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Congress·In Committee·H.R. 7541

Rep. Jayapal's Bill Would Cap Foreign Farmworkers at 400,000 Annually, Exempt Union Jobs

U.S. Farmworker Protection Act

about 1 month ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

House
Senate
President
Law

Key Points

  • This bill would set a hard limit on the number of temporary foreign farmworkers allowed into the country each year. The Department of Labor would be restricted to approving no more than 400,000 H-2A visa positions annually.
  • The proposal includes a major exception: any farmworker position covered by a labor union or a collective bargaining agreement would not count toward the 400,000-person cap. This is intended to encourage unionization in the agricultural sector.
  • Supporters of the bill, led by Representative Jayapal, argue that the H-2A program has grown too fast, jumping from about 82,000 workers in 2008 to nearly 385,000 in 2024. They believe this rapid growth makes it harder for American citizens to find farm jobs and keeps wages low for everyone.
  • If passed, this would mark the first time the H-2A program has had a national limit. Currently, there is no cap on how many temporary agricultural workers can be brought in, as long as employers can prove they could not find enough local workers to do the job.
ImmigrationLabor EmploymentAgriculture

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

State Impacts

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Feb 12, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Feb 12, 2026

Introduced in House

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

U.S. Farmworker Protection Act

Bill NumberHR 7541
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(8)
D: 8

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.