farmworkers to lose 
                        income, be unable to work, or stay home or 
                        return home in anticipation of work shortages; 
                        or
                            ``(ii) as the Secretary determines to be 
                        appropriate.
            ``(2) Eligible farmworker organization.--The term `eligible 
        farmworker organization' means an organization that is--
                    ``(A) a farmworker membership-based organization; 
                or
                    ``(B) an organization--
                            ``(i) described in section 501(c)(3) of the 
                        Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from 
                        taxation under section 501(a) of that Code; and
                            ``(ii) that has experience in providing 
                        support or relief services to farmworkers, 
                        including migrant or seasonal farmworkers.
            ``(3) Migrant or seasonal farmworker.--The term `migrant or 
        seasonal farmworker' means an individual--
                    ``(A) who has, during any consecutive 12-month 
                period within the preceding 24-month period, performed 
                farm work for wages; and
                    ``(B) who has received not less than \1/2\ of such 
                individual's total income from, or been employed at 
                least \1/2\ of such individual's total work time in, 
                farm work.
            ``(4) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.
    ``(b) Emergency Relief.--For fiscal year 2024 and each succeeding 
fiscal year, during any period for which the Secretary determines there 
is a covered disaster, the Secretary, acting through the Under 
Secretary for Rural Development, shall make grants to eligible 
farmworker organizations to provide emergency relief to farmworkers 
affected by that covered disaster.
    ``(c) Use of Funds.--An eligible farmworker organization may use 
funds received pursuant to a grant awarded under subsection (b)--
            ``(1) to provide emergency relief (including through direct 
        distribution of funding) to farmworkers to address loss and 
        damage due to the covered disaster;
            ``(2) to build capacity to provide emergency relief 
        described in paragraph (1);
            ``(3) to build resiliency in farmworker communities to 
        address future losses and damages due to covered disasters;
            ``(4) to provide infrastructure support, including shelter; 
        and
            ``(5) to provide emergency services (including such types 
        of assistance as the Secretary determines to be appropriate) to 
        farmworkers in response to the covered disaster.
    ``(d) Availability of Funds.--Any funds provided to an eligible 
farmworker organization under this section shall remain available until 
expended.
    ``(e) Promotional Plan.--The Secretary shall--
            ``(1) before making grants under subsection (b), develop a 
        promotional plan; and
            ``(2) carry out that promotional plan throughout the 
        distribution of those grants.
    ``(f) Consultation.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary 
shall consult with eligible farmworker organizations.''.
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