Federal Farmworker Bill Mandates Coverage for Occupational Injuries

The House of Representatives approved a bill that would ensure that employers provide some form of workers’ compensation coverage for temporary agricultural workers and create a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented. The House on Dec. 11 voted 260-165 to pass HR 5038, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019, and send the measure to the Senate. The bill would modify the H-2A visa program to require employers to provide coverage for occupational injuries even if the work is performed in one of the 38 states that exempts farmworker coverage. A section of the bill reads:&n...