Congress·In Committee·H.R. 7682

Closing the Workforce Gap Act of 2026

Changes to Seasonal Worker Visas and Workplace Safety

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to base the numerical limitations for H-2B nonimmigrants on economic need, and for other purposes.

4 months ago·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process and has been sent to two House committees for review. It is actively moving as it awaits further study by these groups before it can move forward. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Unlikely to pass

While the bill has support from both parties, immigration changes are very difficult to pass and most bills like this do not make it out of committee.

Key Points

This bill changes how many seasonal worker visas the government gives out each year. Instead of a fixed limit, the new cap would be based on how many jobs the Department of Labor approved the year before. This is meant to help businesses get enough help when the economy is growing and labor is hard to find.
Businesses in rural areas or popular vacation spots would get a special break. If a town has fewer than 20,000 people and its population jumps by at least 50 percent during the busy season, those businesses can hire seasonal workers without counting toward the national limit.
The plan adds new rules to protect workers and keep things fair. Employers must have a written safety plan in a language their workers understand. It also bans recruiters from charging workers fees to get these jobs. If an employer breaks the rules or lies on their application, they could face fines of up to 10,000 dollars.
To keep the program secure, the government will create a list of approved countries that can participate. They will look at things like how often people from those countries overstay their visas or commit fraud. Countries that refuse to take back their citizens who are deported will be blocked from the program.
Employers would have to report to the government within three days if a worker does not show up, leaves early, or is fired. If a company fails to report this, they could be fined up to 1,000 dollars per violation. Companies that do not pay their fines would be banned from hiring more foreign workers.

Impact Analysis

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Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Feb 25, 2026House

Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Feb 25, 2026

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.

News

No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to base the numerical limitations for H-2B nonimmigrants on economic need, and for other purposes.

Bill NumberHR 7682

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.