To provide for the adjustment of status of certain foreign agricultural workers, to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to reform the H-2A worker program under that Act, to provide a stable, legal agricultural workforce, to extend basic legal protections and better working conditions to more workers, and for other purposes.

SA 375. Mr. CRAIG (for himself and Mr. Kennedy) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 1268, Making
emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2005, to establish and rapidly implement regulations for
State driver's license and identification document security standards,
to prevent terrorists from abusing the asylum laws of the United
States, to unify terrorism-related grounds for inadmissibility and
removal, to ensure expeditious construction of the San Diego border
fence, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table;
as follows:

On page 231, between lines 3 and 4, insert the following:

TITLE VII--AGRICULTURAL JOB OPPORTUNITIES, BENEFITS, AND SECURITY ACT
OF 2005

SEC. 701. SHORT TITLE.

This title may be cited as the ``Agricultural Job
Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act of 2005'' or the
``AgJOBS Act of 2005''.

SEC. 702. DEFINITIONS.

In this title:
(1) Agricultural employment.--The term ``agricultural
employment'' means any service or activity that is considered
to be agricultural under section 3(f) of the Fair Labor
Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 203(f)) or agricultural
labor under section 3121(g) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 (26 U.S.C. 3121(g)). For purposes of this paragraph,
agricultural employment includes employment under section
101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act
(8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(a)).
(2) Employer.--The term ``employer'' means any person or
entity, including any farm labor contractor and any
agricultural association, that employs workers in
agricultural employment.
(3) Job opportunity.--The term ``job opportunity'' means a
job opening for temporary full-time employment at a place in
the United States to which United States workers can be
referred.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Homeland Security.
(5) Temporary.--A worker is employed on a ``temporary''
basis where the employment is intended not to exceed 10
months.
(6) United states worker.--The term ``United States
worker'' means any worker, whether a United States citizen or
national, a lawfully admitted permanent resident alien, or
any other alien, who is authorized to work in the job
opportunity within the United States, except an alien
admitted or otherwise provided status under section
101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act
(8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(a)).
(7) Work day.--The term ``work day'' means any day in which
the individual is employed 1 or more hours in agriculture
consistent with the definition of ``man-day'' under section
3(u) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C.
203(u)).

Subtitle A--Adjustment to Lawful Status

SEC. 711. AGRICULTURAL WORKERS.

(a) Temporary Resident Status.--
(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, the Secretary shall confer upon an alien who qualifies
under this subsection the status of an alien lawfully
admitted for temporary residence if the Secretary determines
that the alien--
(A) has performed agricultural employment in the United
States for at least 575 hours or 100 work days, whichever is
less, during any 12 consecutive months during the 18-month
period ending on December 31, 2004;
(B) applied for such status during the 18-month application
period beginning on the first day of the seventh month that
begins after the date of enactment of this Act; and
(C) is otherwise admissible to the United States under
section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1182), except as otherwise provided under subsection (e)(2).
(2) Authorized travel.--During the period an alien is in
lawful temporary resident status granted under this
subsection, the alien has the right to travel abroad
(including commutation from a residence abroad) in the same
manner as an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence.
(3) Authorized employment.--During the period an alien is
in lawful temporary resident status granted under this
subsection, the alien shall be provided an ``employment
authorized'' endorsement or other appropriate work permit, in
the same manner as an alien lawfully admitted for permanent
residence.
(4) Termination of temporary resident status.--
(A) In general.--During the period of temporary resident
status granted an alien under this subsection, the Secretary
may terminate such status only upon a determination under
this Act that the alien is deportable.
(B) Grounds for termination of temporary resident status.--
Before any alien becomes eligible for adjustment of status
under subsection (c), the Secretary may deny adjustment to
permanent resident status and provide for termination of the
temporary resident status granted such alien under paragraph
(1) if--
(i) the Secretary finds, by a preponderance of the
evidence, that the adjustment to temporary resident status
was the result of fraud or willful misrepresentation (as
described in section 212(a)(6)(C)(i) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(6)(C)(i)); or
(ii) the alien--

(I) commits an act that makes the alien inadmissible to the
United States as an immigrant, except as provided under
subsection (e)(2);
(II) is convicted of a felony or 3 or more misdemeanors
committed in the United States; or
(III) is convicted of a single misdemeanor for which the
actual sentence served is 6 months or longer.

(5) Record of employment.--
(A) In general.--Each employer of a worker granted status
under this subsection shall annually--
(i) provide a written record of employment to the alien;
and
(ii) provide a copy of such record to the Secretary.
(B) Sunset.--The obligation under subparagraph (A) shall
terminate on the date that is 6 years after the date of
enactment of this Act.
(b) Rights of Aliens Granted Temporary Resident Status.--
(1) In general.--Except as otherwise provided in this
subsection, an alien who acquires the status of an alien
lawfully admitted for temporary residence under subsection
(a), such status not having changed, shall be considered to
be an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence for
purposes of any law other than any provision of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).
(2) Delayed eligibility for certain federal public
benefits.--An alien who acquires the status of an alien
lawfully admitted for temporary residence under subsection
(a) as described in paragraph (1) shall not be eligible, by
reason of such acquisition of that status, for any form of
assistance or benefit described in section 403(a) of the
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation
Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1613(a)) until 5 years after the date
on which the Secretary confers temporary resident status upon
that alien under subsection (a).
(3) Terms of employment respecting aliens admitted under
this section.--
(A) Prohibition.--No alien granted temporary resident
status under subsection (a) may be terminated from employment
by any employer during the period of temporary resident
status except for just cause.
(B) Treatment of complaints.--
(i) Establishment of process.--The Secretary shall
establish a process for the receipt, initial review, and
disposition in accordance with this subparagraph of
complaints by aliens granted temporary resident status under
subsection (a) who allege that they have been terminated
without just cause. No proceeding shall be conducted under
this subparagraph with respect to a termination unless the
Secretary determines that the complaint was filed not later
than 6 months after the date of the termination.
(ii) Initiation of arbitration.--If the Secretary finds
that a complaint has been filed in accordance with clause (i)
and there is reasonable cause to believe that the complainant
was terminated without just cause, the Secretary shall
initiate binding arbitration proceedings by requesting the
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to appoint a
mutually agreeable arbitrator from the roster of arbitrators
maintained by such Service for the geographical area in which
the employer is located. The procedures and rules of such
Service shall be applicable to the selection of such
arbitrator and to such arbitration proceedings. The Secretary
shall pay the fee and expenses of the arbitrator, subject to
the availability of appropriations for such purpose.

[[Page S3578]]

(iii) Arbitration proceedings.--The arbitrator shall
conduct the proceeding in accordance with the policies and
procedures promulgated by the American Arbitration
Association applicable to private arbitration of employment
disputes. The arbitrator shall make findings respecting
whether the termination was for just cause. The arbitrator
may not find that the termination was for just cause unless
the employer so demonstrates by a preponderance of the
evidence. If the arbitrator finds that the termination was
not for just cause, the arbitrator shall make a specific
finding of the number of days or hours of work lost by the
employee as a result of the termination. The arbitrator shall
have no authority to order any other remedy, including, but
not limited to, reinstatement, back pay, or front pay to the
affected employee. Within 30 days from the conclusion of the
arbitration proceeding, the arbitrator shall transmit the
findings in the form of a written opinion to the parties to
the arbitration and the Secretary. Such findings shall be
final and conclusive, and no official or court of the United
States shall have the power or jurisdiction to review any
such findings.
(iv) Effect of arbitration findings.--If the Secretary
receives a finding of an arbitrator that an employer has
terminated an alien granted temporary resident status under
subsection (a) without just cause, the Secretary shall credit
the alien for the number of days or hours of work lost for
purposes of the requirement of subsection (c)(1).
(v) Treatment of attorney's fees.--The parties shall bear
the cost of their own attorney's fees involved in the
litigation of the complaint.
(vi) Nonexclusive remedy.--The complaint process provided
for in this subparagraph is in addition to any other rights
an employee may have in accordance with applicable law.
(vii) Effect on other actions or proceedings.--Any finding
of fact or law, judgment, conclusion, or final order made by
an arbitrator in the proceeding before the Secretary shall
not be conclusive or binding in any separate or subsequent
action or proceeding between the employee and the employee's
current or prior employer brought before an arbitrator,
administrative agency, court, or judge of any State or the
United States, regardless of whether the prior action was
between the same or related parties or involved the same
facts, except that the arbitrator's specific finding of the
number of days or hours of work lost by the employee as a
result of the employment termination may be referred to the
Secretary pursuant to clause (iv).
(C) Civil penalties.--
(i) In general.--If the Secretary finds, after notice and
opportunity for a hearing, that an employer of an alien
granted temporary resident status under subsection (a) has
failed to provide the record of employment required under
subsection (a)(5) or has provided a false statement of
material fact in such a record, the employer shall be subject
to a civil money penalty in an amount not to exceed $1,000
per violation.
(ii) Limitation.--The penalty applicable under clause (i)
for failure to provide records shall not apply unless the
alien has provided the employer with evidence of employment
authorization granted under this section.
(c) Adjustment to Permanent Residence.--
(1) Agricultural workers.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph (B),
the Secretary shall adjust the status of an alien granted
lawful temporary resident status under subsection (a) to that
of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence if the
Secretary determines that the following requirements are
satisfied:
(i) Qualifying employment.--The alien has performed at
least 360 work days or 2,060 hours, but in no case less than
2,060 hours, of agricultural employment in the United States,
during the 6-year period beginning after the date of
enactment of this Act.
(ii) Qualifying years.--The alien has performed at least 75
work days or 430 hours, but in no case less than 430 hours,
of agricultural employment in the United States in at least 3
nonoverlapping periods of 12 consecutive months during the 6-
year period beginning after the date of enactment of this
Act. Qualifying periods under this clause may include
nonconsecutive 12-month periods.
(iii) Qualifying work in first 3 years.--The alien has
performed at least 240 work days or 1,380 hours, but in no
case less than 1,380 hours, of agricultural employment during
the 3-year period beginning after the date of enactment of
this Act.
(iv) Application period.--The alien applies for adjustment
of status not later than 7 years after the date of enactment
of this Act.
(v) Proof.--In meeting the requirements of clauses (i),
(ii), and (iii), an alien may submit the record of employment
described in subsection (a)(5) or such documentation as may
be submitted under subsection (d)(3).
(vi) Disability.--In determining whether an alien has met
the requirements of clauses (i), (ii), and (iii), the
Secretary shall credit the alien with any work days lost
because the alien was unable to work in agricultural
employment due to injury or disease arising out of and in the
course of the alien's agricultural employment, if the alien
can establish such disabling injury or disease through
medical records.
(B) Grounds for denial of adjustment of status.--The
Secretary may deny an alien adjustment to permanent resident
status, and provide for termination of the temporary resident
status granted such alien under subsection (a), if--
(i) the Secretary finds by a preponderance of the evidence
that the adjustment to temporary resident status was the
result of fraud or willful misrepresentation, as described in
section 212(a)(6)(C)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(6)(C)(i)); or
(ii) the alien--

(I) commits an act that makes the alien inadmissible to the
United States under section 212 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182), except as provided under
subsection (e)(2);
(II) is convicted of a felony or 3 or more misdemeanors
committed in the United States; or
(III) is convicted of a single misdemeanor for which the
actual sentence served is 6 months or longer.

