Emergency Ag Relief Act

Editor’s note: This article is from the archives of the MSU Crop Advisory Team Alerts. Check the label of any pesticide referenced to ensure your use is included.

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved legislation sponsored by Senators Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Larry Craig (R-Idaho) that would provide relief to the agricultural employers and farmworkers on May 15. The legislation was attached to the Iraq supplemental spending bill. Different from the stalled AgJOBS legistlation EARA, this is emergency legislation with a five year sunset and does not provide a path to citizenship or a green card. However, it would grant temporary immigration status to farm wokers who continue to work in agriculture at least 100 days per year. It would also modify the H-2A guest worker program.

The bill is supported by many agricultural employer organizations (e.g., American Farm Bureau), agricultural labor advocates and farmworker organizations (e.g., United Farm Workers).

More information is available at http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=NewsRoom.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=ee2d9ac8-ebdb-0a1c-48c1-484dfc65e9d9

If you or your clientele would like to support or oppose this legislation, it is paramount to act quickly.

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