AmericanHort Welcomes Farm Workforce Modernization Act

COLUMBUS, OH – (March 4, 2021) AmericanHort enthusiastically welcomes today’s reintroduction in the House of Representatives of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. This historic legislation, first negotiated in 2019, passed in the House of Representatives with broad bipartisan support that year. 

Workforce challenges are the single-biggest constraint on the stability, success, and growth potential of nursery and greenhouse growers across the U.S. Rural areas across the country benefit from the jobs and economic opportunity that farm workers create, so long as our growers have the workforce needed to sustain production here in America. 

This bill seeks to address the challenge head-on, with solutions that stabilize the current agricultural and horticultural workforce, improve the H-2A visa program and other options for future seasonal, year-round, and permanent agricultural employees, and advance integrity in the hiring process.  While not perfect, this bipartisan compromise advances an urgent debate and provides a vehicle for these reforms to take shape.

“AmericanHort congratulates our House champions on today’s bill reintroduction,” said Craig Regelbrugge, senior vice president. “We urge Members of Congress to vote “yes” on this key piece of legislation and also encourage the Senate to move swiftly to build upon this important legislative foundation.” 

House champions and their professional staff, most notably House Judiciary Immigration and Citizenship Subcommittee chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, and Representatives Dan Newhouse, Mario Diaz-Balart, Mike Simpson, and Doug LaMalfa, should be commended for their unwavering commitment to addressing agriculture’s workforce crisis.