S. 1661

119 S1661 IS: Disaster Relief for Farmworkers Act of 2025
 U.S. Senate
 2025-05-07
 text/xml
 EN
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 II  119th CONGRESS  1st Session  S. 1661  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.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Disaster Relief for Farmworkers Act of 2025  .
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:
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 ½ of such individual’s total income from, or been employed at least ½ 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.
 .