BNA's Web Watch - Farm Labor (November 2007)

Pending Legislation
H.R. 371 Title: To improve agricultural job opportunities, benefits, and security for aliens in the United States, and for other purposes.
Status
Summary and Status

H-2A visa program
(H.R. 1792) Title: To simplify the process for admitting temporary alien agricultural workers under section 101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, to increase access to such workers, and for other purposes.
Status
Summary and Status

Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits and Security Act
S. 237 Title: A bill to improve agricultural job opportunities, benefits, and security for aliens in the United States and for other purposes.
Status
Summary and Status

S. 340 Title: A bill to improve agricultural job opportunities, benefits, and security for aliens in the United States and for other purposes.
Status
Summary and Status

S.1348 Title: A bill to provide for comprehensive immigration reform and for other purposes.
Status
Summary and Status

S. 2094
Title: A bill to increase the wages and benefits of blue collar workers by strengthening labor provisions in the H-2B program, to provide for labor recruiter accountability, and for other purposes.
Status
Summary and Status

Congressional Hearings
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry
The House Agriculture Committee
Wednesday, October 18, 2007
Full Committee on Agriculture —Public Hearing.
RE: To review structural changes that are taking place in the agricultural economy and their impacts
Witnesses:
Panel I
Dr. Keith Collins, Chief Economist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
Dr. Howard Gruenspecht, Deputy Administrator, Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C

Panel II
Dr. Pat Westhoff, Research Associate Professor, Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute, Columbia, Missouri

October 4 2007-10-24
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Full Committee on Agriculture —Public Hearing.
RE: To review the labor needs of American agriculture
Witnesses:
Panel I
Dr. James Holt, PhD, James S. Holt & Co., LLC, Washington, D.C.
Mr. Bob Stallman, President, American Farm Bureau Federation, Washington, D.C.
Mr. Bruce Goldstein, Executive Director, Farmworker Justice, Washington, D.C.
Mr. Lee Wicker, Deputy Director, North Carolina Growers Association, Vass, North Carolina
Mr. Scott Herring, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Farm Credit of Western New York, ACA, Batavia, NY
Mr. Mike Brown, Senior Vice President for Legislative Affairs, American Meat Institute, Washington, D.C.

Panel II
Mr. J Allen Carnes, President, Winter Garden Produce, Vice President, Carnes Farms, Inc., and Chair, Texas Vegetable Association, Uvalde, Texas
Mr. Mason G. Smoak, Citrus Producer and Cattle Rancher, Lake Placid, Florida
Mr. Harry B. Yates, Board Member, National Christmas Tree Association, and Christmas Tree Producer, Boone, North Carolina
Mr. Randy Mouw, Misty Morning Dairy, Ontario, California
Mr. Keith Atkinson, Apple and Tobacco Producer, Java, Virginia
Mr. Rick Roth, Specialty Crops Producer/Packer, Rother Farms, Inc., Belle Glade, Florida

Congressional Research Service Reports
FARM LABOR: THE ADVERSE EFFECT WAGE RATE (AEWR)

Executive Agencies
Department of Homeland Security
Safe-Harbor Procedures for Employers Who Receive a No-Match
Letter AGENCY: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS.
ACTION: Final rule.

The 2006 report on temporary admissions of nonimmigrants

Department of Labor
ADVERSE EFFECT WAGE RATES - YEAR 2007

USDA
Rural Labor and Education: Farm Labor
Farm Labor, 08.17.2007

Nongovernment Organizations

AFL-CIO

AFL-CIO v. Chertoff - Complaint (8/29/2007)
AFL-CIO, ACLU and National Immigration Law Center Challenge New Homeland Security Rule

AFL-CIO v. Chertoff - Memorandum in Support of Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction

AFL-CIO v. Chertoff - Application for Temporary Restraining Order

Weste