All Information (Except Text) for H.R.4916 - Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019116th Congress (2019-2020) |
Bill
Hide Overview| Sponsor: | Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-19] (Introduced 10/30/2019) |
|---|---|
| Committees: | House - Judiciary; Ways and Means; Education and Labor; Financial Services |
| Latest Action: | House - 11/15/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. (All Actions) |
Tracker:
This bill has the status Introduced
Here are the steps for Status of Legislation:
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To President
- Became Law
Subject — Policy Area:
- Immigration
- View subjects
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Titles Actions Overview All Actions Cosponsors Committees Related Bills Subjects Latest Summary All Summaries
Titles (1)
Actions Overview (1)
| Date | Actions Overview |
|---|---|
| 10/30/2019 | Introduced in House |
All Actions (6)
| Date | All Actions |
|---|---|
| 11/15/2019 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. Action By: Committee on the Judiciary |
| 10/30/2019 | Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and Labor, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. Action By: House of Representatives |
| 10/30/2019 | Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and Labor, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. Action By: House of Representatives |
| 10/30/2019 | Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and Labor, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. Action By: House of Representatives |
| 10/30/2019 | Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and Labor, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. Action By: House of Representatives |
| 10/30/2019 | Introduced in House Action By: House of Representatives |
Cosponsors (46)
Committees (4)
Committees, subcommittees and links to reports associated with this bill are listed here, as well as the nature and date of committee activity and Congressional report number.
| Committee / Subcommittee | Date | Activity | Reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| House Judiciary | 10/30/2019 | Referred to | |
| House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship | 11/15/2019 | Referred to | |
| House Ways and Means | 10/30/2019 | Referred to | |
| House Education and Labor | 10/30/2019 | Referred to | |
| House Financial Services | 10/30/2019 | Referred to |
Subjects (43)
Subject — Policy Area:
One Policy Area term, which best describes an entire measure, is assigned to every public bill or resolution.
- Administrative law and regulatory procedures
- Administrative remedies
- Advisory bodies
- Alternative dispute resolution, mediation, arbitration
- Border security and unlawful immigration
- Civil actions and liability
- Commuting
- Congressional oversight
- Contracts and agency
- Criminal justice information and records
- Department of Homeland Security
- Detention of persons
- Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
- Employee hiring
- Employment discrimination and employee rights
- Foreign labor
- Fraud offenses and financial crimes
- Government information and archives
- Government lending and loan guarantees
- Health promotion and preventive care
- Housing and community development funding
- Housing industry and standards
- Housing supply and affordability
- Immigration status and procedures
- Judicial review and appeals
- Labor market
- Labor standards
- Labor-management relations
- Licensing and registrations
- Low- and moderate-income housing
- Migrant, seasonal, agricultural labor
- Personnel records
- Right of privacy
- Rural conditions and development
- Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
- Temporary and part-time employment
- Transportation costs
- User charges and fees
- Visas and passports
- Wages and earnings
- Worker safety and health
- Youth employment and child labor
Latest Summary (1)
Shown Here:
Introduced in House (10/30/2019)
Farm 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.