Sponsors (2)
The bill directs federal funds to locally deliver emergency aid and resilience-building for farmworker communities—improving immediate safety and recovery capacity—while creating new federal spending and risking gaps, exclusions, or uneven/ politicized administration depending on eligibility rules and outreach.
Farmworkers receive emergency cash or services after disasters through grants to trusted local organizations, enabling faster, locally delivered relief.
Farmworkers and rural communities can get funded shelter and infrastructure during crises, improving immediate safety and housing options.
Local nonprofits and communities can build capacity and long-term resiliency with funds that support recovery and infrastructure, strengthening future responses.
Migrant and seasonal farmworkers and other hard-to-reach, low-income workers may remain uninformed and unserved if USDA's promotional and outreach plan is weak.
Some farmworkers may be excluded or face delays in receiving aid because eligibility is limited to membership-based organizations or certain 501(c)(3) entities.
Broad Secretary discretion to define covered disasters and allowable 'other assistance' could produce uneven, politicized, or unpredictable grant decisions.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes a USDA emergency grant program to fund organizations that provide direct relief, shelter, infrastructure, and resiliency support to farmworkers after covered disasters.
Official title: Amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 with respect to emergency assistance for farmworkers, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 7, 2025 by Michael F. Bennet · Last progress May 7, 2025
Creates a new USDA-run emergency grant program that provides direct relief to farmworkers through qualified nonprofit and membership-based organizations after disasters. When the Secretary finds a covered disaster — including severe weather, health crises, or other events that disrupt farmworker income or ability to work — USDA may award grants for emergency assistance, shelter and infrastructure, capacity building, and community resiliency; funds remain available until spent and the agency must promote the program and consult with farmworker organizations.