Farm Workforce Modernization Act

Summary#

This bill would create a new temporary immigration status called "certified agricultural worker" for people who have worked a set number of hours in U.S. agriculture and meet other rules. It sets an application period, standards for who can get the status, and a five-and-a-half-year validity period that can be extended. The bill also creates a path to lawful permanent residence for long-term agricultural workers who meet work-history and other requirements. Employers must keep annual employment records for certified workers. The measure also changes the H-2A temporary worker program: it creates a single electronic platform and job registry, updates recruiting and wage rules, adds worker protections, and allows some H-2A workers for nonseasonal jobs with numerical limits. It funds and expands programs for farmworker housing and preservation of rural rental projects. The bill establishes registration and rules for foreign labor recruiters, bans worker recruitment fees, and gives enforcement tools and penalties. It would replace and modernize the current E-Verify system with a new electronic employment verification system, require phased mandatory use for agricultural employers, include photo-matching and identity safeguards, and set timelines for tentative and final nonconfirmations.

What it means for you#

  • Agricultural workers who meet the hours and presence rules could apply for certified agricultural worker status and get a work authorization document valid for 5.5 years. They could later seek permanent residence if they meet long-term work requirements.
  • Employers in agriculture would have new hiring steps, including use of an electronic verification system on a phased schedule based on employer size, new recruitment and wage rules for H-2A petitions, and new record and housing obligations.
  • Foreign labor recruiters who place H-2A workers would need to register, follow disclosure and bonding rules, and may face fines or loss of registration for violations.
  • Workers who get tentative nonconfirmations from the new electronic verification system would have specified timelines and appeal steps to correct their records.

Expenses#

  • The bill authorizes “such sums as may be necessary” for implementing Title I for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2028 (sec. 135).
  • Grants: up to $10,000,000 from the Immigration Examinations Fee Account may be used for nonprofit assistance grants to help applicants (sec. 134(d)).
  • Housing and rural preservation: establishes a permanent preservation program and authorizes $200,000,000 per year in insured loan authority (sec. 228(f)(1)(A) cap), and authorizes appropriations of $75,000,000 per year for loan costs (sec. 228(f)(1)(B)), $30,000,000 per year for section 516 grants (sec. 228(f)(2)), and $2,700,000,000 per year for rental assistance agreements for fiscal years 2026 through 2035 (sec. 228(f)(3)).
  • Technology funding: $50,000,000 is authorized for fiscal year 2026 to improve Department of Agriculture multifamily housing technology (sec. 225).
  • The bill creates new fee accounts (H-2A Labor Certification Fee Account and Electronic Verification Compensation Account) to collect penalties and certain user fees to support program administration (secs. 203(c), 274E(b)(4)(F)(ii)(IV), and related sections).

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.