Bill > SCR14

This concurrent resolution memorializes the United States Congress to modify the H-2A nonimmigrant visa program to address labor workforce challenges in Louisiana. The resolution highlights that the H-2A program allows temporary foreign workers to perform agricultural labor, but recent Department of Labor (DOL) policies have significantly increased wage rates, creating financial burdens for farmers. Specifically, the 2025 Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) for nonrange agricultural workers in Louisiana is $14.83 per hour, a 25% increase over five years, and the new DOL methodology for calculating wages has become increasingly complex. The resolution requests that Congress take actions to make agricultural labor more affordable, including rescinding the current AEWR, pausing wages at January 2023 rates, and mandating that wage obligations be derived solely from the Farm Labor Survey. The resolution emphasizes that these changes are crucial for maintaining the sustainability and competitiveness of U.S. agriculture, particularly for labor-intensive industries like specialty crop growers who currently spend nearly 40% of their total cash expenses on labor. The resolution will be transmitted to the U.S. Senate, House of Representatives, and Louisiana's congressional delegation.