(C) Grounds for removal.--Any alien granted temporary
resident status under subsection (a) who does not apply for
adjustment of status under this subsection before the
expiration of the application period described in
subparagraph (A)(iv), or who fails to meet the other
requirements of subparagraph (A) by the end of the applicable
period, is deportable and may be removed under section 240 of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1229a). The
Secretary shall issue regulations establishing grounds to
waive subparagraph (A)(iii) with respect to an alien who has
completed at least 200 days of the work requirement specified
in such subparagraph in the event of a natural disaster which
substantially limits the availability of agricultural
employment or a personal emergency that prevents compliance
with such subparagraph.
(2) Spouses and minor children.--
(A) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, the Secretary shall confer the status of lawful
permanent resident on the spouse and minor child of an alien
granted status under paragraph (1), including any individual
who was a minor child on the date such alien was granted
temporary resident status, if the spouse or minor child
applies for such status, or if the principal alien includes
the spouse or minor child in an application for adjustment of
status to that of a lawful permanent resident.
(B) Treatment of spouses and minor children before
adjustment of status.--A spouse and minor child of an alien
granted temporary resident status under subsection (a) may
not be--
(i) removed while such alien maintains such status, except
as provided in subparagraph (C); and
(ii) granted authorization to engage in employment in the
United States or be provided an ``employment authorized''
endorsement or other work permit, unless such employment
authorization is granted under another provision of law.
(C) Grounds for denial of adjustment of status and
removal.--The Secretary may deny an alien spouse or child
adjustment of status under subparagraph (A) and may remove
such spouse or child under section 240 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1229a) if the spouse or child--
(i) commits an act that makes the alien spouse or child
inadmissible to the United States under section 212 of such
Act (8 U.S.C. 1182), except as provided under subsection
(e)(2);
(ii) is convicted of a felony or 3 or more misdemeanors
committed in the United States; or
(iii) is convicted of a single misdemeanor for which the
actual sentence served is 6 months or longer.
(d) Applications.--
(1) To whom may be made.--
(A) Within the united states.--The Secretary shall provide
that--
(i) applications for temporary resident status under
subsection (a) may be filed--

(I) with the Secretary, but only if the applicant is
represented by an attorney; or
(II) with a qualified designated entity (designated under
paragraph (2)), but only if the applicant consents to the
forwarding of the application to the Secretary; and

(ii) applications for adjustment of status under subsection
(c) shall be filed directly with the Secretary.
(B) Outside the united states.--The Secretary, in
cooperation with the Secretary of State, shall establish a
procedure whereby an alien may apply for temporary resident
status under subsection (a) at an appropriate consular office
outside the United States.
(C) Preliminary applications.--
(i) In general.--During the application period described in
subsection (a)(1)(B), the Secretary may grant admission to
the United States as a temporary resident and provide an
``employment authorized'' endorsement or other appropriate
work permit to any alien who presents a preliminary
application for such status under subsection (a) at a
designated port of entry on the southern land border of the
United States. An alien who does not enter through a port of
entry is subject to deportation and removal as otherwise
provided in this Act.
(ii) Definition.--For purposes of clause (i), the term
``preliminary application'' means a fully completed and
signed application which contains specific information
concerning the performance of qualifying employment in the
United States, together with the payment of the appropriate
fee and the submission of photographs and the documentary

[[Page S3579]]

evidence which the applicant intends to submit as proof of
such employment.
(iii) Eligibility.--An applicant under clause (i) shall
otherwise be admissible to the United States under subsection
(e)(2) and shall establish to the satisfaction of the
examining officer during an interview that the applicant's
claim to eligibility for temporary resident status is
credible.
(D) Travel documentation.--The Secretary shall provide each
alien granted status under this section with a counterfeit-
resistant document of authorization to enter or reenter the
United States that meets the requirements established by the
Secretary.
(2) Designation of entities to receive applications.--
(A) In general.--For purposes of receiving applications
under subsection (a), the Secretary--
(i) shall designate qualified farm labor organizations and
associations of employers; and
(ii) may designate such other persons as the Secretary
determines are qualified and have substantial experience,
demonstrate competence, and have traditional long-term
involvement in the preparation and submission of applications
for adjustment of status under section 209, 210, or 245 of
the Immigration and Nationality Act, Public Law 89-732,
Public Law 95-145, or the Immigration Reform and Control Act
of 1986.
(B) References.--Organizations, associations, and persons
designated under subparagraph (A) are referred to in this Act
as ``qualified designated entities''.
(3) Proof of eligibility.--
(A) In general.--An alien may establish that the alien
meets the requirement of subsection (a)(1)(A) or (c)(1)(A)
through government employment records or records supplied by
employers or collective bargaining organizations, and other
reliable documentation as the alien may provide. The
Secretary shall establish special procedures to properly
credit work in cases in which an alien was employed under an
assumed name.
(B) Documentation of work history.--
(i) Burden of proof.--An alien applying for status under
subsection (a)(1) or (c)(1) has the burden of proving by a
preponderance of the evidence that the alien has worked the
requisite number of hours or days (as required under
subsection (a)(1)(A) or (c)(1)(A)).
(ii) Timely production of records.--If an employer or farm
labor contractor employing such an alien has kept proper and
adequate records respecting such employment, the alien's
burden of proof under clause (i) may be met by securing
timely production of those records under regulations to be
promulgated by the Secretary.
(iii) Sufficient evidence.--An alien can meet the burden of
proof under clause (i) to establish that the alien has
performed the work described in subsection (a)(1)(A) or
(c)(1)(A) by producing sufficient evidence to show the extent
of that employment as a matter of just and reasonable
inference.
(4) Treatment of applications by qualified designated
entities.--Each qualified designated entity shall agree to
forward to the Secretary applications filed with it in
accordance with paragraph (1)(A)(i)(II) but shall not forward
to the Secretary applications filed with it unless the
applicant has consented to such forwarding. No such entity
may make a determination required by this section to be made
by the Secretary. Upon the request of the alien, a qualified
designated entity shall assist the alien in obtaining
documentation of the work history of the alien.
(5) Limitation on access to information.--Files and records
prepared for purposes of this subsection by qualified
designated entities operating under this subsection are
confidential and the Secretary shall not have access to such
files or records relating to an alien without the consent of
the alien, except as allowed by a court order issued pursuant
to paragraph (6).
(6) Confidentiality of information.--
(A) In general.--Except as otherwise provided in this
subsection, neither the Secretary, nor any other official or
employee of the Department of Homeland Security, or bureau or
agency thereof, may--
(i) use the information furnished by the applicant pursuant
to an application filed under this section, the information
provided to the applicant by a person designated under
paragraph (2)(A), or any information provided by an employer
or former employer, for any purpose other than to make a
determination on the application, or for enforcement of
paragraph (7);
(ii) make any publication whereby the information furnished
by any particular individual can be identified; or
(iii) permit anyone other than the sworn officers and
employees of the Department of Homeland Security, or bureau
or agency thereof, or, with respect to applications filed
with a qualified designated entity, that qualified designated
entity, to examine individual applications.
(B) Required disclosures.--The Secretary shall provide the
information furnished under this section, or any other
information derived from such furnished information, to--
(i) a duly recognized law enforcement entity in connection
with a criminal investigation or prosecution, if such
information is requested in writing by such entity; or
(ii) an official coroner, for purposes of affirmatively
identifying a deceased individual, whether or not the death
of such individual resulted from a crime.
(C) Construction.--
(i) In general.--Nothing in this paragraph shall be
construed to limit the use, or release, for immigration
enforcement purposes or law enforcement purposes of
information contained in files or records of the Department
of Homeland Security pertaining to an application filed under
this section, other than information furnished by an
applicant pursuant to the application, or any other
information derived from the application, that is not
available from any other source.
(ii) Criminal convictions.--Information concerning whether
the applicant has at any time been convicted of a crime may
be used or released for immigration enforcement or law
enforcement purposes.
(D) Crime.--Any person who knowingly uses, publishes, or
permits information to be examined in violation of this
paragraph shall be subject to a fine in an amount not to
exceed $10,000.
(7) Penalties for false statements in applications.--
(A) Criminal penalty.--Any person who--
(i) files an application for status under subsection (a) or
(c) and knowingly and willfully falsifies, conceals, or
covers up a material fact or makes any false, fictitious, or
fraudulent statements or representations, or makes or uses
any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any
false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry; or
(ii) creates or supplies a false writing or document for
use in making such an application,

