Sponsors (9)
The bill creates a dedicated USDA Office to better reach and support farmworkers—improving service access, disaster response, and worker input—but it increases federal costs, adds administrative complexity, and could shift or overlap existing program resources.
Farm and food‑system workers will have improved access to federal programs and services because a new USDA Office centralizes outreach and enrollment efforts, increasing program take‑up.
Farmworkers and rural communities will get stronger emergency support because the Office coordinates disaster response with federal, state, and tribal governments to improve emergency assistance during declared disasters.
Farmworkers and advocacy groups will have formal input into policy through an Advisory Committee, raising worker and civil‑society voices on safety, research, education, and training.
Taxpayers will face higher federal spending because the Office creates recurring staffing and program costs funded by open‑ended appropriations for FY2027–2031.
USDA, partner agencies, and stakeholders will face greater administrative burden and potential delays because of new reporting, translation, regular in‑person meetings, and expanded interagency coordination that can create overlap and turf conflicts.
Current USDA programs and grant administration could be reshaped because the Office is mandated to assist with outreach and grant administration, potentially shifting staff and resources away from existing services.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a USDA Office of the Farm and Food System Workforce, a Coordinator, advisory committee, and interagency council to improve outreach and coordination for farm and food system workers.
Official title: Amend the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to establish the Office of the Farm and Food System Workforce.
Introduced August 6, 2026 by Alejandro Padilla · Last progress August 6, 2026
Creates an Office of the Farm and Food System Workforce at USDA, led by a Farm and Food System Workforce Coordinator, to improve outreach, coordination, and access to USDA programs for farm and food system workers and to advise and coordinate with other federal agencies. Establishes a public advisory committee and a cabinet‑level interagency council, requires annual multilingual reporting and liaison roles inside USDA, and authorizes funding for FY2027–2031. The office will replace the existing Farmworker Coordinator once the Secretary certifies the new office is established and staffed. The bill focuses on better communication, disaster coordination, research and outcome measurement, support for worker transitions to ownership, and interagency collaboration with departments such as HHS, Labor, HUD, EPA, DHS, Justice, Treasury, Commerce, and State.