Denver — U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) alongside U.S. Representatives Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) introduced the Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act. This bicameral legislation would provide emergency assistance grants to America’s farm workers following natural or climate disasters that affect their ability to earn a living.
“Agriculture is the backbone of Colorado’s economy and central to our Western way of life, but as climate-fueled disasters become increasingly common, our state’s farm workers are paying the price,” said Bennet. “The people that grow America’s fruits, vegetables, and other crops deserve assistance – especially after emergencies like drought, wildfires, or other natural disasters. This legislation recognizes their crucial role in our economy.”
“California’s farm workers labor under extreme conditions to help put food on the table for hundreds of millions of Americans,” said Padilla. “But as farm workers in Pajaro learned last year after extreme flooding, and those across the country know too well, natural disasters can devastate agricultural communities. We must protect the beating heart of our nation’s food supply by providing critical emergency assistance to these essential workers.”
“As the daughter of a former farmworker, I am proud to introduce this bill to deliver much-needed disaster relief for the hardworking men and women who grow and harvest our food,” said Salinas. “Climate change is only getting worse, and unexpected disasters can strike at any time. Yet despite their critical importance to our food system and economy, America’s farmworkers currently do not receive direct federal support when they are forced to miss out on work and lose wages as a result. This legislation would finally right that wrong and ensure that, rain or shine, our farmworkers and their families can continue to pay the bills and put food on the table.”
“When extreme weather occurs, farmworkers across the United States continue to help feed the nation. And yet, these essential workers and their families face great uncertainty when unexpected disasters cause them to lose work and income. In my congressional district, after severe flooding in early 2023, hundreds of farmworkers in the Pajaro community faced displacement and lost wages. They and all farmworkers deserve better. That’s why I’m proud to be co-leading the Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act with Rep. Salinas and Sens. Padilla and Bennet. Our bill ensures America’s indispensable farmworkers can receive disaster relief funding they need and have earned,” said Lofgren.
An estimated 2.4 million farm workers wake up before sunrise every day to work on our nation’s family farms and ranches, tend to animals, harvest fruits and vegetables, and feed families across the country. Yet climate-related threats including rising temperatures and increasingly severe natural disasters particularly affect farm workers. However, existing federal disaster relief programs insufficiently compensate farm workers when they lose wages as a result of conditions out of their control.
The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act follows the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Equity Commission’s recommendations to provide disaster relief funding for farm workers. Specifically, the bill makes grants available to eligible organizations to provide emergency relief to farm workers affected by a disaster and ensures USDA develops and executes a promotional plan prior to and throughout the distribution of the relief grants to increase awareness of the assistance available.
“Farm workers have long been excluded from federal disaster relief programs, even as they have been disproportionately impacted by extreme weather such as fires, flooding, and other natural disasters,” said Teresa Romero, President, United Farm Workers (UFW). “The same way the federal government provides support to farm owners who lose crops, the federal government should provide support to farm workers who lose work. The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act will ensure that farm workers and their families can put food on the table when they are unable to work due to conditions beyond their control.”
“From rising temperatures to wildfires to flooding conditions, farm worker communities face unprecedented consequences due to climate change yet do not receive any federal relief for climate change-related disasters,” said Erica Lomeli Corcoran, Interim CEO, UFW Foundation. “This is why the UFW Foundation is supporting the introduction of the Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act. This legislation would provide funds to aid farm workers who are directly impacted by climate disasters, ensuring that they do not lose their livelihood due to conditions beyond their control. We saw that farm workers are incredibly essential to this country’s health and wellbeing during the COVID pandemic. It’s time to offer them protections when facing future pandemics and natural disasters.”
“We thank Senator Bennet for supporting agriculture workers. Providing emergency assistance to the essential workers responsible for feeding America helps create a more stable workforce in our food supply,” said Alex Sánchez, President and CEO, Voces Unidas de las Montañas.
The bill is also supported by Earthjustice, National Farm Worker Ministry, Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN), the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP), California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, Columbia Legal Services, United Migrant Opportunity Services, and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA).
The text of the bill is available HERE. A summary of the bill is available HERE.