Supporting Our Farm and Food System Workforce Act
- Sponsor
- Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]
- Committees
- Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee (primary)
- Last action
- Aug 6, 2026
Bottom line
This bill aims to centralize and enhance USDA's efforts to support and advocate for farm and food system workers by creating a dedicated office, advisory body, and interagency coordination mechanism, while also authorizing necessary appropriations for its operation.
What it actually does
This bill amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to establish a new Office of the Farm and Food System Workforce within the Department of Agriculture (USDA). It creates a Farm and Food System Workforce Coordinator to head the Office, establishes a Farm and Food System Worker Advisory Committee, and forms a Farm and Food System Workforce Interagency Council to coordinate efforts across federal agencies. The bill also outlines specific duties for the Office, including improving program access, coordinating disaster response, and identifying research priorities for farm and food system workers.
Proponents argue
Proponents argue that this bill is essential for addressing long-standing inequities and improving access to critical USDA programs for the vital farm and food system workforce. They contend it will enhance worker safety, education, and economic opportunities, ensuring their needs are systematically assessed and met, particularly during disasters and emergencies, through a more coordinated and visible federal approach.
Opponents contend
Potential opponents might argue that this bill creates unnecessary bureaucracy within the USDA, potentially duplicating existing efforts across various federal agencies. Concerns could also be raised about the broad definition of 'farm and food system worker' and the composition of the advisory committee, suggesting it might lead to an overreach of federal government into agricultural labor practices or a dilution of focus from traditional farmworkers.
The bill is relatively short and clearly structured, making it accessible for a thorough read and understanding within a reasonable timeframe for an informed reader.
Section 2(a), inserting new Section 226C(b)(1) into 7 U.S.C. 6934
Establishment of the Office of the Farm and Food System Workforce
This provision mandates the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the Office of the Farm and Food System Workforce within the executive operations of the Department within 60 days of the bill's enactment. The Office's primary goals are to improve awareness and access to USDA programs for farm and food system workers, enhance communication, and provide recommendations to other federal agencies regarding their programs and communications related to these workers.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that establishing a dedicated office centralizes and strengthens USDA's commitment to this vital workforce, ensuring their diverse needs are systematically addressed and that federal resources are more effectively utilized to support them.
Critics contend
Critics might contend that creating a new office could lead to additional bureaucratic overhead without clear evidence that it will significantly improve outcomes beyond what existing departmental structures could achieve.
Tradeoffs
The provision balances the need for dedicated advocacy and support for farm and food system workers with the potential for increased administrative costs and bureaucratic complexity within the USDA.
Section 2(a), inserting new Section 226C(b)(2)
Farm and Food System Workforce Coordinator
This provision establishes the role of a Farm and Food System Workforce Coordinator, who will head the new Office. The Coordinator is to be appointed by the Secretary, in consultation with worker organizations, and must have relevant experience. The existing Farmworker Coordinator will serve as the initial Coordinator for the new Office. The Coordinator's duties include acting as a liaison to community organizations and integrating worker perspectives into USDA programs.
Section 2(a), inserting new Section 226C(c)
Duties of the Office of the Farm and Food System Workforce
This section outlines a comprehensive set of duties for the new Office, including establishing goals for worker participation in USDA programs, assisting with disaster aid, assessing outreach effectiveness, coordinating outreach activities, collaborating with other USDA agencies on policy decisions, publicizing federal programs for eligible employees, identifying research priorities, measuring program outcomes, assisting farmworkers in becoming agricultural operators or landowners, and recommending new initiatives to the Secretary.
Section 2(a), inserting new Section 226C(d)
Farm and Food System Worker Advisory Committee
This provision establishes an Advisory Committee of up to 20 members, appointed by the Secretary from public nominations. Membership must include farm and food system workers, civil rights representatives, nonprofit representatives (with specific expertise on women workers), labor unions, and higher education representatives. The Committee's role is to advise the Office on integrating worker perspectives into USDA programs, and on improving worker safety, research, education, and job training. Meetings are required to include simultaneous interpretation and translation, and reports must be publicly available in multiple languages.
Section 2(a), inserting new Section 226C(e)
Farm and Food System Workforce Interagency Council
This provision establishes an Interagency Council within the Office, comprising representatives from 11 federal departments and agencies, including USDA, HHS, HUD, Labor, Education, EPA, DHS, Justice, Treasury, Commerce, and State, along with the Coordinator. The Council's purpose is to facilitate cabinet-level leadership in planning, policymaking, coordination, and program development for services available to farm and food system workers. It is required to submit annual reports with recommendations for legislative or administrative action.
Section 2(b), amending 7 U.S.C. 6934(f)
Termination of Farmworker Coordinator Position
This provision amends existing law to terminate the current Farmworker Coordinator position once the new Office of the Farm and Food System Workforce is established and appropriately staffed with personnel dedicated to farmworker-specific issues. The bill specifies that the initial Coordinator of the new Office will be the existing Farmworker Coordinator, ensuring a seamless transition.
The bill broadly defines 'farm and food system worker' to include individuals employed or engaged in the production, processing, packaging, transporting, trade, or marketing of food, feed, or fiber through aquaculture, farming, wild fisheries, forestry, or pastoralism. It cross-references definitions from the Global Food Security Act of 2016, the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and explicitly includes handling, planting, drying, packing, packaging, processing, freezing, or grading of agricultural or horticultural commodities in their unmanufactured state.
Section 2(a), new 226C(a)(4)
Why it matters:This is standard legislative practice to define terms upfront for clarity and legal precision, rather than an attempt to obscure the provision.
Case for: Supporters argue that this comprehensive definition ensures the new Office's mandate is inclusive, covering a wide range of workers across the entire food supply chain who are often overlooked in agricultural policy, thereby maximizing the reach and impact of federal support.
Case against: Some might contend that such a broad definition could dilute the Office's focus, potentially spreading resources too thinly across diverse worker populations and making it less effective in addressing the specific, acute needs of traditional farmworkers.
Estimated impact: Significantly expands the population of workers explicitly covered by USDA's dedicated support efforts, potentially encompassing millions of individuals beyond traditional field workers.
The bill requires that all meetings of the Farm and Food System Worker Advisory Committee include simultaneous interpretation and translation, and that any agenda for the meeting be provided in languages requested by members or observing public. Furthermore, the Committee's annual reports must be made publicly available on the Department's website in English, Spanish, and any other languages the Coordinator deems appropriate.
Section 2(a), new 226C(d)(6)(C) and (d)(7)
Why it matters:This is standard legislative practice for specifying operational requirements of a committee, rather than an attempt to obscure the provision.
Case for: Proponents argue that these language access requirements are crucial for ensuring genuine inclusivity and meaningful participation for farm and food system workers, many of whom are non-English speakers. It promotes transparency and ensures that the advice provided is truly representative.
Case against: Some might argue that these requirements add significant administrative burden and cost to the operation of the Advisory Committee, potentially diverting resources that could otherwise be used for direct program support.
Estimated impact: Enhances the accessibility and inclusivity of the Advisory Committee's work, directly benefiting non-English speaking farm and food system workers and their advocates.