shall be fined in accordance with title 18, United States
Code, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
(B) Inadmissibility.--An alien who is convicted of a crime
under subparagraph (A) shall be considered to be inadmissible
to the United States on the ground described in section
212(a)(6)(C)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8
U.S.C. 1182(a)(6)(C)(i)).
(8) Eligibility for legal services.--Section 504(a)(11) of
Public Law 104-134 (110 Stat. 1321-53 et seq.) shall not be
construed to prevent a recipient of funds under the Legal
Services Corporation Act (42 U.S.C. 2996 et seq.) from
providing legal assistance directly related to an application
for adjustment of status under this section.
(9) Application fees.--
(A) Fee schedule.--The Secretary shall provide for a
schedule of fees that--
(i) shall be charged for the filing of applications for
status under subsections (a) and (c); and
(ii) may be charged by qualified designated entities to
help defray the costs of services provided to such
applicants.
(B) Prohibition on excess fees by qualified designated
entities.--A qualified designated entity may not charge any
fee in excess of, or in addition to, the fees authorized
under subparagraph (A)(ii) for services provided to
applicants.
(C) Disposition of fees.--
(i) In general.--There is established in the general fund
of the Treasury a separate account, which shall be known as
the ``Agricultural Worker Immigration Status Adjustment
Account''. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, there
shall be deposited as offsetting receipts into the account
all fees collected under subparagraph (A)(i).
(ii) Use of fees for application processing.--Amounts
deposited in the ``Agricultural Worker Immigration Status
Adjustment Account'' shall remain available to the Secretary
until expended for processing applications for status under
subsections (a) and (c).
(e) Waiver of Numerical Limitations and Certain Grounds for
Inadmissibility.--
(1) Numerical limitations do not apply.--The numerical
limitations of sections 201 and 202 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1151 and 1152) shall not apply to
the adjustment of aliens to lawful permanent resident status
under this section.
(2) Waiver of certain grounds of inadmissibility.--In the
determination of an alien's eligibility for status under
subsection (a)(1)(C) or an alien's eligibility for adjustment
of status under subsection (c)(1)(B)(ii)(I), the following
rules shall apply:
(A) Grounds of exclusion not applicable.--The provisions of
paragraphs (5), (6)(A), (7)(A), and (9)(B) of section 212(a)
of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a))
shall not apply.
(B) Waiver of other grounds.--
(i) In general.--Except as provided in clause (ii), the
Secretary may waive any other provision of such section
212(a) in the case of individual aliens for humanitarian
purposes, to ensure family unity, or if otherwise in the
public interest.
(ii) Grounds that may not be waived.--Paragraphs (2)(A),
(2)(B), (2)(C), (3), and (4) of such section 212(a) may not
be waived by the Secretary under clause (i).
(iii) Construction.--Nothing in this subparagraph shall be
construed as affecting the authority of the Secretary other
than under this subparagraph to waive provisions of such
section 212(a).
(C) Special rule for determination of public charge.--An
alien is not ineligible for status under this section by
reason of a ground of inadmissibility under section 212(a)(4)
of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(4))
if the alien demonstrates a history of employment in the
United States evidencing self-support without reliance on
public cash assistance.

[[Page S3580]]

(f) Temporary Stay of Removal and Work Authorization for
Certain Applicants.--
(1) Before application period.--Effective on the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall provide that, in
the case of an alien who is apprehended before the beginning
of the application period described in subsection (a)(1)(B)
and who can establish a nonfrivolous case of eligibility for
temporary resident status under subsection (a) (but for the
fact that the alien may not apply for such status until the
beginning of such period), until the alien has had the
opportunity during the first 30 days of the application
period to complete the filing of an application for temporary
resident status, the alien--
(A) may not be removed; and
(B) shall be granted authorization to engage in employment
in the United States and be provided an ``employment
authorized'' endorsement or other appropriate work permit for
such purpose.
(2) During application period.--The Secretary shall provide
that, in the case of an alien who presents a nonfrivolous
application for temporary resident status under subsection
(a) during the application period described in subsection
(a)(1)(B), including an alien who files such an application
within 30 days of the alien's apprehension, and until a final
determination on the application has been made in accordance
with this section, the alien--
(A) may not be removed; and
(B) shall be granted authorization to engage in employment
in the United States and be provided an ``employment
authorized'' endorsement or other appropriate work permit for
such purpose.
(g) Administrative and Judicial Review.--
(1) In general.--There shall be no administrative or
judicial review of a determination respecting an application
for status under subsection (a) or (c) except in accordance
with this subsection.
(2) Administrative review.--
(A) Single level of administrative appellate review.--The
Secretary shall establish an appellate authority to provide
for a single level of administrative appellate review of such
a determination.
(B) Standard for review.--Such administrative appellate
review shall be based solely upon the administrative record
established at the time of the determination on the
application and upon such additional or newly discovered
evidence as may not have been available at the time of the
determination.
(3) Judicial review.--
(A) Limitation to review of removal.--There shall be
judicial review of such a determination only in the judicial
review of an order of removal under section 242 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1252).
(B) Standard for judicial review.--Such judicial review
shall be based solely upon the administrative record
established at the time of the review by the appellate
authority and the findings of fact and determinations
contained in such record shall be conclusive unless the
applicant can establish abuse of discretion or that the
findings are directly contrary to clear and convincing facts
contained in the record considered as a whole.
(h) Dissemination of Information on Adjustment Program.--
Beginning not later than the first day of the application
period described in subsection (a)(1)(B), the Secretary, in
cooperation with qualified designated entities, shall broadly
disseminate information respecting the benefits that aliens
may receive under this section and the requirements to be
satisfied to obtain such benefits.
(i) Regulations.--The Secretary shall issue regulations to
implement this section not later than the first day of the
seventh month that begins after the date of enactment of this
Act.
(j) Effective Date.--This section shall take effect on the
date that regulations are issued implementing this section on
an interim or other basis.
(k) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section
$40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2009.

SEC. 712. CORRECTION OF SOCIAL SECURITY RECORDS.

(a) In General.--Section 208(d)(1) of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 408(d)(1)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking ``or'' at the end;
(2) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ``or'' at the end;
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following:
``(D) who is granted status as a lawful temporary resident
under the Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and
Security Act of 2005,''; and
(4) by striking ``1990.'' and inserting ``1990, or in the
case of an alien described in subparagraph (D), if such
conduct is alleged to have occurred before the date on which
the alien was granted lawful temporary resident status.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a)
shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month that
begins after the date of enactment of this Act.

Subtitle B--Reform of H-2A Worker Program

SEC. 721. AMENDMENT TO THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT.

(a) In General.--The Immigration and Nationality Act is
amended by striking section 218 (8 U.S.C. 1188) and inserting
the following:

``H-2A EMPLOYER APPLICATIONS

``Sec. 218. (a) Applications to the Secretary of Labor.--
``(1) In general.--No alien may be admitted to the United
States as an H-2A worker, or otherwise provided status as an
H-2A worker, unless the employer has filed with the Secretary
of Labor an application containing--
``(A) the assurances described in subsection (b);
``(B) a description of the nature and location of the work
to be performed;
``(C) the anticipated period (expected beginning and ending
dates) for which the workers will be needed; and
``(D) the number of job opportunities in which the employer
seeks to employ the workers.
``(2) Accompanied by job offer.--Each application filed
under paragraph (1) shall be accompanied by a copy of the job
offer describing the wages and other terms and conditions of
employment and the bona fide occupational qualifications that
shall be possessed by a worker to be employed in the job
opportunity in question.
``(b) Assurances for Inclusion in Applications.--The
assurances referred to in subsection (a)(1) are the
following:
``(1) Job opportunities covered by collective bargaining
agreements.--With respect to a job opportunity that is
covered under a collective bargaining agreement:
``(A) Union contract described.--The job opportunity is
covered by a union contract which was negotiated at arm's
length between a bona fide union and the employer.
``(B) Strike or lockout.--The specific job opportunity for
which the employer is requesting an H-2A worker is not vacant
because the former occupant is on strike or being locked out
in the course of a labor dispute.
``(C) Notification of bargaining representatives.--The
employer, at the time of filing the application, has provided
notice of the filing under this paragraph to the bargaining
representative of the employer's employees in the
occupational classification at the place or places of
employment for which aliens are sought.
``(D) Temporary or seasonal job opportunities.--The job
opportunity is temporary or seasonal.
``(E) Offers to united states workers.--The employer has
offered or will offer the job to any eligible United States
worker who applies and is equally or better qualified for the
job for which the nonimmigrant is, or the nonimmigrants are,
sought and who will be available at the time and place of
need.
``(F) Provision of insurance.--If the job opportunity is
not covered by the State workers' compensation law, the
employer will provide, at no cost to the worker, insurance
covering injury and disease arising out of, and in the course
of, the worker's employment which will provide benefits at
least equal to those provided under the State's workers'
compensation law for comparable employment.
``(2) Job opportunities not covered by collective
bargaining agreements.--With respect to a job opportunity
that is not covered under a collective bargaining agreement:
``(A) Strike or lockout.--The specific job opportunity for
which the employer is requesting an H-2A worker is not vacant
because the former occupant is on strike or being locked out
in the course of a labor dispute.
``(B) Temporary or seasonal job opportunities.--The job
opportunity is temporary or seasonal.
``(C) Benefit, wage, and working conditions.--The employer
will provide, at a minimum, the benefits, wages, and working
conditions required by section 218A to all workers employed
in the job opportunities for which the employer has applied
under subsection (a) and to all other workers in the same
occupation at the place of employment.
``(D) Nondisplacement of united states workers.--The
employer did not displace and will not displace a United
States worker employed by the employer during the period of
employment and for a period of 30 days preceding the period
of employment in the occupation at the place of employment
for which the employer seeks approval to employ H-2A workers.
``(E) Requirements for placement of nonimmigrant with other
employers.--The employer will not place the nonimmigrant with
another employer unless--
``(i) the nonimmigrant performs duties in whole or in part
at 1 or more work sites owned, operated, or controlled by
such other employer;
``(ii) there are indicia of an employment relationship
between the nonimmigrant and such other employer; and
``(iii) the employer has inquired of the other employer as
to whether, and has no actual knowledge or notice that,
during the period of employment and for a period of 30 days
preceding the period of employment, the other employer has
displaced or intends to displace a United States worker
employed by the other employer in the occupation at the place
of employment for which the employer seeks approval to employ
H-2A workers.
``(F) Statement of liability.--The application form shall
include a clear statement explaining the liability under
subparagraph

[[Page S3581]]

(E) of an employer if the other employer described in such
subparagraph displaces a United States worker as described in
such subparagraph.
``(G) Provision of insurance.--If the job opportunity is
not covered by the State workers' compensation law, the
employer will provide, at no cost to the worker, insurance
covering injury and disease arising out of and in the course
of the worker's employment which will provide benefits at
least equal to those provided under the State's workers'
compensation law for comparable employment.
``(H) Employment of united states workers.--
``(i) Recruitment.--The employer has taken or will take the
following steps to recruit United States workers for the job
opportunities for which the H-2A nonimmigrant is, or H-2A
nonimmigrants are, sought:

``(I) Contacting former workers.--The employer shall make
reasonable efforts through the sending of a letter by United
States Postal Service mail, or otherwise, to contact any
United States worker the employer employed during the
previous season in the occupation at the place of intended
employment for which the employer is applying for workers and
has made the availability of the employer's job opportunities
in the occupation at the place of intended employment known
to such previous workers, unless the worker was terminated
from employment by the employer for a lawful job-related
reason or abandoned the job before the worker completed the
period of employment of the job opportunity for which the
worker was hired.
``(II) Filing a job offer with the local office of the
state employment security agency.--Not later than 28 days
before the date on which the employer desires to employ an H-
2A worker in a temporary or seasonal agricultural job
opportunity, the employer shall submit a copy of the job
offer described in subsection (a)(2) to the local office of
the State employment security agency which serves the area of
intended employment and authorize the posting of the job
opportunity on `America's Job Bank' or other electronic job
registry, except that nothing in this subclause shall require
the employer to file an interstate job order under section
653 of title 20, Code of Federal Regulations.
``(III) Advertising of job opportunities.--Not later than
14 days before the date on which the employer desires to
employ an H-2A worker in a temporary or seasonal agricultural
job opportunity, the employer shall advertise the
availability of the job opportunities for which the employer
is seeking workers in a publication in the local labor market
that is likely to be patronized by potential farm workers.
``(IV) Emergency procedures.--The Secretary of Labor shall,
by regulation, provide a procedure for acceptance and
approval of applications in which the employer has not
complied with the provisions of this subparagraph because the
employer's need for H-2A workers could not reasonably have
been foreseen.

