Dwelling passes legislation to aid local farms, dairies

WASHINGTON (News10) — On Thursday evening, the Residence handed H.R. 1603, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. The bipartisan legislation will deliver support to nearby farms and dairies by streamlining the momentary visa program and strengthening protections for agricultural employees.

Congressman Paul Tonko was one of the reps to aid the passage of the act.

“As the grandson of dairy farmers, I understand firsthand the worries struggling with New York’s relatives farms and dairies,” said Congressman Tonko. “Strengthening America’s seasonal visitor worker system will help you save a great number of New York farms and communities that have suffered significant losses year following year merely simply because they cannot obtain staff to do the job at harvest or milking time. Our dairies in certain have struggled without having any guest worker method or other means to fill the labor calls for of their yr-spherical operations.”

“New York Farm Bureau is delighted to see the Farm Workforce Modernization Act progress and many thanks Agent Tonko for his support of the legislation,” said David Fisher, New York Farm Bureau President. “The invoice would give much desired agricultural labor reforms that tackle the desires of farmworkers currently in New York as perfectly as increasing the agricultural visa method to include things like calendar year-spherical labor. This would give far more security for farmworkers and farm businesses alike, specifically dairy farms, and fortify our meals program in this place.”

Tonko says the Farm Workforce Modernization Act:

• Guarantees at least 50 % of the 60,000 yr-spherical H-2As more than the to start with a few many years
• Reforms the H-2A visa application to include overall flexibility for businesses and personnel by permitting staggered employee entry, a solitary software progress, and selected wage reforms
• Improvements the Accredited Agriculture Employee (CAW) visas to give the dairy business, which has been worsened by the COVID pandemic, access to a secure, legal workforce
• Phases in a obligatory, nationwide E-Validate approach for all agricultural visitor employees, including assured follow-up critiques for workers that are turned down incorrectly
• Supports much more than 250 agricultural corporations which include the New York Farm Bureau