Fairness for Farm Workers Act

Key Points

• Starting January 1, 2027, large farm employers would have to pay overtime to agricultural workers for the first time, phasing down from a 55-hour threshold to the standard 40-hour threshold by 2030.
• The overtime threshold drops in stages: 55 hours in 2027, 50 hours in 2028, 45 hours in 2029, and 40 hours in 2030 for large employers.
• Small farms with 25 or fewer employees get a longer runway, starting the same phase-in schedule in 2030 and not hitting the 40-hour standard until 2033.
• The bill repeals several special exemptions that let certain agricultural jobs, like sugar processing and livestock handling, avoid overtime rules entirely.
• Family members working on their own family's farm remain exempt from the new overtime requirements.