``(ii) Job offers.--The employer has offered or will offer
the job to any eligible United States worker who applies and
is equally or better qualified for the job for which the
nonimmigrant is, or nonimmigrants are, sought and who will be
available at the time and place of need.
``(iii) Period of employment.--The employer will provide
employment to any qualified United States worker who applies
to the employer during the period beginning on the date on
which the foreign worker departs for the employer's place of
employment and ending on the date on which 50 percent of the
period of employment for which the foreign worker who is in
the job was hired has elapsed, subject to the following
requirements:

``(I) Prohibition.--No person or entity shall willfully and
knowingly withhold United States workers before the arrival
of H-2A workers in order to force the hiring of United States
workers under this clause.
``(II) Complaints.--Upon receipt of a complaint by an
employer that a violation of subclause (I) has occurred, the
Secretary of Labor shall immediately investigate. The
Secretary of Labor shall, within 36 hours of the receipt of
the complaint, issue findings concerning the alleged
violation. If the Secretary of Labor finds that a violation
has occurred, the Secretary of Labor shall immediately
suspend the application of this clause with respect to that
certification for that date of need.
``(III) Placement of united states workers.--Before
referring a United States worker to an employer during the
period described in the matter preceding subclause (I), the
Secretary of Labor shall make all reasonable efforts to place
the United States worker in an open job acceptable to the
worker, if there are other job offers pending with the job
service that offer similar job opportunities in the area of
intended employment.

``(iv) Statutory construction.--Nothing in this
subparagraph shall be construed to prohibit an employer from
using such legitimate selection criteria relevant to the type
of job that are normal or customary to the type of job
involved so long as such criteria are not applied in a
discriminatory manner.
``(c) Applications by Associations on Behalf of Employer
Members.--
``(1) In general.--An agricultural association may file an
application under subsection (a) on behalf of 1 or more of
its employer members that the association certifies in its
application has or have agreed in writing to comply with the
requirements of this section and sections 218A through 218C.
``(2) Treatment of associations acting as employers.--If an
association filing an application under paragraph (1) is a
joint or sole employer of the temporary or seasonal
agricultural workers requested on the application, the
certifications granted under subsection (e)(2)(B) to the
association may be used for the certified job opportunities
of any of its producer members named on the application, and
such workers may be transferred among such producer members
to perform the agricultural services of a temporary or
seasonal nature for which the certifications were granted.
``(d) Withdrawal of Applications.--
``(1) In general.--An employer may withdraw an application
filed pursuant to subsection (a), except that if the employer
is an agricultural association, the association may withdraw
an application filed pursuant to subsection (a) with respect
to 1 or more of its members. To withdraw an application, the
employer or association shall notify the Secretary of Labor
in writing, and the Secretary of Labor shall acknowledge in
writing the receipt of such withdrawal notice. An employer
who withdraws an application under subsection (a), or on
whose behalf an application is withdrawn, is relieved of the
obligations undertaken in the application.
``(2) Limitation.--An application may not be withdrawn
while any alien provided status under section
101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(a) pursuant to such application is employed
by the employer.
``(3) Obligations under other statutes.--Any obligation
incurred by an employer under any other law or regulation as
a result of the recruitment of United States workers or H-2A
workers under an offer of terms and conditions of employment
required as a result of making an application under
subsection (a) is unaffected by withdrawal of such
application.
``(e) Review and Approval of Applications.--
``(1) Responsibility of employers.--The employer shall make
available for public examination, within 1 working day after
the date on which an application under subsection (a) is
filed, at the employer's principal place of business or work
site, a copy of each such application (and such accompanying
documents as are necessary).
``(2) Responsibility of the secretary of labor.--
``(A) Compilation of list.--The Secretary of Labor shall
compile, on a current basis, a list (by employer and by
occupational classification) of the applications filed under
this subsection. Such list shall include the wage rate,
number of workers sought, period of intended employment, and
date of need. The Secretary of Labor shall make such list
available for examination in the District of Columbia.
``(B) Review of applications.--The Secretary of Labor shall
review such an application only for completeness and obvious
inaccuracies. Unless the Secretary of Labor finds that the
application is incomplete or obviously inaccurate, the
Secretary of Labor shall certify that the intending employer
has filed with the Secretary of Labor an application as
described in subsection (a). Such certification shall be
provided within 7 days of the filing of the application.

``H-2A EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS

``Sec. 218A. (a) Preferential Treatment of Aliens
Prohibited.--Employers seeking to hire United States workers
shall offer the United States workers no less than the same
benefits, wages, and working conditions that the employer is
offering, intends to offer, or will provide to H-2A workers.
Conversely, no job offer may impose on United States workers
any restrictions or obligations which will not be imposed on
the employer's H-2A workers.
``(b) Minimum Benefits, Wages, and Working Conditions.--
Except in cases where higher benefits, wages, or working
conditions are required by the provisions of subsection (a),
in order to protect similarly employed United States workers
from adverse effects with respect to benefits, wages, and
working conditions, every job offer which shall accompany an
application under section 218(b)(2) shall include each of the
following benefit, wage, and working condition provisions:
``(1) Requirement to provide housing or a housing
allowance.--
``(A) In general.--An employer applying under section
218(a) for H-2A workers shall offer to provide housing at no
cost to all workers in job opportunities for which the
employer has applied under that section and to all other
workers in the same occupation at the place of employment,
whose place of residence is beyond normal commuting distance.
``(B) Type of housing.--In complying with subparagraph (A),
an employer may, at the employer's election, provide housing
that meets applicable Federal standards for temporary labor
camps or secure housing that meets applicable local standards
for rental or public accommodation housing or other
substantially similar class of habitation, or in the absence
of applicable local standards, State standards for rental or
public accommodation housing or other substantially similar
class of habitation. In the absence of applicable local or
State standards, Federal temporary labor camp standards shall
apply.
``(C) Family housing.--When it is the prevailing practice
in the occupation and area

[[Page S3582]]

of intended employment to provide family housing, family
housing shall be provided to workers with families who
request it.
``(D) Workers engaged in the range production of
livestock.--The Secretary of Labor shall issue regulations
that address the specific requirements for the provision of
housing to workers engaged in the range production of
livestock.
``(E) Limitation.--Nothing in this paragraph shall be
construed to require an employer to provide or secure housing
for persons who were not entitled to such housing under the
temporary labor certification regulations in effect on June
1, 1986.
``(F) Charges for housing.--
``(i) Charges for public housing.--If public housing
provided for migrant agricultural workers under the auspices
of a local, county, or State government is secured by an
employer, and use of the public housing unit normally
requires charges from migrant workers, such charges shall be
paid by the employer directly to the appropriate individual
or entity affiliated with the housing's management.
``(ii) Deposit charges.--Charges in the form of deposits
for bedding or other similar incidentals related to housing
shall not be levied upon workers by employers who provide
housing for their workers. An employer may require a worker
found to have been responsible for damage to such housing
which is not the result of normal wear and tear related to
habitation to reimburse the employer for the reasonable cost
of repair of such damage.
``(G) Housing allowance as alternative.--
``(i) In general.--If the requirement under clause (ii) is
satisfied, the employer may provide a reasonable housing
allowance instead of offering housing under subparagraph (A).
Upon the request of a worker seeking assistance in locating
housing, the employer shall make a good faith effort to
assist the worker in identifying and locating housing in the
area of intended employment. An employer who offers a housing
allowance to a worker, or assists a worker in locating
housing which the worker occupies, pursuant to this clause
shall not be deemed a housing provider under section 203 of
the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act
(29 U.S.C. 1823) solely by virtue of providing such housing
allowance. No housing allowance may be used for housing which
is owned or controlled by the employer.
``(ii) Certification.--The requirement of this clause is
satisfied if the Governor of the State certifies to the
Secretary of Labor that there is adequate housing available
in the area of intended employment for migrant farm workers,
and H-2A workers, who are seeking temporary housing while
employed at farm work. Such certification shall expire after
3 years unless renewed by the Governor of the State.
``(iii) Amount of allowance.--

``(I) Nonmetropolitan counties.--If the place of employment
of the workers provided an allowance under this subparagraph
is a nonmetropolitan county, the amount of the housing
allowance under this subparagraph shall be equal to the
statewide average fair market rental for existing housing for
nonmetropolitan counties for the State, as established by the
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development pursuant to
section 8(c) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42
U.S.C. 1437f(c)), based on a 2 bedroom dwelling unit and an
assumption of 2 persons per bedroom.
``(II) Metropolitan counties.--If the place of employment
of the workers provided an allowance under this paragraph is
in a metropolitan county, the amount of the housing allowance
under this subparagraph shall be equal to the statewide
average fair market rental for existing housing for
metropolitan counties for the State, as established by the
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development pursuant to
section 8(c) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42
U.S.C. 1437f(c)), based on a 2-bedroom dwelling unit and an
assumption of 2 persons per bedroom.

``(2) Reimbursement of transportation.--
``(A) To place of employment.--A worker who completes 50
percent of the period of employment of the job opportunity
for which the worker was hired shall be reimbursed by the
employer for the cost of the worker's transportation and
subsistence from the place from which the worker came to work
for the employer (or place of last employment, if the worker
traveled from such place) to the place of employment.
``(B) From place of employment.--A worker who completes the
period of employment for the job opportunity involved shall
be reimbursed by the employer for the cost of the worker's
transportation and subsistence from the place of employment
to the place from which the worker, disregarding intervening
employment, came to work for the employer, or to the place of
next employment, if the worker has contracted with a
subsequent employer who has not agreed to provide or pay for
the worker's transportation and subsistence to such
subsequent employer's place of employment.
``(C) Limitation.--
``(i) Amount of reimbursement.--Except as provided in
clause (ii), the amount of reimbursement provided under
subparagraph (A) or (B) to a worker or alien shall not exceed
the lesser of--

``(I) the actual cost to the worker or alien of the
transportation and subsistence involved; or
``(II) the most economical and reasonable common carrier
transportation charges and subsistence costs for the distance
involved.

