Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Legalize Undocumented Farmworkers, Reform Key Visa Program: 'Food Security is National Security'

Farm workers labor in the fields of Bakersfield, Kern County (Credit: Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act, a bipartisan proposal that aims to address critical labor shortages in the U.S. agricultural sector through a combination of legalization for undocumented farmworkers and reforms to the H-2A guestworker visa program, has made its way through Washington and now heads to the Senate after passing the House.

The bill, led by Representatives Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), comes amid warnings from growers that labor shortages could lead to rising food prices, disrupted supply chains, and long-term harm to domestic agriculture.