To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to include the processing of crawfish as agricultural labor or services, and for other purposes.
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9312
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Immigration
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-15: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-30T21:44:14Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to expand the definition of agricultural labor or services to include crawfish processing. The goal is to allow certain visa categories tied to agricultural work to cover this activity.
Key Provisions
- Amends Section 101(a)(15)(H) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(H)).
- Adds "the processing of crawfish (including washing, sorting, grading, whole-boiling, peeling, and transporting)" to the existing list of agricultural activities, which currently includes "the pressing of apples for cider on a farm."
- The change applies to the nonimmigrant visa classification for temporary agricultural workers.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Broadens the scope of what counts as "agricultural labor or services" under federal immigration law.
- Previously, crawfish processing was not explicitly included in this category; the bill adds it alongside established farm-related activities.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: May increase workload for the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Labor in processing visa petitions for crawfish-related employers.
- Citizens: Could affect domestic labor markets in the crawfish industry by enabling more temporary foreign workers.
- International relations: May influence worker flows from countries that typically supply agricultural labor under U.S. visa programs.
- Overall, the change is narrow and limited to one specific industry activity.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Crawfish processors and related businesses, primarily in Louisiana.
- Temporary foreign workers seeking agricultural visas.
- U.S. agricultural employers and domestic workers in the seafood sector.
- Members of Congress from Louisiana and the House Judiciary Committee.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- This is a targeted statutory amendment with no apparent constitutional issues, as it falls within Congress's authority over immigration and naturalization.
- Politically, it reflects efforts to support a regional industry through immigration policy adjustments.
- No broader changes to visa caps, enforcement, or other immigration rules are included.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (2)
Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3], Rep. Fields, Cleo [D-LA-6]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-15: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2026-06-15: Introduced in House
- 2026-06-15: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to include the processing of crawfish as agricultural labor or services, and for other purposes. — issued 2026-06-15 — PDF (2 pages)