Last month, the House voted 260 to 165 to pass H.R. 5038, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), seeks to improve the agricultural visa programs to better accommodate the needs of U.S. farmers and immigrant agricultural workers. The bill requires Certified Agricultural Worker status applicants to show proof of agricultural employment for 180 days over the last two years, five-year renewable agricultural visas for qualified applicants with an option for permanent resident status, nationwide H-2A visa program changes, wage reform, and language to streamline the filing of applications.

UEP supports this step in a larger process to reform the agriculture guest worker program to support the needs of the egg industry.