Keep Food Local and Affordable Act of 2021

Bill: 117-s-3134
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC]
Introduced: 2021-11-02
Policy area: Immigration
Latest action: action_date: 2021-11-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-11-02
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Keep Food Local and Affordable Act of 2021</strong></p> <p>This bill freezes the minimum wage for H-2A (temporary agricultural workers) in certain states through December 31, 2022.</p> <p>Specifically, the bill prohibits an increase to the adverse effect wage rate for H-2A workers in any state (1) that had an unemployment rate of not more than 5% in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' August 2021 report; or (2) where the food price index, according to bureau reports, increased by more than 3% between December 2020 and September 2021 and the governor requests a freeze to the adverse effect wage rate. </p> <p>(Generally, the minimum wage for an H-2A worker is the highest of the adverse effect wage rate, the prevailing hourly wage or piece rate, the federal minimum wage, or the applicable state minimum wage.) </p>

tv_txt: II 117th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 3134 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 2, 2021 Mr. Tillis (for himself, Mr. Boozman , Mr. Cornyn , and Mr. Graham ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To maintain 2021 H–2A adverse effect wage rates for calendar year 2022 to stabilize United States food prices.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Keep Food Local and Affordable Act of 2021 . 2. Stay of adverse effect wage rate increases (a) Prohibition of modification The adverse effect wage rate required to be paid under section 655.1308 of title 20, Code of Federal Regulations, to nonimmigrants admitted under 101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(a) ), as in effect on October 1, 2021, shall remain the adverse effect wage rate for such employees through December 31, 2022, in any State— (1) that had an unemployment rate of not more than 5 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ August 2021 report; or (2) (A) in which the Food Price Index, according to the relevant Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index reports, increased by more than 3 percent between December 2020 and September 2021; and (B) whose governor submits a request to the Secretary of Labor not later than December 15, 2021, to freeze such adverse effect wage rate with respect to such employees.