Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act of 2004

Bill: 108-s-2823
Sponsor: Sen. Craig, Larry E. [R-ID]
Introduced: 2004-09-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Administrative fees
Administrative procedure
Administrative remedies
Admission of nonimmigrants
Advertising
Agricultural labor
Agriculture and Food
Alien labor
Aliens
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Civil actions and liability
Collective bargaining
Commuting
Confidential communications
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Cost of living adjustments
Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal aliens
Damages
Data banks
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Labor
Department of State
Deportation
Directories
Disability insurance
Disabled
Disasters
Discrimination in employment
Dismissal of employees
Driver licenses
Economics and Public Finance
Emergency Management
Employee benefit plans
Employee rights
Employers' liability
Employment agencies
Evidence (Law)
Families
Federal advisory bodies
Federal preemption
Fines (Penalties)
Fraud
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Governmental investigations
Grievance procedures
Health
Hours of labor
Housing and Community Development
Identification devices
Illegal aliens
Immigrants
Industrial arbitration
Injunctions
Job hunting
Judicial review
Labor and Employment
Labor contracts
Labor disputes
Labor unions
Law
Layoffs
Legal fees
Legal services
Liability insurance
Licenses
Limitation of actions
Lockouts
Married people
Mediation
Medical records
Migrant labor
Minimum wages
Motor vehicle safety
Old age, survivors and disability insurance
Passports
Payroll deductions
Personnel records
Public housing
Public records
Range management
Recruiting of employees
Relocation
Residence requirements
Right of privacy
Right to travel
Rural housing
Science, Technology, Communications
Seasonal labor
Social Welfare
State laws
Surety and fidelity
Temporary employment
Transfer of employees
Transportation and Public Works
Travel costs
User charges
Visas
Wage restitution
Wages
Workers' compensation

Summary:
action_date: 2004-09-21
text: 
Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to grant qualifying alien agricultural workers (and their spouses and minor children) temporary resident status and subsequently lawful permanent resident status upon the fulfillment of specified agricultural work and residency requirements.
 
Sets forth provisions with respect to: (1) adjustment of status applications, including penalties for false statements; (2) the waiver of numerical limitations and certain grounds for inadmissibility; (3) the temporary stay of removal and work authorization; (4) administrative and judicial review; and (5) dissemination of program information.
 
 Amends the Social Security Act to provide for the correction of such aliens' social security records.
 
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to set forth application requirements for H-2A (temporary agricultural worker) employers and employer associations, including assurances: (1) that the job opportunity is temporary or seasonal and is not the result of a labor dispute; (2) that attempts have been made to hire U.S. workers; and (3) respecting required wages and benefits and compliance with labor laws.
 
Sets forth employment requirements with respect to H-2A worker wages, housing, and transportation reimbursement. Establishes the Commission on Agricultural Wage Standards under the H-2A program.
 
Revises provisions respecting the admission and extension of stay of H-2A workers. Provides special rules for alien sheepherders.
 
Sets forth worker protection and labor standards enforcement provisions for such aliens.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-09-22
text: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 711.
action_date: 2004-09-21
text: Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
action_date: 2004-09-21
text: Introduced in Senate