``(ii) Distance traveled.--No reimbursement under
subparagraph (A) or (B) shall be required if the distance
traveled is 100 miles or less, or the worker is not residing
in employer-provided housing or housing secured through an
allowance as provided in paragraph (1)(G).
``(D) Early termination.--If the worker is laid off or
employment is terminated for contract impossibility (as
described in paragraph (4)(D)) before the anticipated ending
date of employment, the employer shall provide the
transportation and subsistence required by subparagraph (B)
and, notwithstanding whether the worker has completed 50
percent of the period of employment, shall provide the
transportation reimbursement required by subparagraph (A).
``(E) Transportation between living quarters and work
site.--The employer shall provide transportation between the
worker's living quarters and the employer's work site without
cost to the worker, and such transportation will be in
accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
``(3) Required wages.--
``(A) In general.--An employer applying for workers under
section 218(a) shall offer to pay, and shall pay, all workers
in the occupation for which the employer has applied for
workers, not less (and is not required to pay more) than the
greater of the prevailing wage in the occupation in the area
of intended employment or the adverse effect wage rate. No
worker shall be paid less than the greater of the hourly wage
prescribed under section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards
Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(a)(1)) or the applicable State
minimum wage.
``(B) Limitation.--Effective on the date of enactment of
the Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act
of 2005 and continuing for 3 years thereafter, no adverse
effect wage rate for a State may be more than the adverse
effect wage rate for that State in effect on January 1, 2003,
as established by section 655.107 of title 20, Code of
Federal Regulations.
``(C) Required wages after 3-year freeze.--
``(i) First adjustment.--If Congress does not set a new
wage standard applicable to this section before the first
March 1 that is not less than 3 years after the date of
enactment of this section, the adverse effect wage rate for
each State beginning on such March 1 shall be the wage rate
that would have resulted if the adverse effect wage rate in
effect on January 1, 2003, had been annually adjusted,
beginning on March 1, 2006, by the lesser of--

``(I) the 12 month percentage change in the Consumer Price
Index for All Urban Consumers between December of the second
preceding year and December of the preceding year; and
``(II) 4 percent.

``(ii) Subsequent annual adjustments.--Beginning on the
first March 1 that is not less than 4 years after the date of
enactment of this section, and each March 1 thereafter, the
adverse effect wage rate then in effect for each State shall
be adjusted by the lesser of--

``(I) the 12 month percentage change in the Consumer Price
Index for All Urban Consumers between December of the second
preceding year and December of the preceding year; and
``(II) 4 percent.

``(D) Deductions.--The employer shall make only those
deductions from the worker's wages that are authorized by law
or are reasonable and customary in the occupation and area of
employment. The job offer shall specify all deductions not
required by law which the employer will make from the
worker's wages.
``(E) Frequency of pay.--The employer shall pay the worker
not less frequently than twice monthly, or in accordance with
the prevailing practice in the area of employment, whichever
is more frequent.
``(F) Hours and earnings statements.--The employer shall
furnish to the worker, on or before each payday, in 1 or more
written statements--
``(i) the worker's total earnings for the pay period;
``(ii) the worker's hourly rate of pay, piece rate of pay,
or both;
``(iii) the hours of employment which have been offered to
the worker (broken out by hours offered in accordance with
and over and above the three-quarters guarantee described in
paragraph (4);
``(iv) the hours actually worked by the worker;
``(v) an itemization of the deductions made from the
worker's wages; and
``(vi) if piece rates of pay are used, the units produced
daily.
``(G) Report on wage protections.--Not later than June 1,
2007, the Comptroller General of the United States shall
prepare and transmit to the Secretary of Labor, the Committee
on the Judiciary of the Senate, and Committee on the
Judiciary of the House of Representatives, a report that
addresses--
``(i) whether the employment of H-2A or unauthorized aliens
in the United States agricultural work force has depressed
United States farm worker wages below the levels that would
otherwise have prevailed if alien farm workers had not been
employed in the United States;
``(ii) whether an adverse effect wage rate is necessary to
prevent wages of United States farm workers in occupations in
which H-2A workers are employed from falling below the wage
levels that would have prevailed in the

[[Page S3583]]

absence of the employment of H-2A workers in those
occupations;
``(iii) whether alternative wage standards, such as a
prevailing wage standard, would be sufficient to prevent
wages in occupations in which H-2A workers are employed from
falling below the wage level that would have prevailed in the
absence of H-2A employment;
``(iv) whether any changes are warranted in the current
methodologies for calculating the adverse effect wage rate
and the prevailing wage; and
``(v) recommendations for future wage protection under this
section.
``(H) Commission on wage standards.--
``(i) Establishment.--There is established the Commission
on Agricultural Wage Standards under the H-2A program (in
this subparagraph referred to as the `Commission').
``(ii) Composition.--The Commission shall consist of 10
members as follows:

``(I) 4 representatives of agricultural employers and 1
representative of the Department of Agriculture, each
appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture.
``(II) 4 representatives of agricultural workers and 1
representative of the Department of Labor, each appointed by
the Secretary of Labor.

``(iii) Functions.--The Commission shall conduct a study
that shall address--

``(I) whether the employment of H-2A or unauthorized aliens
in the United States agricultural workforce has depressed
United States farm worker wages below the levels that would
otherwise have prevailed if alien farm workers had not been
employed in the United States;
``(II) whether an adverse effect wage rate is necessary to
prevent wages of United States farm workers in occupations in
which H-2A workers are employed from falling below the wage
levels that would have prevailed in the absence of the
employment of H-2A workers in those occupations;
``(III) whether alternative wage standards, such as a
prevailing wage standard, would be sufficient to prevent
wages in occupations in which H-2A workers are employed from
falling below the wage level that would have prevailed in the
absence of H-2A employment;
``(IV) whether any changes are warranted in the current
methodologies for calculating the adverse effect wage rate
and the prevailing wage rate; and
``(V) recommendations for future wage protection under this
section.

``(iv) Final report.--Not later than June 1, 2007, the
Commission shall submit a report to the Congress setting
forth the findings of the study conducted under clause (iii).
``(v) Termination date.--The Commission shall terminate
upon submitting its final report.
``(4) Guarantee of employment.--
``(A) Offer to worker.--The employer shall guarantee to
offer the worker employment for the hourly equivalent of at
least three-fourths of the work days of the total period of
employment, beginning with the first work day after the
arrival of the worker at the place of employment and ending
on the expiration date specified in the job offer. For
purposes of this subparagraph, the hourly equivalent means
the number of hours in the work days as stated in the job
offer and shall exclude the worker's Sabbath and Federal
holidays. If the employer affords the United States or H-2A
worker less employment than that required under this
paragraph, the employer shall pay such worker the amount
which the worker would have earned had the worker, in fact,
worked for the guaranteed number of hours.
``(B) Failure to work.--Any hours which the worker fails to
work, up to a maximum of the number of hours specified in the
job offer for a work day, when the worker has been offered an
opportunity to do so, and all hours of work actually
performed (including voluntary work in excess of the number
of hours specified in the job offer in a work day, on the
worker's Sabbath, or on Federal holidays) may be counted by
the employer in calculating whether the period of guaranteed
employment has been met.
``(C) Abandonment of employment, termination for cause.--If
the worker voluntarily abandons employment before the end of
the contract period, or is terminated for cause, the worker
is not entitled to the `three-fourths guarantee' described in
subparagraph (A).
``(D) Contract impossibility.--If, before the expiration of
the period of employment specified in the job offer, the
services of the worker are no longer required for reasons
beyond the control of the employer due to any form of natural
disaster, including but not limited to a flood, hurricane,
freeze, earthquake, fire, drought, plant or animal disease or
pest infestation, or regulatory drought, before the guarantee
in subparagraph (A) is fulfilled, the employer may terminate
the worker's employment. In the event of such termination,
the employer shall fulfill the employment guarantee in
subparagraph (A) for the work days that have elapsed from the
first work day after the arrival of the worker to the
termination of employment. In such cases, the employer will
make efforts to transfer the United States worker to other
comparable employment acceptable to the worker. If such
transfer is not effected, the employer shall provide the
return transportation required in paragraph (2)(D).
``(5) Motor vehicle safety.--
``(A) Mode of transportation subject to coverage.--
``(i) In general.--Except as provided in clauses (iii) and
(iv), this subsection applies to any H-2A employer that uses
or causes to be used any vehicle to transport an H-2A worker
within the United States.
``(ii) Defined term.--In this paragraph, the term `uses or
causes to be used'--

``(I) applies only to transportation provided by an H-2A
employer to an H-2A worker, or by a farm labor contractor to
an H-2A worker at the request or direction of an H-2A
employer; and
``(II) does not apply to--

``(aa) transportation provided, or transportation
arrangements made, by an H-2A worker, unless the employer
specifically requested or arranged such transportation; or
``(bb) car pooling arrangements made by H-2A workers
themselves, using 1 of the workers' own vehicles, unless
specifically requested by the employer directly or through a
farm labor contractor.
``(iii) Clarification.--Providing a job offer to an H-2A
worker that causes the worker to travel to or from the place
of employment, or the payment or reimbursement of the
transportation costs of an H-2A worker by an H-2A employer,
shall not constitute an arrangement of, or participation in,
such transportation.
``(iv) Agricultural machinery and equipment excluded.--This
subsection does not apply to the transportation of an H-2A
worker on a tractor, combine, harvester, picker, or other
similar machinery or equipment while such worker is actually
engaged in the planting, cultivating, or harvesting of
agricultural commodities or the care of livestock or poultry
or engaged in transportation incidental thereto.
``(v) Common carriers excluded.--This subsection does not
apply to common carrier motor vehicle transportation in which
the provider holds itself out to the general public as
engaging in the transportation of passengers for hire and
holds a valid certification of authorization for such
purposes from an appropriate Federal, State, or local agency.
``(B) Applicability of standards, licensing, and insurance
requirements.--
``(i) In general.--When using, or causing to be used, any
vehicle for the purpose of providing transportation to which
this subparagraph applies, each employer shall--

``(I) ensure that each such vehicle conforms to the
standards prescribed by the Secretary of Labor under section
401(b) of the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker
Protection Act (29 U.S.C. 1841(b)) and other applicable
Federal and State safety standards;
``(II) ensure that each driver has a valid and appropriate
license, as provided by State law, to operate the vehicle;
and
``(III) have an insurance policy or a liability bond that
is in effect which insures the employer against liability for
damage to persons or property arising from the ownership,
operation, or causing to be operated, of any vehicle used to
transport any H-2A worker.

