3.0.0 8954 2023-01-11T13:43:59Z 2023-01-11T13:43:59Z House HR 2020-12-14 116 [Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 211 (Monday, December 14, 2020)][House]From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]By Ms. CASTOR of Texas:H.R. 8954.Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto the following:Constitutional Authority--Necessary and Proper Clause (Art.I, Sec. 8, Clause 18)THE U.S. CONSTITUTIONARTICLE I, SECTION 8: POWERS OF CONGRESSCLAUSE 18The Congress shall have power . . . To make all laws whichshall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution theforegoing powers, and all other powers vested by thisConstitution in the government of the United States, or inany department or officer thereof.[Page H7154]]]> hsju00 Judiciary Committee House Standing Referred to 2020-12-14T18:31:50Z POWER Act 116 5225 HR 2019-12-19 Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. Related bill CRS POWER Act 116 2929 S 2019-11-21 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Related bill CRS 2020-12-14 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. IntroReferral H11100 2 House floor actions hsju00 Judiciary Committee 2020-12-14 Introduced in House IntroReferral Intro-H 9 Library of Congress 2020-12-14 Introduced in House IntroReferral 1000 9 Library of Congress C001091 Rep. Castro, Joaquin [D-TX-20] Joaquin Castro D TX 20 N C001080 Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-27] Judy Chu D CA 27 2020-12-14 True B001270 Rep. Bass, Karen [D-CA-37] Karen Bass D CA 37 2020-12-14 True S001156 Rep. Sánchez, Linda T. [D-CA-38] Linda Sánchez D CA T. 38 2020-12-14 True J000298 Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7] Pramila Jayapal D WA 7 2020-12-14 True L000592 Rep. Levin, Andy [D-MI-9] Andy Levin D MI 9 2020-12-14 True D000216 Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT-3] ROSA DELAURO D CT 3 2020-12-14 True P000607 Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] Mark Pocan D WI 2 2020-12-14 True Immigration Accounting and auditing Administrative law and regulatory procedures Administrative remedies Advisory bodies Business records Civil actions and liability Crime victims Criminal justice information and records Department of Labor Employee benefits and pensions Employee hiring Employment discrimination and employee rights Foreign labor Government information and archives Immigration status and procedures Judicial review and appeals Labor standards Labor-management relations Licensing and registrations Temporary and part-time employment Transportation costs User charges and fees Visas and passports Wages and earnings Worker safety and health Immigration 00 2020-12-14 Introduced in House 2022-05-09T19:34:56Z Seasonal Worker Solidarity Act of 2020

This bill modifies the H-2B (temporary nonagricultural workers) visa program and expands protections for aliens who report workplace violations.

Changes to the H-2B program include

  • requiring the Department of Labor to establish a centralized national electronic platform for U.S. workers to find and apply for positions that employers are seeking to fill with H-2B workers;
  • requiring employers to recruit U.S. workers nationwide, including by posting the openings on the platform, before applying for H-2B visas;
  • requiring employers to guarantee at least 40 hours of paid work per week for each H-2B worker (currently employers may guarantee less paid hours in certain instances);
  • requiring employers to pay for housing for H-2B workers and transportation to and from the work site (currently employers are allowed to deduct fees for lodgings from an H-2B worker's pay);
  • modifying the requirements for determining the minimum wage for H-2B workers; and
  • prioritizing H-2B visas for certain employers, such as those that pay higher wages.

Furthermore, an alien who has worked a certain amount of time as an H-2B worker may obtain permanent resident status, subject to various requirements.

In addition, an alien who is likely helpful in an investigation of a workplace claim (i.e., an alleged violation of law or workplace-related injury) may qualify for a U visa for victims of criminal activity. The bill also removes statutory numerical limitations on U visas.

The bill also provides protections for certain aliens who file or assist in the investigation of workplace claims.

]]> Seasonal Worker Solidarity Act of 2020 Display Title Seasonal Worker Solidarity Act of 2020 Short Title(s) as Introduced Seasonal Worker Solidarity Act of 2020 Introduced in House IH Official Title as Introduced To reform the process by which temporary nonagricultural workers' visas are allocated, and for other purposes. Introduced in House IH Introduced in House 2020-12-14T05:00:00Z https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-116hr8954ih/xml/BILLS-116hr8954ih.xml 2020-12-14 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress This file contains bill summaries and statuses for federal legislation. A bill summary describes the most significant provisions of a piece of legislation and details the effects the legislative text may have on current law and federal programs. Bill summaries are authored by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress. As stated in Public Law 91-510 (2 USC 166 (d)(6)), one of the duties of CRS is "to prepare summaries and digests of bills and resolutions of a public general nature introduced in the Senate or House of Representatives". For more information, refer to the User Guide that accompanies this file.