II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4545 

To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 

with respect to emergency assistance for farmworkers, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 13, 2024 

Mr. BENNET (for himself and Mr. PADILLA) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

A BILL 

To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade 

Act of 1990 with respect to emergency assistance for 

farmworkers, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Disaster Relief for 

5 Farmworkers Act of 2024’’. 

6 SEC. 2. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR FARMWORKERS. 

7 Section 2281 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, 

8 and Trade Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 5177a) is amended 

9 to read as follows: 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 2281. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR FARMWORKERS. 

2 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

3 ‘‘(1) COVERED DISASTER.—The term ‘covered 

4 disaster’ means— 

5 ‘‘(A) an adverse weather event, such as a 

6 drought, wildfire, earthquake, hurricane, flood, 

7 derecho, excessive heat, tornado, winter storm, 

8 freeze, hail, polar vortex, smoke exposure, or ex9 cessive moisture; 

10 ‘‘(B) an unexpected health crisis, such as 

11 a pandemic; and 

12 ‘‘(C) such other event or condition— 

13 ‘‘(i) that has caused farmworkers to 

14 lose income, be unable to work, or stay 

15 home or return home in anticipation of 

16 work shortages; or 

17 ‘‘(ii) as the Secretary determines to be 

18 appropriate. 

19 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE FARMWORKER ORGANIZATION.— 

20 The term ‘eligible farmworker organization’ means 

21 an organization that is— 

22 ‘‘(A) a farmworker membership-based or23 ganization; or 

24 ‘‘(B) an organization— 

25 ‘‘(i) described in section 501(c)(3) of 

26 the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:01 Aug 03, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4545.IS S4545

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1 empt from taxation under section 501(a) 

2 of that Code; and 

3 ‘‘(ii) that has experience in providing 

4 support or relief services to farmworkers, 

5 including migrant or seasonal farm6 workers. 

7 ‘‘(3) MIGRANT OR SEASONAL FARMWORKER.— 

8 The term ‘migrant or seasonal farmworker’ means 

9 an individual— 

10 ‘‘(A) who has, during any consecutive 12- 

11 month period within the preceding 24-month 

12 period, performed farm work for wages; and 

‘‘(B) who has received not less than 1 13 ⁄2 of 

14 such individual’s total income from, or been employed at least 1 15 ⁄2 of such individual’s total 

16 work time in, farm work. 

17 ‘‘(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means 

18 the Secretary of Agriculture. 

19 ‘‘(b) EMERGENCY RELIEF.—For fiscal year 2024 

20 and each succeeding fiscal year, during any period for 

21 which the Secretary determines there is a covered disaster, 

22 the Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for 

23 Rural Development, shall make grants to eligible farm24 worker organizations to provide emergency relief to farm25 workers affected by that covered disaster. 


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1 ‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible farmworker orga2 nization may use funds received pursuant to a grant 

3 awarded under subsection (b)— 

4 ‘‘(1) to provide emergency relief (including 

5 through direct distribution of funding) to farm6 workers to address loss and damage due to the cov7 ered disaster; 

8 ‘‘(2) to build capacity to provide emergency re9 lief described in paragraph (1); 

10 ‘‘(3) to build resiliency in farmworker commu11 nities to address future losses and damages due to 

12 covered disasters; 

13 ‘‘(4) to provide infrastructure support, includ14 ing shelter; and 

15 ‘‘(5) to provide emergency services (including 

16 such types of assistance as the Secretary determines 

17 to be appropriate) to farmworkers in response to the 

18 covered disaster. 

19 ‘‘(d) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Any funds provided 

20 to an eligible farmworker organization under this section 

21 shall remain available until expended. 

22 ‘‘(e) PROMOTIONAL PLAN.—The Secretary shall— 

23 ‘‘(1) before making grants under subsection (b), 

24 develop a promotional plan; and 


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1 ‘‘(2) carry out that promotional plan through2 out the distribution of those grants. 

3 ‘‘(f) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out this section, 

4 the Secretary shall consult with eligible farmworker orga5 nizations.’’. 

Æ 


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