House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Pa., has unveiled legislation to significantly expand and modernize the H-2A agricultural guest worker program with the backing of more than 400 farm organizations, creating what supporters hope will be the most significant opportunity in years for Congress to pass ag labor reform.
The Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act (SAWA) would broaden access to H-2A workers for year-round agricultural employers, remove the requirement that agricultural work must be seasonal, revise the wage calculation methodology and streamline the application process.
The proposal reflects recommendations released in 2024 by the House Ag Committee's bipartisan Agricultural Labor Working Group.
Jurisdiction of the issue lies with the House Judiciary Committee, but Thompson said ag labor reform has been one of the top concerns he’s heard during meetings with constituents across rural America. He told Agri-Pulse he’s been "working the floor every day" to recruit original co-sponsors, which now includes over 40 House members.
There is currently no companion legislation in the Senate.
The proposal arrives with support from a diverse coalition that includes the American Farm Bureau Federation, Western Growers Association, National Milk Producers Federation, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, National Council of Agricultural Employers and the International Fresh Produce Association, along with over 400 other state and national agricultural organizations.
“Labor is one of the biggest issues I hear as I travel the country,” said American Farm Bureau Federation President and Georgia farmer Zippy Duvall. “It always comes out of every farmer's mouth that they can't find enough good qualified labor to be able to get their work done on their farm.”
“It’s definitely a workforce crisis,” Duvall went on, calling the bill a needed step toward providing certainty and fairness for farmers and workers as growers have become increasingly reliant on the H-2A program because domestic workers are not applying for available farm jobs.
“This bipartisan bill addresses head-on the exact challenges our organization and agricultural employers nationwide have focused on for years: expanding access for year-round sectors, implementing predictable cost controls, and streamlining the fractured program administration,” said John Hollay, President & CEO of the National Council of Agricultural Employers. “We are incredibly grateful to Chairman Thompson for his visionary leadership and steadfast commitment to protecting American agriculture."
At the center of the legislation is a major expansion of the H-2A visa program. Current law limits the program to temporary or seasonal agricultural jobs. The bill would strike the seasonal requirement, allowing employers with year-round labor needs – like dairies, greenhouses and other controlled-environment agriculture operations – to participate as long as worker contracts do not exceed 350 days annually.
The program would also clarify that farmer co-ops are eligible to participate in the program on behalf of their members' operations.
"For too long, farmers with year-round labor needs have been locked out of the H-2A program through no fault of their own, and farmer co-ops have faced legal uncertainty about whether they can use the program to serve their members,” said Duane Simpson, president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. “SAWA fixes both of those problems."
The legislation also broadens the definition of agricultural labor eligible for H-2A workers, extending coverage to additional sectors such as aquaculture, forestry, equine operations and the harvest of livestock.
“A reliable agricultural workforce that gives growers using H-2A more certainty and expands access to more sectors of agriculture is essential to keeping the produce industry strong and ensuring Americans can continue to put healthy food on the table,” said Samantha Ayoub, director of workforce and business policy at the International Fresh Produce Association.
Labor costs are also addressed. The bill would codify the Department of Labor’s current methodology for calculating the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) which establishes minimum wages for H-2A workers. It would also place limits on annual wage increases and decreases while allowing employers to account for housing costs as part of overall worker compensation.
Agricultural groups have increasingly raised concerns about rising labor costs.
A recent American Farm Bureau Federation analysis of Department of Labor data found that H-2A position certifications grew by over 25% since fiscal year 2021, increasing from 317,619 to 398,258 in fiscal year 2025. Fiscal year 2026 is on pace to set a new record with more than a quarter of a million positions already certified in the first half of FY 2026, as the program's wage rates have increased significantly faster than inflation in the years leading up to recent changes in federal wage-setting methodology.
The bill also focuses on streamlining administration of the H-2A program.
Employers currently navigate multiple agencies, including the departments of Labor, Homeland Security and State. The legislation would require development of a centralized online platform designed to coordinate agency reviews, reduce paperwork and speed approvals.
The proposal also transfers the authority to define “agriculture labor and services” to the Agriculture Secretary, rather than the Secretary of Labor.
The legislation addresses concerns about the existing agricultural workforce. Under the proposal, certain unauthorized agricultural workers already employed in the United States could obtain H-2A status without leaving the country if they can confirm that they have held an agricultural job for 180 days during the past two years, pass a background check and meet other program requirements.
The provision, which avoids a touchback requirement for the worker to return to their home country, is intended to prevent labor disruptions for farms that rely on experienced workers.
Unlike previous agricultural labor proposals, including the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, the legislation does not create a pathway to citizenship or alter the H-2A program's status as a temporary, nonimmigrant visa program.
Supporters argue that separating H-2A reform from broader immigration debates gives the measure a better chance of advancing through Congress.
Still, opposition is emerging.
A coalition that includes the AFL-CIO, United Farm Workers, United Food and Commercial Workers and other labor and immigrant advocacy organizations circulated a letter on Capitol Hill Monday urging lawmakers to reject the measure. The groups argue the bill would expand employers' reliance on foreign guest workers, weaken wage protections and codify portions of a Trump administration wage rule that remain under legal challenge.
House Ag Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig said the “ag labor crisis is one of the most challenging issues facing both farmers and farm workers.”
“The chairman’s bill takes steps in the right direction, but we need to ensure that the people working in agriculture can earn a living and that the workers the farm economy relies on have a legal pathway to staying in the United States permanently,” Craig added.
Farm groups have unsuccessfully pursued labor reform for years, often finding themselves divided over immigration status and wage requirements. This time, supporters believe the broadest coalition behind the measure in recent history and broad consensus among Republicans that the border is secure give it a stronger chance than previous efforts.
"The bill is the best opportunity that we've seen in years for comprehensive change to the H-2A program," said Chris Butts, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association and spokesperson for the Ag Wage Reform Coalition. “It reflects many of the recommendations developed through extensive stakeholder discussions and addresses real-world challenges faced by specialty crop producers every day.”
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