119-s1661

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1661 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 1661

 To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 
 with respect to emergency assistance for farmworkers, and for other 
 purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 May 7, 2025

Mr. Bennet (for himself and Mr. Padilla) introduced the following bill; 
 which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, 
 Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 
 with respect to emergency assistance for farmworkers, and for other 
 purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Disaster Relief for Farmworkers Act 
of 2025''.

SEC. 2. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR FARMWORKERS.

 

Section 2281 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act 
of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 5177a) is amended to read as follows:

``

SEC. 2281. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR FARMWORKERS.

 ``

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:
 ``

    (1) Covered disaster.--The term `covered disaster' 
 means--
 ``
        (A) an adverse weather event, such as a drought, 
 wildfire, earthquake, hurricane, flood, derecho, 
 excessive heat, tornado, winter storm, freeze, hail, 
 polar vortex, smoke exposure, or excessive moisture;
 ``
        (B) an unexpected health crisis, such as a 
 pandemic; and
 ``
            (C) such other event or condition that has caused 
 farmworkers to lose income, be unable to work, or stay 
 home or return home in anticipation of work shortages.
 ``

    (2) Eligible farmworker organization.--The term `eligible 
 farmworker organization' means an organization that is--
 ``
        (A) a farmworker membership-based organization; 
 or
 ``
        (B) an organization--
 ``
            (i) described in 

section 501
            (c) (3) of the 
 Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from 
 taxation under 

section 501

    (a) of that Code; and
 ``
            (ii) that has experience in providing 
 support or relief services to farmworkers, 
 including migrant or seasonal farmworkers.
 ``

    (3) Migrant or seasonal farmworker.--The term `migrant or 
 seasonal farmworker' means an individual--
 ``
        (A) who has, during any consecutive 12-month 
 period within the preceding 24-month period, performed 
 farm work for wages; and
 ``
        (B) who has received not less than \1/2\ of such 
 individual's total income from, or been employed at 
 least \1/2\ of such individual's total work time in, 
 farm work.
 ``

    (4) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
 of Agriculture.
 ``

    (b) Emergency Relief.--For fiscal year 2024 and each succeeding 
fiscal year, during any period for which the Secretary determines there 
is a covered disaster, the Secretary, acting through the Under 
Secretary for Rural Development, shall make grants to eligible 
farmworker organizations to provide emergency relief to farmworkers 
affected by that covered disaster.
 ``
            (c) Use of Funds.--An eligible farmworker organization may use 
funds received pursuant to a grant awarded under subsection

    (b) --
 ``

    (1) to provide emergency relief (including through direct 
 distribution of funding) to farmworkers to address loss and 
 damage due to the covered disaster;
 ``

    (2) to build capacity to provide emergency relief 
 described in paragraph

    (1) ;
 ``

    (3) to build resiliency in farmworker communities to 
 address future losses and damages due to covered disasters;
 ``

    (4) to provide infrastructure support, including shelter; 
 and
 ``

    (5) to provide emergency services (including such types 
 of assistance as the Secretary determines to be appropriate) to 
 farmworkers in response to the covered disaster.
 ``
            (d) Availability of Funds.--Any funds provided to an eligible 
farmworker organization under this section shall remain available until 
expended.
 ``

    (e) Promotional Plan.--The Secretary shall--
 ``

    (1) before making grants under subsection

    (b) , develop a 
 promotional plan; and
 ``

    (2) carry out that promotional plan throughout the 
 distribution of those grants.
 ``

    (f) Consultation.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary 
shall consult with eligible farmworker organizations.''.
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