``(ii) Amount of insurance required.--The level of
insurance required shall be determined by the Secretary of
Labor pursuant to regulations to be issued under this
subsection.
``(iii) Effect of workers' compensation coverage.--If the
employer of any H-2A worker provides workers' compensation
coverage for such worker in the case of bodily injury or
death as provided by State law, the following adjustments in
the requirements of subparagraph (B)(i)(III) relating to
having an insurance policy or liability bond apply:

``(I) No insurance policy or liability bond shall be
required of the employer, if such workers are transported
only under circumstances for which there is coverage under
such State law.
``(II) An insurance policy or liability bond shall be
required of the employer for circumstances under which
coverage for the transportation of such workers is not
provided under such State law.

``(c) Compliance With Labor Laws.--An employer shall assure
that, except as otherwise provided in this section, the
employer will comply with all applicable Federal, State, and
local labor laws, including laws affecting migrant and
seasonal agricultural workers, with respect to all United
States workers and alien workers employed by the employer,
except that a violation of this assurance shall not
constitute a violation of the Migrant and Seasonal
Agricultural Worker Protection Act (29 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.).
``(d) Copy of Job Offer.--The employer shall provide to the
worker, not later than the day the work commences, a copy of
the employer's application and job offer described in section
218(a), or, if the employer will require the worker to enter
into a separate employment contract covering the employment
in question, such separate employment contract.
``(e) Range Production of Livestock.--Nothing in this
section, section 218, or section 218B shall preclude the
Secretary of Labor and the Secretary from continuing to apply
special procedures and requirements to the admission and
employment of aliens in occupations involving the range
production of livestock.

``PROCEDURE FOR ADMISSION AND EXTENSION OF STAY OF H-2A WORKERS

``Sec. 218B. (a) Petitioning for Admission.--An employer,
or an association acting as an agent or joint employer for
its members, that seeks the admission into the

[[Page S3584]]

United States of an H-2A worker may file a petition with the
Secretary. The petition shall be accompanied by an accepted
and currently valid certification provided by the Secretary
of Labor under section 218(e)(2)(B) covering the petitioner.
``(b) Expedited Adjudication by the Secretary.--The
Secretary shall establish a procedure for expedited
adjudication of petitions filed under subsection (a) and
within 7 working days shall, by fax, cable, or other means
assuring expedited delivery, transmit a copy of notice of
action on the petition to the petitioner and, in the case of
approved petitions, to the appropriate immigration officer at
the port of entry or United States consulate (as the case may
be) where the petitioner has indicated that the alien
beneficiary (or beneficiaries) will apply for a visa or
admission to the United States.
``(c) Criteria for Admissibility.--
``(1) In general.--An H-2A worker shall be considered
admissible to the United States if the alien is otherwise
admissible under this section, section 218, and section 218A,
and the alien is not ineligible under paragraph (2).
``(2) Disqualification.--An alien shall be considered
inadmissible to the United States and ineligible for
nonimmigrant status under section 101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(a) if the
alien has, at any time during the past 5 years--
``(A) violated a material provision of this section,
including the requirement to promptly depart the United
States when the alien's authorized period of admission under
this section has expired; or
``(B) otherwise violated a term or condition of admission
into the United States as a nonimmigrant, including
overstaying the period of authorized admission as such a
nonimmigrant.
``(3) Waiver of ineligibility for unlawful presence.--
``(A) In general.--An alien who has not previously been
admitted into the United States pursuant to this section, and
who is otherwise eligible for admission in accordance with
paragraphs (1) and (2), shall not be deemed inadmissible by
virtue of section 212(a)(9)(B). If an alien described in the
preceding sentence is present in the United States, the alien
may apply from abroad for H-2A status, but may not be granted
that status in the United States.
``(B) Maintenance of waiver.--An alien provided an initial
waiver of ineligibility pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall
remain eligible for such waiver unless the alien violates the
terms of this section or again becomes ineligible under
section 212(a)(9)(B) by virtue of unlawful presence in the
United States after the date of the initial waiver of
ineligibility pursuant to subparagraph (A).
``(d) Period of Admission.--
``(1) In general.--The alien shall be admitted for the
period of employment in the application certified by the
Secretary of Labor pursuant to section 218(e)(2)(B), not to
exceed 10 months, supplemented by a period of not more than 1
week before the beginning of the period of employment for the
purpose of travel to the work site and a period of 14 days
following the period of employment for the purpose of
departure or extension based on a subsequent offer of
employment, except that--
``(A) the alien is not authorized to be employed during
such 14-day period except in the employment for which the
alien was previously authorized; and
``(B) the total period of employment, including such 14-day
period, may not exceed 10 months.
``(2) Construction.--Nothing in this subsection shall limit
the authority of the Secretary to extend the stay of the
alien under any other provision of this Act.
``(e) Abandonment of Employment.--
``(1) In general.--An alien admitted or provided status
under section 101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(a) who abandons the
employment which was the basis for such admission or status
shall be considered to have failed to maintain nonimmigrant
status as an H-2A worker and shall depart the United States
or be subject to removal under section 237(a)(1)(C)(i).
``(2) Report by employer.--The employer, or association
acting as agent for the employer, shall notify the Secretary
not later than 7 days after an H-2A worker prematurely
abandons employment.
``(3) Removal by the secretary.--The Secretary shall
promptly remove from the United States any H-2A worker who
violates any term or condition of the worker's nonimmigrant
status.
``(4) Voluntary termination.--Notwithstanding paragraph
(1), an alien may voluntarily terminate his or her employment
if the alien promptly departs the United States upon
termination of such employment.
``(f) Replacement of Alien.--
``(1) In general.--Upon presentation of the notice to the
Secretary required by subsection (e)(2), the Secretary of
State shall promptly issue a visa to, and the Secretary shall
admit into the United States, an eligible alien designated by
the employer to replace an H-2A worker--
``(A) who abandons or prematurely terminates employment; or
``(B) whose employment is terminated after a United States
worker is employed pursuant to section 218(b)(2)(H)(iii), if
the United States worker voluntarily departs before the end
of the period of intended employment or if the employment
termination is for a lawful job-related reason.
``(2) Construction.--Nothing in this subsection is intended
to limit any preference required to be accorded United States
workers under any other provision of this Act.
``(g) Identification Document.--
``(1) In general.--Each alien authorized to be admitted
under section 101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(a) shall be provided an
identification and employment eligibility document to verify
eligibility for employment in the United States and verify
such person's proper identity.
``(2) Requirements.--No identification and employment
eligibility document may be issued which does not meet the
following requirements:
``(A) The document shall be capable of reliably determining
whether--
``(i) the individual with the identification and employment
eligibility document whose eligibility is being verified is
in fact eligible for employment;
``(ii) the individual whose eligibility is being verified
is claiming the identity of another person; and
``(iii) the individual whose eligibility is being verified
is authorized to be admitted into, and employed in, the
United States as an H-2A worker.
``(B) The document shall be in a form that is resistant to
counterfeiting and to tampering.
``(C) The document shall--
``(i) be compatible with other databases of the Secretary
for the purpose of excluding aliens from benefits for which
they are not eligible and determining whether the alien is
unlawfully present in the United States; and
``(ii) be compatible with law enforcement databases to
determine if the alien has been convicted of criminal
offenses.
``(h) Extension of Stay of H-2A Aliens in the United
States.--
``(1) Extension of stay.--If an employer seeks approval to
employ an H-2A alien who is lawfully present in the United
States, the petition filed by the employer or an association
pursuant to subsection (a), shall request an extension of the
alien's stay and a change in the alien's employment.
``(2) Limitation on filing a petition for extension of
stay.--A petition may not be filed for an extension of an
alien's stay--
``(A) for a period of more than 10 months; or
``(B) to a date that is more than 3 years after the date of
the alien's last admission to the United States under this
section.
``(3) Work authorization upon filing a petition for
extension of stay.--
``(A) In general.--An alien who is lawfully present in the
United States may commence the employment described in a
petition under paragraph (1) on the date on which the
petition is filed.
``(B) Definition.--For purposes of subparagraph (A), the
term `file' means sending the petition by certified mail via
the United States Postal Service, return receipt requested,
or delivered by guaranteed commercial delivery which will
provide the employer with a documented acknowledgment of the
date of receipt of the petition.
``(C) Handling of petition.--The employer shall provide a
copy of the employer's petition to the alien, who shall keep
the petition with the alien's identification and employment
eligibility document as evidence that the petition has been
filed and that the alien is authorized to work in the United
States.
``(D) Approval of petition.--Upon approval of a petition
for an extension of stay or change in the alien's authorized
employment, the Secretary shall provide a new or updated
employment eligibility document to the alien indicating the
new validity date, after which the alien is not required to
retain a copy of the petition.
``(4) Limitation on employment authorization of aliens
without valid identification and employment eligibility
document.--An expired identification and employment
eligibility document, together with a copy of a petition for
extension of stay or change in the alien's authorized
employment that complies with the requirements of paragraph
(1), shall constitute a valid work authorization document for
a period of not more than 60 days beginning on the date on
which such petition is filed, after which time only a
currently valid identification and employment eligibility
document shall be acceptable.
``(5) Limitation on an individual's stay in status.--
``(A) Maximum period.--The maximum continuous period of
authorized status as an H-2A worker (including any
extensions) is 3 years.
``(B) Requirement to remain outside the united states.--
``(i) In general.--Subject to clause (ii), in the case of
an alien outside the United States whose period of authorized
status as an H-2A worker (including any extensions) has
expired, the alien may not again apply for admission to the
United States as an H-2A worker unless the alien has remained
outside the United States for a continuous period equal to at
least \1/5\ the duration of the alien's previous period of
authorized status as an H-2A worker (including any
extensions).
``(ii) Exception.--Clause (i) shall not apply in the case
of an alien if the alien's period of authorized status as an
H-2A worker (including any extensions) was for a period of
not more than 10 months and such alien has been outside the
United States for at least 2 months during the 12 months
preceding the date the alien again is applying for admission
to the United States as an H-2A worker.
``(i) Special Rules for Aliens Employed as Sheepherders.--
Notwithstanding any

[[Page S3585]]

provision of the Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and
Security Act of 2005, aliens admitted under section
101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(a) for employment as sheepherders--
``(1) may be admitted for a period of 12 months;
``(2) may be extended for a continuous period of up to 3
years; and
``(3) shall not be subject to the requirements of
subsection (h)(5) relating to periods of absence from the
United States.

