An Act to Protect the Rights of Agricultural Workers
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1483
Committee: Labor and Housing
Sponsors: HICKMAN, TALBOT ROSS, BRENNER, INGWERSEN, JACKSON, TIPPING, COLLINGS, MALON, RIELLY, SUPICA

Legislative Document
No. 1483
S.P. 604
In Senate, April 5, 2023
An Act to Protect the Rights of Agricultural Workers
Reference to the Committee on Labor and Housing suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator HICKMAN of Kennebec.
Cosponsored by Speaker TALBOT ROSS of Portland and
Senators: BRENNER of Cumberland, INGWERSEN of York, President JACKSON of 
Aroostook, TIPPING of Penobscot, Representatives: COLLINGS of Portland, MALON of 
Biddeford, RIELLY of Westbrook, SUPICA of Bangor.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  26 MRSA c. 7, sub-c. 2-B is enacted to read:
SUBCHAPTER 2-B
RIGHTS OF AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYEES
§647. Rights of agricultural employees
1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings.
A. "Agricultural employee" means an individual employed:
(1) In agriculture as defined in the Employment Security Law and the Federal 
Unemployment Tax Act; or
(2) In the canning; processing; preserving; freezing; drying; marketing; storing; 
packing for shipment; or distributing of: 
(a) Agricultural produce;
(b) Meat and fish products; and
(c) Perishable foods.
B. "Agricultural employer" means a person or entity that directly or indirectly engages 
the services or permits the work of an individual employed in agriculture or an 
individual employed in certain activities related to agriculture.
C. "Key service provider" means a health care provider, an education provider, an 
attorney, a legal advocate, a government official, a member of the clergy and any other 
service provider to which an agricultural employee may need access.
2. Interference with reasonable access to key service providers and health care 
providers. An agricultural employer may not interfere with reasonable access to a key 
service provider by an agricultural employee at any location during any time in which the 
agricultural employee is not performing work or during paid or unpaid rest and meal breaks. 
An agricultural employer may not interfere with access to a health care provider at any time 
by an agricultural employee whether or not that agricultural employee is working.
3. Person other than agricultural employee may not restrict access to residence. A 
person other than an agricultural employee may not prohibit, bar or interfere with, or 
attempt to prohibit, bar or interfere with the access to or egress from the residence of the 
agricultural employee, including by the erection or maintenance of any physical barrier, by 
physical force or the threat of physical force or violence, or by any order or notice given in 
any manner.
SUMMARY
This bill provides that an agricultural employer may not interfere with reasonable 
access to a key service provider by agricultural employees during work time. It also 
specifies that only the agricultural employee may prohibit or bar individuals from the 
employee's residence.