Farm Workforce Modernization Act

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, United Farm Workers, and others to urge the Senate to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021, which was passed by the House of Representatives last year.

According to the USCCB:

 

As the United States grapples with labor shortages, supply chain challenges, and high inflation, now is the time for Congress to pass the reforms contained in H.R. 1603. Moreover, we know many of the men and women who cultivate our fields, work in food processing plants, and perform other vital roles within our food supply chain currently face mistreatment, exploitation, and dangerous conditions because they lack legal status, even though our very way of life has come to depend on them and, quite literally, we would not be able to live without the fruits of their labors.

 

H.R. 1603, as passed by the House, would:

 

Establish a program for agricultural workers in the United States to earn legal status through continued agricultural employment and contributions to the U.S. agricultural economy;

 

Reform the H-2A guest worker program to provide more flexibility for employers, while ensuring critical protections for workers; and

 

Establish an E-Verify employment eligibility verification system for all agricultural employment. 
 

Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and Bishop Mario Dorsonville, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, have stated that this bill “would help many hardworking immigrants reach their God-given potential, not only for their benefit but for that of the entire country.” 

 

Unless the Senate approves the bill by the time the current Congress ends on January 3, 2023, it will need to be reintroduced and the whole process begun anew in the 118th Congress, starting January 4, 2023. 

 

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