ITHACA, NY (607NewsNow) – Rep. Josh Riley is fighting for farmers in Upstate New York and across the country.

Riley introduced the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act (SAWA) on Wed., July 1 in Washington, D.C.

The proposed legislation would remove the “seasonal” requirement for H-2A visas, allowing year-round producers such as dairy farms to hire workers on longer contracts. It also expands H-2A eligibility to horticulture, which would give upstate apple growers access to a larger labor force.

“Upstate dairy farmers and apple growers have been telling Washington the same thing for years: the system isn’t working,” Riley said. “This bipartisan bill cuts through the bureaucracy, strengthens protections for farmworkers, and gives our farmers a fair shot at finding the workforce they need to keep feeding our families.”

The American Farm Bureau, the New York Farm Bureau, the National Milk Producers Federation, the U.S. Apple Association, the National Council of Farmer Co-Ops, and the Northeast Dairy Producers Association are among the organizations endorsing the bill.

Key reforms include:

  • stipulating that H-2A visas are for performing agricultural labor or services of a temporary nature only, removing the requirement that it also be seasonal
  • clarifying that “temporary” is in relation to the length of the job contract (max 350 days), rather than the underlying nature of the work being performed
  • ensuring that additional activities, such as horticulture, forestry, and aquaculture, would be eligible for the program

“New York Farm Bureau commends Representative Josh Riley, who is an original cosponsor of [the] Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act,” New York Farm Bureau President David Fisher said. “Rep. Riley has demonstrated leadership by supporting this legislation from the very beginning. His understanding of the complex issues facing the agricultural community, and his continuous bipartisan approach to fixing these issues, is commendable. His early support underscores the importance of this legislation and builds the moment needed to advance meaningful change.”

The full SAWA text is available here.