Seasonal Worker Solidarity Act of 2020
Latest action · Dec 14, 2020 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedDec 14, 2020
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Seasonal Worker Solidarity Act of 2020
This bill modifies the H-2B (temporary nonagricultural workers) visa program and expands protections for aliens who report workplace violations.
Changes to the H-2B program include
- requiring the Department of Labor to establish a centralized national electronic platform for U.S. workers to find and apply for positions that employers are seeking to fill with H-2B workers;
- requiring employers to recruit U.S. workers nationwide, including by posting the openings on the platform, before applying for H-2B visas;
- requiring employers to guarantee at least 40 hours of paid work per week for each H-2B worker (currently employers may guarantee less paid hours in certain instances);
- requiring employers to pay for housing for H-2B workers and transportation to and from the work site (currently employers are allowed to deduct fees for lodgings from an H-2B worker's pay);
- modifying the requirements for determining the minimum wage for H-2B workers; and
- prioritizing H-2B visas for certain employers, such as those that pay higher wages.
Furthermore, an alien who has worked a certain amount of time as an H-2B worker may obtain permanent resident status, subject to various requirements.
In addition, an alien who is likely helpful in an investigation of a workplace claim (i.e., an alleged violation of law or workplace-related injury) may qualify for a U visa for victims of criminal activity. The bill also removes statutory numerical limitations on U visas.
The bill also provides protections for certain aliens who file or assist in the investigation of workplace claims.
Cosponsors 7
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Dec 14, 2020.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MI | Andy Levin | Original | Dec 14, 2020 |
| D-CA | Judy Chu | Original | Dec 14, 2020 |
| D-CA | Karen Bass | Original | Dec 14, 2020 |
| D-CA | Linda T. Sánchez | Original | Dec 14, 2020 |
| D-WI | Mark Pocan | Original | Dec 14, 2020 |
| D-WA | Pramila Jayapal | Original | Dec 14, 2020 |
| D-CT | Rosa L. DeLauro | Original | Dec 14, 2020 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred Dec 14, 2020 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Dec 14, 2020Introduced in House
- Dec 14, 2020Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 166, no. 211, December 14, 2020, page H7154.
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To reform the process by which temporary nonagricultural workers' visas are allocated, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Seasonal Worker Solidarity Act of 2020
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Immigration.
- Accounting and auditing
- Administrative law and regulatory procedures
- Administrative remedies
- Advisory bodies
- Business records
- Civil actions and liability
- Crime victims
- Criminal justice information and records
- Department of Labor
- Employee benefits and pensions
- Employee hiring
- Employment discrimination and employee rights
- Foreign labor
- Government information and archives
- Immigration
- Immigration status and procedures
- Judicial review and appeals
- Labor standards
- Labor-management relations
- Licensing and registrations
- Temporary and part-time employment
- Transportation costs
- User charges and fees
- Visas and passports
- Wages and earnings
- Worker safety and health
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Dec 14, 2020Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
