Sponsors
The bill channels a new, dedicated $50M program through worker organizations and unions to provide disaster stabilization payments and build evidence on effectiveness, trading off the potential for uneven coverage, limited funds for large disasters, administrative delays, and discretionary eligibility.
Farmworkers, meat-processing, and grocery workers (via their organizations) receive stabilization payments after disasters to help maintain pay or services for affected workers.
Provides a dedicated $50 million appropriation to the USDA program so funds are available specifically for disaster response to these workforces.
Creates a 4-year evaluation requirement that will generate evidence on program effectiveness to guide future policy and funding decisions.
Some eligible individual workers—particularly low-income, informal, or non-union workers—may not receive aid if funds are routed only to organizations or unions.
The $50 million appropriation may be insufficient in large-scale disasters, limiting the program's ability to meet needs across affected workforces.
Administering grants through USDA channels and organization intermediaries could delay payments compared with direct emergency aid, slowing relief to workers in immediate need.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Establishes a USDA grant program to provide stabilization payments to worker organizations and unions representing farm, meat-processing, and grocery workers after disasters and authorizes $50 million.
Introduced March 16, 2026 by Ben Ray Luján · Last progress March 16, 2026
Creates a USDA grant program to make stabilization payments to eligible membership organizations or labor unions that represent farmworkers, meat processing workers, and grocery workers when a natural disaster or other disaster (as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture) occurs. The program is administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service and is authorized up to $50 million, with funds remaining available until expended; the Secretary must report to the House and Senate Agriculture Committees on program outcomes within four years.