Proposed Bill to Legalize Farm Workers

The Agricultural Jobs, Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act

(the "AgJOBS" Act)

If enacted by the Congress, the AgJOBS legislation will provide an immediate path to earned legalization for hundreds of thousands of undocumented farm workers in the U.S. The proposed bill will also revise the H-2A agricultural guestworker program, making the program easier for employers to use while strengthening workers' protections against abuses. This proposed bi-partisan legislation is the result of an historic compromise agreement negotiated between farm worker rights interests, represented by the United Farm Workers of America (AFL-CIO), and major agricultural employer interests. The bill enjoys unusually wide support from immigrant rights advocates, labor rights organizations, and agribusiness employer groups.

The Bill and its Sponsors

Senate bill number: S. 1645, introduced Sept. 23, 2003

Senate sponsors: Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID)

	House bill number: H.R. 3142, introduced Sept. 23, 2003 House sponsors: Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA) and Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT)
	To read the text of the bill go to http://thomas.loc.gov and search using either bill number.

Summaries of the Bill and How the Legalization Process Would Work

	See a two page thumbnail summary by the Equal Justice Center
	Download the same summary by the Equal Justice Center (PDF version) (Word version)
	Link to a three page summary by United Farm Workers of America (AFL-CIO)
	Link to a detailed summary by the Farmworker Justice Fund
	Link to summaries in Spanish on the UFW website

Send E-Mails to Congress Supporting the Bill

Send an e-mail to your Congressional representatives from the UFW website.