``WORKER PROTECTIONS AND LABOR STANDARDS ENFORCEMENT

``Sec. 218C. (a) Enforcement Authority.--
``(1) Investigation of complaints.--
``(A) Aggrieved person or third-party complaints.--The
Secretary of Labor shall establish a process for the receipt,
investigation, and disposition of complaints respecting a
petitioner's failure to meet a condition specified in section
218(b), or an employer's misrepresentation of material facts
in an application under section 218(a). Complaints may be
filed by any aggrieved person or organization (including
bargaining representatives). No investigation or hearing
shall be conducted on a complaint concerning such a failure
or misrepresentation unless the complaint was filed not later
than 12 months after the date of the failure, or
misrepresentation, respectively. The Secretary of Labor shall
conduct an investigation under this subparagraph if there is
reasonable cause to believe that such a failure or
misrepresentation has occurred.
``(B) Determination on complaint.--Under such process, the
Secretary of Labor shall provide, within 30 days after the
date such a complaint is filed, for a determination as to
whether or not a reasonable basis exists to make a finding
described in subparagraph (C), (D), (E), or (H). If the
Secretary of Labor determines that such a reasonable basis
exists, the Secretary of Labor shall provide for notice of
such determination to the interested parties and an
opportunity for a hearing on the complaint, in accordance
with section 556 of title 5, United States Code, within 60
days after the date of the determination. If such a hearing
is requested, the Secretary of Labor shall make a finding
concerning the matter not later than 60 days after the date
of the hearing. In the case of similar complaints respecting
the same applicant, the Secretary of Labor may consolidate
the hearings under this subparagraph on such complaints.
``(C) Failures to meet conditions.--If the Secretary of
Labor finds, after notice and opportunity for a hearing, a
failure to meet a condition of paragraph (1)(A), (1)(B),
(1)(D), (1)(F), (2)(A), (2)(B), or (2)(G) of section 218(b),
a substantial failure to meet a condition of paragraph
(1)(C), (1)(E), (2)(C), (2)(D), (2)(E), or (2)(H) of section
218(b), or a material misrepresentation of fact in an
application under section 218(a)--
``(i) the Secretary of Labor shall notify the Secretary of
such finding and may, in addition, impose such other
administrative remedies (including civil money penalties in
an amount not to exceed $1,000 per violation) as the
Secretary of Labor determines to be appropriate; and
``(ii) the Secretary may disqualify the employer from the
employment of aliens described in section
101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(a) for a period of 1 year.
``(D) Willful failures and willful misrepresentations.--If
the Secretary of Labor finds, after notice and opportunity
for hearing, a willful failure to meet a condition of section
218(b), a willful misrepresentation of a material fact in an
application under section 218(a), or a violation of
subsection (d)(1)--
``(i) the Secretary of Labor shall notify the Secretary of
such finding and may, in addition, impose such other
administrative remedies (including civil money penalties in
an amount not to exceed $5,000 per violation) as the
Secretary of Labor determines to be appropriate;
``(ii) the Secretary of Labor may seek appropriate legal or
equitable relief to effectuate the purposes of subsection
(d)(1); and
``(iii) the Secretary may disqualify the employer from the
employment of H-2A workers for a period of 2 years.
``(E) Displacement of united states workers.--If the
Secretary of Labor finds, after notice and opportunity for
hearing, a willful failure to meet a condition of section
218(b) or a willful misrepresentation of a material fact in
an application under section 218(a), in the course of which
failure or misrepresentation the employer displaced a United
States worker employed by the employer during the period of
employment on the employer's application under section 218(a)
or during the period of 30 days preceding such period of
employment--
``(i) the Secretary of Labor shall notify the Secretary of
such finding and may, in addition, impose such other
administrative remedies (including civil money penalties in
an amount not to exceed $15,000 per violation) as the
Secretary of Labor determines to be appropriate; and
``(ii) the Secretary may disqualify the employer from the
employment of H-2A workers for a period of 3 years.
``(F) Limitations on civil money penalties.--The Secretary
of Labor shall not impose total civil money penalties with
respect to an application under section 218(a) in excess of
$90,000.
``(G) Failures to pay wages or required benefits.--If the
Secretary of Labor finds, after notice and opportunity for a
hearing, that the employer has failed to pay the wages, or
provide the housing allowance, transportation, subsistence
reimbursement, or guarantee of employment, required under
section 218A(b), the Secretary of Labor shall assess payment
of back wages, or other required benefits, due any United
States worker or H-2A worker employed by the employer in the
specific employment in question. The back wages or other
required benefits under section 218A(b) shall be equal to the
difference between the amount that should have been paid and
the amount that actually was paid to such worker.
``(2) Statutory construction.--Nothing in this section
shall be construed as limiting the authority of the Secretary
of Labor to conduct any compliance investigation under any
other labor law, including any law affecting migrant and
seasonal agricultural workers, or, in the absence of a
complaint under this section, under section 218 or 218A.
``(b) Rights Enforceable by Private Right of Action.--H-2A
workers may enforce the following rights through the private
right of action provided in subsection (c), and no other
right of action shall exist under Federal or State law to
enforce such rights:
``(1) The providing of housing or a housing allowance as
required under section 218A(b)(1).
``(2) The reimbursement of transportation as required under
section 218A(b)(2).
``(3) The payment of wages required under section
218A(b)(3) when due.
``(4) The benefits and material terms and conditions of
employment expressly provided in the job offer described in
section 218(a)(2), not including the assurance to comply with
other Federal, State, and local labor laws described in
section 218A(c), compliance with which shall be governed by
the provisions of such laws.
``(5) The guarantee of employment required under section
218A(b)(4).
``(6) The motor vehicle safety requirements under section
218A(b)(5).
``(7) The prohibition of discrimination under subsection
(d)(2).
``(c) Private Right of Action.--
``(1) Mediation.--Upon the filing of a complaint by an H-2A
worker aggrieved by a violation of rights enforceable under
subsection (b), and within 60 days of the filing of proof of
service of the complaint, a party to the action may file a
request with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
to assist the parties in reaching a satisfactory resolution
of all issues involving all parties to the dispute. Upon a
filing of such request and giving of notice to the parties,
the parties shall attempt mediation within the period
specified in subparagraph (B).
``(A) Mediation services.--The Federal Mediation and
Conciliation Service shall be available to assist in
resolving disputes arising under subsection (b) between H-2A
workers and agricultural employers without charge to the
parties.
``(B) 90-day limit.--The Federal Mediation and Conciliation
Service may conduct mediation or other non-binding dispute
resolution activities for a period not to exceed 90 days
beginning on the date on which the Federal Mediation and
Conciliation Service receives the request for assistance
unless the parties agree to an extension of this period of
time.
``(C) Authorization.--
``(i) In general.--Subject to clause (ii), there are
authorized to be appropriated to the Federal Mediation and
Conciliation Service $500,000 for each fiscal year to carry
out this section.
``(ii) Mediation.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, the Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation
Service is authorized to conduct the mediation or other
dispute resolution activities from any other appropriated
funds available to the Director and to reimburse such
appropriated funds when the funds are appropriated pursuant
to this authorization, such reimbursement to be credited to
appropriations currently available at the time of receipt.
``(2) Maintenance of civil action in district court by
aggrieved person.--An H-2A worker aggrieved by a violation of
rights enforceable under subsection (b) by an agricultural
employer or other person may file suit in any district court
of the United States having jurisdiction of the parties,
without regard to the amount in controversy, without regard
to the citizenship of the parties, and without regard to the
exhaustion of any alternative administrative remedies under
this Act, not later than 3 years after the date the violation
occurs.
``(3) Election.--An H-2A worker who has filed an
administrative complaint with the Secretary of Labor may not
maintain a civil action under paragraph (2) unless a
complaint based on the same violation filed with the
Secretary of Labor under subsection (a)(1) is withdrawn
before the filing of such action, in which case the rights
and remedies available under this subsection shall be
exclusive.
``(4) Preemption of state contract rights.--Nothing in this
Act shall be construed to diminish the rights and remedies of
an H-2A worker under any other Federal or State law or
regulation or under any collective bargaining agreement,
except that no court or administrative action shall be
available under any State contract law to enforce the rights
created by this Act.
``(5) Waiver of rights prohibited.--Agreements by employees
purporting to waive or modify their rights under this Act
shall be void as contrary to public policy, except that

[[Page S3586]]

