Agricultural Guestworker Act or the AG Act
This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to establish a new H-2C nonimmigrant visa for aliens having a residence in a foreign country which they have no intention of abandoning and who are coming temporarily to the United States to perform agricultural labor or services.
An employer seeking to employ aliens as H-2C workers must file a petition with the Department of Homeland Security and provide required information.
The maximum period of authorized status for temporary or seasonal H-2C workers is 18 months. For aliens not employed as temporary or seasonal workers, the maximum initial period is 36 months with subsequent periods of 18 months.
A trust fund is established to provide a monetary incentive for H-2C workers to return to their countries of origin upon expiration of their visas.
The bill establishes annual fiscal year H-2C admission limits.
The bill also sets forth provisions regarding: (1) penalties for failure to pay wages or required benefits, (2) working conditions and wages, (3) admissions and extensions of stay, (4) abandonment of employment and worker replacement, (5) protection of U.S. workers, and (6) arbitration and mediation of employment-related claims of H-2C workers.
| Action Date | Type | Text | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-10-25 | Committee | Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 17 - 16. | House committee actions |
| 2017-10-25 | Committee | Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held. | House committee actions |
| 2017-10-23 | Committee | Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security. | House committee actions |
| 2017-10-23 | IntroReferral | Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, and Ways and Means, 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. | House floor actions |
| 2017-10-23 | IntroReferral | Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, and Ways and Means, 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. | House floor actions |
| 2017-10-23 | IntroReferral | Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, and Ways and Means, 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. | House floor actions |
| 2017-10-23 | IntroReferral | Introduced in House | Library of Congress |