H.R. 1603 · 117th Congress

Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021

Introduced on Mar 8, 2021 by Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19). 61 cosponsors, 13 of them from another party. Latest action (Mar 22, 2021): Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Stage
Passed one chamber
Introduced
Mar 8, 2021
Cosponsors
61
13 from the other party
Policy area
Immigration
Open in the Congress explorerCongress.govAlert me

Progress

The furthest stage the measure reached. Simple and concurrent resolutions do not go to the President.

  1. Introduced
  2. Reported by committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. 4Passed both chambers
  5. 5Sent to the President
  6. 6Became law

Official title

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for terms and conditions for nonimmigrant workers performing agricultural labor or services, and for other purposes.

Subjects

  • Administrative law and regulatory procedures
  • Administrative remedies
  • Advisory bodies
  • Alternative dispute resolution, mediation, arbitration
  • Border security and unlawful immigration
  • Cardiovascular and respiratory health
  • Civil actions and liability
  • Commuting
  • Congressional oversight
  • Contracts and agency
  • Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
  • Criminal justice information and records
  • Department of Homeland Security
  • Detention of persons
  • Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
  • Emergency medical services and trauma care
  • Employee hiring
  • Employee leave
  • Employment discrimination and employee rights
  • Foreign labor
  • Fraud offenses and financial crimes
  • Government information and archives
  • Government lending and loan guarantees
  • Government studies and investigations
  • Health promotion and preventive care
  • Housing and community development funding
  • Housing industry and standards
  • Housing supply and affordability
  • Immigration status and procedures
  • Infectious and parasitic diseases
  • Intergovernmental relations
  • Judicial review and appeals
  • Labor market
  • Labor standards
  • Labor-management relations
  • Licensing and registrations
  • Livestock
  • Low- and moderate-income housing
  • Migrant, seasonal, agricultural labor
  • Personnel records
  • Right of privacy
  • Rural conditions and development
  • Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
  • State and local government operations
  • Temporary and part-time employment
  • Transportation costs
  • User charges and fees
  • Visas and passports
  • Wages and earnings
  • Worker safety and health
  • Youth employment and child labor

Summary

By the Congressional Research Service (Passed House, Mar 18, 2021). Public domain.

Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021

This bill contains provisions related to alien farmworkers, including provisions establishing a certified agricultural worker (CAW) status and changing the H-2A temporary worker program.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may grant CAW status to an applying alien who (1) performed at least 1,035 hours of agricultural labor during the two-year period prior to March 8, 2021; (2) on that date was inadmissible, deportable, or under a grant of deferred enforced departure or temporary protected status; and (3) has been continuously present in the United States from that date until receiving CAW status. The bill imposes additional crime-related inadmissibility grounds on CAW applicants and makes some other grounds inapplicable.

CAW status shall be valid for 5.5 years and may be extended. DHS may grant dependent status to the spouse or children of a principal alien.

An alien with a pending application may not be detained or removed by DHS and shall be authorized for employment until DHS makes a final decision on the application.

A CAW alien (and dependents) may apply for lawful permanent resident status after meeting various requirements, including performing a certain amount of agricultural labor for a number of years.

DHS shall create an electronic platform for (1) filing H-2A petitions, (2) facilitating the processing of H-2A cases, and (3) providing agencies a single tool for obtaining H-2A-related case information.

The bill makes various changes to the H-2A program, such as (1) modifying the method for calculating and making adjustments to the H-2A worker minimum wage, (2) specifying how an employer may satisfy requirements that it attempted to recruit U.S. workers, (3) requiring H-2A employers to guarantee certain minimum work hours, (4) making the program available for agricultural work that is not temporary or seasonal, and (5) reserving a visa allocation for the dairy industry.

DHS shall establish a pilot program allowing certain H-2A workers to apply for portable status, which gives the worker 60 days after leaving a position to secure new employment with a registered H-2A employer.

DHS shall establish an electronic system patterned on the E-Verify Program for employers to verify an individual's identity and employment authorization. Employers hiring individuals for agricultural employment must use the system.

This bill permanently establishes the Housing Preservation and Revitalization Program, which provides financing assistance for rural rental housing and off-farm labor housing and rental assistance for qualified tenants of such housing. It also authorizes the Department of Agriculture to provide various assistance, including funding for insuring loans and grants for new farmworker housing.

Sponsor and cosponsors

Cosponsors by party as of the day they signed on. Original cosponsors signed on the day of introduction.

Zoe LofgrenD-CA-19Sponsor

Democrats · 48

Republicans · 13

Roll calls

Recorded votes on the measure. Most measures move by voice vote or unanimous consent, which record no individual positions.

