H.R. 9535
Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act of 2026
Sponsor: Glenn Thompson
61 cosponsors
- Adam Gray
- Mike Ezell
- Nick LaLota
- Terri A. Sewell
- Chrissy Houlahan
- Jefferson Van Drew
- Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann
- Josh Gottheimer
- Jack Bergman
- Richard Hudson
- Henry Cuellar
- Jake Ellzey
- Michael Lawler
- Marlin A. Stutzman
- Carlos A. Gimenez
- Austin Scott
- Bill Huizenga
- Brad Finstad
- Brett Guthrie
- Celeste Maloy
- Chuck Edwards
- Claudia Tenney
- Cliff Bentz
- Dan Newhouse
- Daniel Meuser
- Darin LaHood
- David G. Valadao
- David J. Taylor
- David Kustoff
- David Rouzer
- Derrick Van Orden
- Don Bacon
- Donald G. Davis
- Gabe Evans
- James R. Baird
- Joe Wilson
- John R. Moolenaar
- Josh Riley
- Julie Fedorchak
- Laurel M. Lee
- Lloyd Smucker
- Maggie Goodlander
- Maria Elvira Salazar
- Mariannette Miller-Meeks
- Michael K. Simpson
- Michael T. McCaul
- Michelle Fischbach
- Mike Bost
- Mike Kelly
- Mike Rogers
- Monica De La Cruz
- Nicholas A. Langworthy
- Pete Sessions
- Randy Feenstra
- Rick W. Allen
- Robert J. Wittman
- Ryan K. Zinke
- Trent Kelly
- Troy Downing
- Vicente Gonzalez
- Richard McCormick
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act of 2026
This bill expands the H-2A agricultural visa program; creates online platforms for H-2A employers, workers, and agencies; and codifies certain wage calculations.
Under current law, workers on H-2A visas are only allowed to perform agricultural work of a seasonal or temporary nature. Under the bill, the seasonal work requirement is removed, thus allowing H-2A workers to qualify for agricultural work that occurs year-round. The bill also expands the type of agricultural work that qualifies, including reforestation, aquaculture, and livestock work. The Department of Agriculture must issue rules to define agricultural labor or services for purposes of the H-2A program.
The bill also establishes an H-2A visa pathway for current unauthorized agricultural workers who otherwise meet requirements.
The Department of Labor must maintain a national, publicly accessible online job registry and database of all job offers submitted by employers seeking a labor certification required to employ H-2A workers. The Department of Homeland Security must establish an online platform for employers to submit information and documentation for review by federal agencies in the course of admitting H-2A workers.
The H-2A program requires employers to provide workers with wage rates at or above those set in regulations and such wages must not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of workers similarly employed in the United States. The bill codifies the current calculation method for the adverse effect wage rate as set in regulation.
Text of the bill
Not later than 2 years after the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture, the Committee on Education and Workforce, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, and to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, a report on the following:
(1) An evaluation of information related to the availability and affordability of housing that complies with the requirements under section 218(c)(4) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1188(c)(4)) related to housing for H–2A workers.
(2) Challenges faced by employers in securing and maintaining adequate and affordable housing for H–2A workers.
(3) The measures undertaken by the Secretary of Labor to monitor and enforce employer compliance with the requirements under such section 218(c)(4), including the conduct of inspections, investigations, and other enforcement actions.
(4) The availability of Federal programs to assist employers in providing housing that complies such requirements and the extent to which those Federal programs are being used by employers.