a waiver or modification of the rights or obligations in
favor of the Secretary of Labor shall be valid for purposes
of the enforcement of this Act. The preceding sentence may
not be construed to prohibit agreements to settle private
disputes or litigation.
``(6) Award of damages or other equitable relief.--
``(A) If the court finds that the respondent has
intentionally violated any of the rights enforceable under
subsection (b), it shall award actual damages, if any, or
equitable relief.
``(B) Any civil action brought under this section shall be
subject to appeal as provided in chapter 83 of title 28,
United States Code.
``(7) Workers' compensation benefits; exclusive remedy.--
``(A) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section,
where a State's workers' compensation law is applicable and
coverage is provided for an H-2A worker, the workers'
compensation benefits shall be the exclusive remedy for the
loss of such worker under this section in the case of bodily
injury or death in accordance with such State's workers'
compensation law.
``(B) The exclusive remedy prescribed in subparagraph (A)
precludes the recovery under paragraph (6) of actual damages
for loss from an injury or death but does not preclude other
equitable relief, except that such relief shall not include
back or front pay or in any manner, directly or indirectly,
expand or otherwise alter or affect--
``(i) a recovery under a State workers' compensation law;
or
``(ii) rights conferred under a State workers' compensation
law.
``(8) Tolling of statute of limitations.--If it is
determined under a State workers' compensation law that the
workers' compensation law is not applicable to a claim for
bodily injury or death of an H-2A worker, the statute of
limitations for bringing an action for actual damages for
such injury or death under subsection (c) shall be tolled for
the period during which the claim for such injury or death
under such State workers' compensation law was pending. The
statute of limitations for an action for actual damages or
other equitable relief arising out of the same transaction or
occurrence as the injury or death of the H-2A worker shall be
tolled for the period during which the claim for such injury
or death was pending under the State workers' compensation
law.
``(9) Preclusive effect.--Any settlement by an H-2A worker
and H-2A employer reached through the mediation process
required under subsection (c)(1) shall preclude any right of
action arising out of the same facts between the parties in
any Federal or State court or administrative proceeding,
unless specifically provided otherwise in the settlement
agreement.
``(10) Settlements.--Any settlement by the Secretary of
Labor with an H-2A employer on behalf of an H-2A worker of a
complaint filed with the Secretary of Labor under this
section or any finding by the Secretary of Labor under
subsection (a)(1)(B) shall preclude any right of action
arising out of the same facts between the parties under any
Federal or State court or administrative proceeding, unless
specifically provided otherwise in the settlement agreement.
``(d) Discrimination Prohibited.--
``(1) In general.--It is a violation of this subsection for
any person who has filed an application under section 218(a),
to intimidate, threaten, restrain, coerce, blacklist,
discharge, or in any other manner discriminate against an
employee (which term, for purposes of this subsection,
includes a former employee and an applicant for employment)
because the employee has disclosed information to the
employer, or to any other person, that the employee
reasonably believes evidences a violation of section 218 or
218A or any rule or regulation pertaining to section 218 or
218A, or because the employee cooperates or seeks to
cooperate in an investigation or other proceeding concerning
the employer's compliance with the requirements of section
218 or 218A or any rule or regulation pertaining to either of
such sections.
``(2) Discrimination against h-2a workers.--It is a
violation of this subsection for any person who has filed an
application under section 218(a), to intimidate, threaten,
restrain, coerce, blacklist, discharge, or in any manner
discriminate against an H-2A employee because such worker
has, with just cause, filed a complaint with the Secretary of
Labor regarding a denial of the rights enumerated and
enforceable under subsection (b) or instituted, or caused to
be instituted, a private right of action under subsection (c)
regarding the denial of the rights enumerated under
subsection (b), or has testified or is about to testify in
any court proceeding brought under subsection (c).
``(e) Authorization to Seek Other Appropriate Employment.--
The Secretary of Labor and the Secretary shall establish a
process under which an H-2A worker who files a complaint
regarding a violation of subsection (d) and is otherwise
eligible to remain and work in the United States may be
allowed to seek other appropriate employment in the United
States for a period not to exceed the maximum period of stay
authorized for such nonimmigrant classification.
``(f) Role of Associations.--
``(1) Violation by a member of an association.--An employer
on whose behalf an application is filed by an association
acting as its agent is fully responsible for such
application, and for complying with the terms and conditions
of sections 218 and 218A, as though the employer had filed
the application itself. If such an employer is determined,
under this section, to have committed a violation, the
penalty for such violation shall apply only to that member of
the association unless the Secretary of Labor determines that
the association or other member participated in, had
knowledge, or reason to know, of the violation, in which case
the penalty shall be invoked against the association or other
association member as well.
``(2) Violations by an association acting as an employer.--
If an association filing an application as a sole or joint
employer is determined to have committed a violation under
this section, the penalty for such violation shall apply only
to the association unless the Secretary of Labor determines
that an association member or members participated in or had
knowledge, or reason to know of the violation, in which case
the penalty shall be invoked against the association member
or members as well.

``DEFINITIONS

``Sec. 218D. For purposes of sections 218 through 218D:
``(1) Agricultural employment.--The term `agricultural
employment' means any service or activity that is considered
to be agricultural under section 3(f) of the Fair Labor
Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 203(f)) or agricultural
labor under section 3121(g) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 (26 U.S.C. 3121(g)). For purposes of this paragraph,
agricultural employment includes employment under section
101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(a).
``(2) Bona fide union.--The term `bona fide union' means
any organization in which employees participate and which
exists for the purpose of dealing with employers concerning
grievances, labor disputes, wages, rates of pay, hours of
employment, or other terms and conditions of work for
agricultural employees. Such term does not include an
organization formed, created, administered, supported,
dominated, financed, or controlled by an employer or employer
association or its agents or representatives.
``(3) Displace.--The term `displace', in the case of an
application with respect to 1 or more H-2A workers by an
employer, means laying off a United States worker from a job
for which the H-2A worker or workers is or are sought.
``(4) Eligible.--The term `eligible', when used with
respect to an individual, means an individual who is not an
unauthorized alien (as defined in section 274A(h)(3)).
``(5) Employer.--The term `employer' means any person or
entity, including any farm labor contractor and any
agricultural association, that employs workers in
agricultural employment.
``(6) H-2a employer.--The term `H-2A employer' means an
employer who seeks to hire 1 or more nonimmigrant aliens
described in section 101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(a).
``(7) H-2a worker.--The term `H-2A worker' means a
nonimmigrant described in section 101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(a).
``(8) Job opportunity.--The term `job opportunity' means a
job opening for temporary full-time employment at a place in
the United States to which United States workers can be
referred.
``(9) Lays off.--
``(A) In general.--The term `lays off', with respect to a
worker--
``(i) means to cause the worker's loss of employment, other
than through a discharge for inadequate performance,
violation of workplace rules, cause, voluntary departure,
voluntary retirement, contract impossibility (as described in
section 218A(b)(4)(D)), or temporary layoffs due to weather,
markets, or other temporary conditions; but
``(ii) does not include any situation in which the worker
is offered, as an alternative to such loss of employment, a
similar employment opportunity with the same employer (or, in
the case of a placement of a worker with another employer
under section 218(b)(2)(E), with either employer described in
such section) at equivalent or higher compensation and
benefits than the position from which the employee was
discharged, regardless of whether or not the employee accepts
the offer.
``(B) Statutory construction.--Nothing in this paragraph is
intended to limit an employee's rights under a collective
bargaining agreement or other employment contract.
``(10) Regulatory drought.--The term `regulatory drought'
means a decision subsequent to the filing of the application
under section 218 by an entity not under the control of the
employer making such filing which restricts the employer's
access to water for irrigation purposes and reduces or limits
the employer's ability to produce an agricultural commodity,
thereby reducing the need for labor.
``(11) Seasonal.--Labor is performed on a `seasonal' basis
if--
``(A) ordinarily, it pertains to or is of the kind
exclusively performed at certain seasons or periods of the
year; and
``(B) from its nature, it may not be continuous or carried
on throughout the year.
``(12) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary
of Homeland Security.
``(13) Temporary.--A worker is employed on a `temporary'
basis where the employment is intended not to exceed 10
months.
``(14) United states worker.--The term `United States
worker' means any worker, whether a United States citizen or
national, a lawfully admitted permanent resident alien, or
any other alien, who is authorized to work in the job
opportunity within the

[[Page S3587]]

United States, except an alien admitted or otherwise provided
status under section 101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(a).''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) is
amended by striking the item relating to section 218 and
inserting the following:

``Sec. 218. H-2A employer applications.
``Sec. 218A. H-2A employment requirements.
``Sec. 218B. Procedure for admission and extension of stay of H-2A
workers.
``Sec. 218C. Worker protections and labor standards enforcement.
``Sec. 218D. Definitions.''.

Subtitle C--Miscellaneous Provisions

SEC. 731. DETERMINATION AND USE OF USER FEES.

(a) Schedule of Fees.--The Secretary shall establish and
periodically adjust a schedule of fees for the employment of
aliens under this title and the amendments made by this
title, and a collection process for such fees from employers
participating in the program provided under this Act. Such
fees shall be the only fees chargeable to employers for
services provided under this Act.
(b) Determination of Schedule.--
(1) In general.--The schedule under subsection (a) shall
reflect a fee rate based on the number of job opportunities
indicated in the employer's application under section 218 of
the Immigration and Nationality Act, as added by section 721
of this Act, and sufficient to provide for the direct costs
of providing services related to an employer's authorization
to employ eligible aliens pursuant to this Act, to include
the certification of eligible employers, the issuance of
documentation, and the admission of eligible aliens.
(2) Procedure.--
(A) In general.--In establishing and adjusting such a
schedule, the Secretary shall comply with Federal cost
accounting and fee setting standards.
(B) Publication and comment.--The Secretary shall publish
in the Federal Register an initial fee schedule and
associated collection process and the cost data or estimates
upon which such fee schedule is based, and any subsequent
amendments thereto, pursuant to which public comment shall be
sought and a final rule issued.
(c) Use of Proceeds.--Notwithstanding any other provision
of law, all proceeds resulting from the payment of the alien
employment user fees shall be available without further
appropriation and shall remain available without fiscal year
limitation to reimburse the Secretary, the Secretary of
State, and the Secretary of Labor for the costs of carrying
out sections 218 and 218B of the Immigration and Nationality
Act, as added by section 721 of this Act, and the provisions
of this Act.

SEC. 732. REGULATIONS.

(a) Regulations of the Secretary.--The Secretary shall
consult with the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of
Agriculture on all regulations to implement the duties of the
Secretary under this title and the amendments made by this
title.
(b) Regulations of the Secretary of State.--The Secretary
of State shall consult with the Secretary, the Secretary of
Labor, and the Secretary of Agriculture on all regulations to
implement the duties of the Secretary of State under this
title and the amendments made by this title.
(c) Regulations of the Secretary of Labor.--The Secretary
of Labor shall consult with the Secretary of Agriculture and
the Secretary on all regulations to implement the duties of
the Secretary of Labor under this title and the amendments
made by this title.
(d) Deadline for Issuance of Regulations.--All regulations
to implement the duties of the Secretary, the Secretary of
State, and the Secretary of Labor created under sections 218,
218A, 218B, and 218C of the Immigration and Nationality Act,
as added by section 721 of this Act, shall take effect on the
effective date of section 721 and shall be issued not later
than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 733. RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS.

Section 274(a)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8
U.S.C. 1324(a)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(C) It is not a violation of clauses (ii), (iii), or (iv)
of subparagraph (A) for a religious denomination described in
section 101(a)(27)(C)(i) or an affiliated religious
organization described in section 101(a)(27)(C)(ii)(III), or
their agents or officers, to encourage, invite, call, allow,
or enable an alien who is present in the United States in
violation of law to carry on the vocation described in
section 101(a)(27)(C)(ii)(I), as a volunteer who is not
compensated as an employee, notwithstanding the provision of
room, board, travel, and other basic living expenses.''.

SEC. 734. EFFECTIVE DATE.

(a) In General.--Except as otherwise provided, sections 721
and 731 shall take effect 1 year after the date of enactment
of this Act.
(b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prepare and submit
to the appropriate committees of Congress a report that
describes the measures being taken and the progress made in
implementing this title.
______