With a strong bipartisan majority, the House passed legislation that would provide a system by which agriculture workers can get a green card to temporarily reside in the United States if they have worked in agriculture for 180 days over the last two years, USA Today reports.
The legislation, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, garnered a 247-174 vote, with 34 Republicans voting with all Democrats to pass the bill. Republican leadership did not whip votes against the legislation as they did with the American Dream and Promise Act, which passed the chamber earlier Thursday. It’s expected that this will pass the Senate.
The bill provides temporary resident status for agricultural workers, their spouses and their families provided the worker can prove he/she worked in agriculture in the US for 180 days over the past two years. The bill also eases the process to apply for a H2-B visa, available for agricultural workers.