  1. On Motion to Recommit
    Mar 18, 2021· House· Procedural· Failed 204–218
  2. On Passage
    Mar 18, 2021· House· Passage· Passed 247–174

History

Every action as published, oldest first. Roll calls link to how each member voted.

  1. Mar 8, 2021Introduced in House
  2. Mar 8, 2021Introduced in House
  3. Mar 8, 2021 · HouseReferred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and Labor, and Financial Services, 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.
  4. Mar 8, 2021 · HouseReferred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and Labor, and Financial Services, 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.
  5. Mar 8, 2021 · HouseReferred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and Labor, and Financial Services, 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.
  6. Mar 8, 2021 · HouseReferred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and Labor, and Financial Services, 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.
  7. Mar 16, 2021 · HouseRules Committee Resolution H. Res. 233 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1620, H.R. 6, H.R. 1603, H.R. 1868 and H.J. Res. 17. The resolution provides for one hour of general debate on H.R. 1620, H.R. 6, H.R. 1603, H.R. 1868, and H.J.Res. 17. The resolution provides that H.Res. 232 is hereby adopted.
  8. Mar 18, 2021 · HouseConsidered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 233. (consideration: CR H1527-1560)
  9. Mar 18, 2021 · HouseRule provides for consideration of H.R. 1620, H.R. 6, H.R. 1603, H.R. 1868 and H.J. Res. 17. The resolution provides for one hour of general debate on H.R. 1620, H.R. 6, H.R. 1603, H.R. 1868, and H.J.Res. 17. The resolution provides that H.Res. 232 is hereby adopted.
  10. Mar 18, 2021 · HouseDEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 1603.
  11. Mar 18, 2021 · HouseThe previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
  12. Mar 18, 2021 · HouseMrs. Fischbach moved to recommit to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text: CR H1560)
  13. Mar 18, 2021 · HouseThe previous question on the motion to recommit was ordered pursuant to the rule.
  14. Mar 18, 2021 · HousePOSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Fischbach motion to recommit, the Chair put the question on agreeing to the motion to recommit, and by voice vote announced that the noes had prevailed. Mrs. Fischbach demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.
  15. Mar 18, 2021 · HousePursuant to clause 1(c) of Rule XIX, further consideration of H.R. 1603 is postponed.
  16. Mar 18, 2021 · HousePursuant to clause 1(c) of Rule XIX, the House resumed consideration of H.R. 1603.
  17. Mar 18, 2021 · HouseConsidered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H1569-1570)
  18. Mar 18, 2021 · HouseOn motion to recommit Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 204 - 218 (Roll no. 92).House · Roll call 92
  19. Mar 18, 2021Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 247 - 174 (Roll no. 93).(text: CR H1527-1549)House · Roll call 93
  20. Mar 18, 2021 · HouseOn passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 247 - 174 (Roll no. 93). (text: CR H1527-1549)House · Roll call 93
  21. Mar 18, 2021 · HouseMotion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  22. Mar 22, 2021 · SenateReceived in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Committees

Committees and subcommittees the measure was referred to.

Agencies in its committees' jurisdiction

Analisa's mapping of committee jurisdiction to federal agencies; the bill may touch others, or none of these.

Who lobbied on it

Organizations whose lobbying reports (LD-2) name this measure. Spending is what they reported for those quarters on all issues, not on this measure alone.

  1. UFW FOUNDATION2 reports
    $30K reported (all issues)

Reports filed in 2024.

Sources and method

Every figure on this page traces to these records.

  • Bill status: bills and resolutions, sponsors, actions, subjects and CRS summaries (U.S. Government Publishing Office (GovInfo), from Congress.gov (Library of Congress))GovInfo Bill Status bulk data (Congress.gov; summaries by the Congressional Research Service) · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Members of Congress, their terms, committees and identifiers (The @unitedstates project (from the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, the House and the Senate))unitedstates/congress-legislators: legislators, committees and current committee membership · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication)
  • House roll-call votes (Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, roll-call vote records · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Senate roll-call votes and DW-NOMINATE scores (Voteview (UCLA Department of Political Science))Lewis, Jeffrey B., Keith Poole, Howard Rosenthal, Adam Boche, Aaron Rudkin, and Luke Sonnet (2026). Voteview: Congressional Roll-Call Votes Database. https://voteview.com/ · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Free to use with the required citation
  • Lobbying disclosures (LD-1 registrations, LD-2 quarterly reports, LD-203 contribution reports) (Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives)Clerk of the House, Lobbying Disclosure Act filings (organizations only; lobbyists' names are not loaded) · data current to Oct 5, 2026 · loaded Oct 5, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Positions are shown only where a roll call recorded them; voice votes and unanimous consent record none.
  • Money and votes are shown side by side; neither explains the other.