Why a Bipartisan Agricultural Labor Reform Bill Is the First Step to Solving H-2A Concerns
July 3, 2026 Even with the constantly shifting priorities that define Capitol Hill during an election year, groups like AmericanHort continue to fight the good fight in pushing for action on critical issues facing the horticulture industry. One of those critical issues is labor reform, and now we may be seeing the most positive momentum on this topic in quite a long time.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson recently introduced the “Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act” (SAWA), his long-anticipated ag labor reform bill. This bipartisan bill is designed to deliver meaningful, long-overdue reforms to H-2A, a program that horticulture and specialty crop businesses rely on to meet workforce needs.
SAWA addresses these challenges by expanding program access for all specialty crop operations, establishing a fair and stable wage methodology, and streamlining the administrative process to reduce costly delays.
“AmericanHort applauds House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-PA-15) for his leadership and foresight in advancing meaningful H-2A reform,” says Matt Mika, Vice President, Advocacy and Government Affairs at AmericanHort. “The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act recognizes the labor realities facing the horticulture industry, while taking important steps to streamline the program, improve workforce flexibility, and provide greater certainty for employers and workers alike.
“This legislation is the result of years of bipartisan work led by Chairman GT Thompson, the House Agriculture Committee, and committee staff who stepped forward to tackle a long-standing challenge that many were unwilling to take on,” Mika says. “We look forward to continuing our work with congressional leaders, staff, and industry partners to advance reforms that strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. horticulture, support green industry businesses, and ensure a stable, reliable workforce for the future.”
On June 24, AmericanHort hosted a special advocacy briefing on Wednesday, June 24, featuring Trevor White, Policy Director to Rep. Thompson. White provided an overview of the newly released discussion draft of the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act and the work that led to its development.
White explained that Chairman Thompson prioritized agricultural labor reform after hearing repeatedly from farmers and growers during nationwide Farm Bill listening sessions in 2023. Although agricultural labor falls under the jurisdiction of the House Judiciary Committee, Chairman Thompson established a bipartisan Agricultural Labor Working Group to identify solutions. The group, co-chaired by Reps. Rick Crawford (R-AR-01) and Don Davis (D-NC-01) ultimately delivered 21 recommendations to the Judiciary Committee, including 15 that received unanimous bipartisan support.
Building on those recommendations and previous legislative efforts, SAWA was drafted to create a more effective and broadly supported agricultural workforce solution. This legislation has been co-drafted by agriculture stakeholders, including AmericanHort, for agriculture stakeholders. Since the discussion draft was released, the bill has gained significant bipartisan momentum, with 50 original cosponsors.
The legislation focuses on three primary areas:
- Expanding access to the H-2A program by removing the outdated seasonal work requirement while retaining the temporary nature of employment (350 days or less). The bill also modernizes the definition of agricultural labor to better reflect today’s agricultural industry, including sectors such as dairy, shellfish, and horticultural installation.
- Codifying the October 2025 DOL Interim Final Rule (IFR) on the AEWR through three main strategies: controlling costs by codifying the current Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) methodology, reducing administrative burdens, and providing greater certainty for employers while continuing protections for U.S. workers.
- Modernizing and streamlining the program through a centralized online application system. This creates clearer agency responsibilities, additional operational flexibility, and options such as three-year certifications and the ability for staggered worker entry.
White also discussed provisions addressing the existing agricultural workforce, including a process that would allow eligible undocumented agricultural workers to legally participate in the H-2A program. He acknowledged the political complexity surrounding this issue. During the discussion, Lynn Jacquez and Shawn Packer of JPH Law highlighted a significant benefit for the horticulture industry. Landscape companies who are currently forced to rely on the H-2B visa program can now use H-2A workers for the installation of horticultural materials, even when installing products they do not own. For example, landscape companies that purchase mulch or other materials from retail suppliers for installation would become eligible to use H-2A workers for that work. This provides an important alternative to the H-2B program for many businesses.
The webinar concluded with a call for continued industry advocacy as the bill moves through Congress. White emphasized that stakeholder engagement has been instrumental in advancing agricultural labor reform. He encouraged AmericanHort members to remain engaged as lawmakers work toward a meaningful, long-term workforce solution. AmericanHort, and partners from the Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC) have been closely engaged with Chairman Thompson’s staff over the last several years throughout the drafting process. This bill has broad support from agriculture stakeholders, and is an opportunity to address agriculture workforce challenges facing greenhouse, nursery, and garden center operations.
So far the bill has more than 400 stakeholder supporters: 53 national organizations, 33 regional, 204 state and local, and 119 individual farm operations. You can find the full list here.
AmericanHort Calling on Members to Raise Their Voices
Speaking of industry engagement, AmericanHort sent out the following notice to its members on June 30:
“For the first time in nearly 40 years, there is real momentum in Congress to modernize the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Program. House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson (R-PA-15) has introduced H.R.9535, the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act (SAWA), a bipartisan bill that would deliver meaningful, long-overdue reforms to the program that horticulture and specialty crop businesses rely on to meet their workforce needs. As this legislation moves through Congress, it is critical that our members make their voices heard.
“The H-2A program has remained largely unchanged statutorily since 1986. Outdated eligibility requirements, unpredictable wage structures, and a fragmented application process have made the program increasingly difficult and costly to use, even as demand for H-2A workers has nearly quadrupled over the past decade. For horticulture and specialty crop producers, these inefficiencies translate directly into workforce uncertainty, higher operating costs, and real risk to production.
“SAWA addresses these challenges by expanding program access for all specialty crop operations, establishing a fair and stable wage methodology, and streamlining the administrative process to reduce costly delays.
“Please take a moment to contact your Member of Congress (you can do so here) and ask them to support SAWA by co-sponsoring the bill, supporting a markup hearing in the House Judiciary Committee, and advancing the legislation to the full House floor for a vote.”
Note that you do not have to be an AmericanHort member to offer your support for the bill in the above link. In fact, the more people in the industry (friends, family, employees, customers, suppliers — everyone related to horticulture) who reach out the better.
The full text of the bill can be found here. Read a summary of the bill here.
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