U.S. Representative Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) introduced H.R. 9535, the bipartisan Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act of 2026 on June 30. This legislation is designed to improve the accessibility and cost of agricultural labor through the H-2A visa program.
“It’s time to bring the H-2A program into the 21st century,” Thompson says. “Producers have been sounding the alarm for years that Congress needs to address the workforce crisis we have on our hands in farm country. The H-2A visa program is woefully outdated, and it no longer meets the needs of American agricultural production.”
If signed into law, this legislation would be the first statutory reform to H-2A in 40 years. The H-2A visa program allows non-immigrant foreign workers to perform temporary agricultural jobs in the U.S. when domestic workers are unavailable. Current federal law limits H-2A immigrant farm workers to temporary and seasonal work, excluding pork producers—and other year-round agricultural industries—from using the program.
Agriculture Needs a Reliable Workforce
This bipartisan legislation is supported by the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), and more than 400 other agricultural groups across the entire industry.
“Agriculture needs a strong—and reliable—workforce. For pork producers, one giant step in the right direction means expanding the H-2A visa program to include year-round agricultural industries like ours,” says NPPC President Rob Brenneman, a pork producer from Washington County, Iowa.
Thompson says the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act of 2026 makes the practical, commonsense reforms required to prevent these disruptions by providing a workforce that meets agriculture’s needs—now and in the future.
What Else Does H.R. 9535 Do?
In addition to expanding the H-2A visa program, the bill:
- Modifies what is considered “agriculture labor or services” to address the needs of the sector, including certain meat processing activities, and transfers the authority to further define this term to the Secretary of Agriculture
- Codifies Adverse Effect Wage Rate calculations standards to lower costs and provide stability in farmworker pay rates
- Streamlines the program through the allowance of multi-year housing certifications and lowers costs by allowing maximum daily housing charges that employers can deduct from workers’ wages
- Establishes one streamlined H-2A application processing system through the creation of an internet-based electronic portal
“Chairman Thompson has worked hard to address a chronic shortage of ag labor, one of the top concerns facing the meat and poultry industry,” said Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts. “This is a good first step to help packers and processors keep the rural economy moving and to ensure American consumers have access to affordable food.”
