I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8765 

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

with respect to emergency assistance for farm workers, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 14, 2024 

Ms. SALINAS (for herself and Ms. LOFGREN) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade 

Act of 1990 with respect to emergency assistance for 

farm workers, 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 Farm Workers Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR FARM WORKERS. 

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 FARM WORKERS. 

2 ‘‘(a) EMERGENCY RELIEF.—For fiscal year 2024 and 

3 each succeeding fiscal year, during any period where the 

4 Secretary determines there is a covered disaster, the Sec5 retary, acting through the Under Secretary for Rural De6 velopment, shall make grants to eligible farm worker orga7 nizations to provide emergency relief to farm workers af8 fected by such covered disaster. 

9 ‘‘(b) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible farm worker orga10 nization may use funds received pursuant to a grant 

11 awarded under subsection (a) to— 

12 ‘‘(1) provide emergency relief (including 

13 through direct distribution of funding) to farm 

14 workers to address loss and damage due to a covered 

15 disaster; 

16 ‘‘(2) build capacity to provide such emergency 

17 relief; 

18 ‘‘(3) build resiliency in farm worker commu19 nities to address future losses and damages due to 

20 covered disasters; 

21 ‘‘(4) provide infrastructure support, including 

22 shelter; and 

23 ‘‘(5) provide emergency services (including such 

24 types of assistance the Secretary determines appro25 priate) to farm workers in response to a covered dis26 aster. 


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1 ‘‘(c) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Any funds provided 

2 to an eligible farm worker organization under this section 

3 shall remain available until expended. 

4 ‘‘(d) PROMOTIONAL PLAN.—The Secretary shall de5 velop and execute a promotional plan prior to, and 

6 throughout the distribution of, emergency relief grants 

7 under subsection (a). 

8 ‘‘(e) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out this section, 

9 the Secretary shall consult with eligible farm worker orga10 nizations. 

11 ‘‘(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

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

13 disaster’ means— 

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

15 drought, wildfire, earthquake, hurricane, flood, 

16 derecho, excessive heat, tornado, winter storm, 

17 freeze, hail, polar vortex, smoke exposure, or ex18 cessive moisture; 

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

20 a pandemic; and 

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

22 ‘‘(i) that has caused farm workers to 

23 lose income, be unable to work, or stay 

24 home or return home in anticipation of 

25 work shortages; or 


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1 ‘‘(ii) as the Secretary determines ap2 propriate. 

3 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE FARM WORKER ORGANIZA4 TION.—The term ‘eligible farm worker organization’ 

5 means an organization that is— 

6 ‘‘(A) a farm worker membership-based or7 ganization; or 

8 ‘‘(B) an organization— 

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

10 the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is 

11 exempt from taxation under section 501(a) 

12 of such Code; and 

13 ‘‘(ii) that has experience in providing 

14 support or relief services to farm workers, 

15 including migrant or seasonal farm work16 ers. 

17 ‘‘(3) MIGRANT OR SEASONAL FARM WORKER.— 

18 The term ‘migrant or seasonal farm worker’ means 

19 an individual— 

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

21 month period within the preceding 24-month 

22 period, performed farm work for wages; and 

23 ‘‘(B) who has received not less than one24 half of such individual’s total income, or been 


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1 employed at least one-half of total work time in 

2 farm work.’’. 

Æ 


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