Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act of 2007

To improve agricultural job opportunities, benefits, and security for aliens in the United States, and for other purposes.

1/10/2007--Introduced.
Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act of 2007 or the AgJOBS Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to confer "blue card status" upon an alien who:
(1) has performed agricultural employment in the United States for at least 863 hours or 150 work days during the 24-month period ending on December 31, 2006;
(2) 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;
(3) is otherwise admissible to the United States; and
(4) has not been convicted of any felony or a misdemeanor, an element of which involves bodily injury, threat of serious bodily injury, or harm to property in excess of $500. Directs the Secretary to adjust a blue card alien (and spouse and minor children) to permanent resident status if the alien has fulfilled specified periods of agricultural employment. Amends the Social Security Act to exempt blue card aliens from prosecution for social security-related identity or payment false statements if such conduct occurred prior to the granting of blue card status. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to revise H-2A visa (agricultural labor or temporary or seasonal services) provisions. Replaces the existing labor certification requirement with a labor attestation requirement containing:
(1) a description of the nature and location of the job;
(2) the job's expected beginning and ending dates;
(3) the number of jobs; and
(4) specified labor assurances respecting job opportunities covered by collective bargaining agreements and non-covered job opportunities.

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Sponsor

• Rep. Howard Berman [D, CA-28]
• and 58 Co-Sponsors
  • Rep. Michael Arcuri [D, NY-24]
  • Rep. Joe Baca [D, CA-43]
  • Rep. Sanford Bishop [D, GA-2]
  • Rep. Timothy Bishop [D, NY-1]
  • Rep. Earl Blumenauer [D, OR-3]
  • Rep. F. Allen Boyd [D, FL-2]
  • Rep. Christopher Cannon [R, UT-3]
  • Rep. Lois Capps [D, CA-23]
  • Rep. Dennis Cardoza [D, CA-18]
  • Rep. Jim Costa [D, CA-20]
  • Rep. Henry Cuellar [D, TX-28]
  • Rep. Danny Davis [D, IL-7]
  • Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart [R, FL-21]
  • Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart [R, FL-25]
  • Rep. Anna Eshoo [D, CA-14]
  • Rep. Sam Farr [D, CA-17]
  • Rep. Bob Filner [D, CA-51]
  • Rep. Wayne Gilchrest [R, MD-1]
  • Rep. Raul Grijalva [D, AZ-7]
  • Rep. Alcee Hastings [D, FL-23]
  • Rep. Brian Higgins [D, NY-27]
  • Rep. Darlene Hooley [D, OR-5]
  • Rep. Ronald Kind [D, WI-3]
  • Rep. John Kuhl [R, NY-29]
  • Rep. Ray LaHood [R, IL-18]
  • Rep. Rick Larsen [D, WA-2]
  • Rep. Steven LaTourette [R, OH-14]
  • Rep. Barbara Lee [D, CA-9]
  • Rep. Zoe Lofgren [D, CA-16]
  • Rep. John McHugh [R, NY-23]
  • Rep. Jerry McNerney [D, CA-11]
  • Rep. Michael McNulty [D, NY-21]
  • Rep. R. Bradley Miller [D, NC-13]
  • Rep. Grace Napolitano [D, CA-38]
  • Rep. Devin Nunes [R, CA-21]
  • Rep. Collin Peterson [D, MN-7]
  • Rep. David Price [D, NC-4]
  • Rep. Adam Putnam [R, FL-12]
  • Rep. George Radanovich [R, CA-19]
  • Rep. Rick Renzi [R, AZ-1]
  • Rep. Thomas Reynolds [R, NY-26]
  • Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen [R, FL-18]
  • Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard [D, CA-34]
  • Rep. Paul Ryan [R, WI-1]
  • Rep. John Salazar [D, CO-3]
  • Rep. Linda Sanchez [D, CA-39]
  • Rep. Janice Schakowsky [D, IL-9]
  • Rep. John Shimkus [R, IL-19]
  • Rep. Louise Slaughter [D, NY-28]
  • Rep. Hilda Solis [D, CA-32]
  • Rep. Fortney Stark [D, CA-13]
  • Rep. C. Michael Thompson [D, CA-1]
  • Rep. Edolphus Towns [D, NY-10]
  • Rep. James Walsh [R, NY-25]
  • Rep. Melvin Watt [D, NC-12]
  • Rep. Peter Welch [D, VT-0]
  • Rep. Lynn Woolsey [D, CA-6]
  • Rep. David Wu [D, OR-1]
  close

Committees

• House Judiciary
• 1 more
  • House Judiciary
  close

Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to H.R.371

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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Introduced		Voted on by House		Voted on by Senate		Considered By President		Bill Becomes Law
January 10, 2007

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All Bill Actions

• Feb 02, 2007: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.
• Jan 10, 2007: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
• Introduced on Jan 10, 2007.

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Related Bills:

• S.237
• S.340

Related Issue Areas:

• Immigration
• Administrative fees
• Administrative procedure
• Administrative remedies
• 34 more
• Admission of nonimmigrants
• Agricultural labor
• Agriculture
• Alien labor
• Budgets
• Children
• Civil liberties
• Collective bargaining
• Congress
• Congressional reporting requirements
• Criminal justice
• Department of Homeland Security
• Department of State
• Deportation
• Dismissal of employees
• Executive departments
• Families
• Fines (Penalties)
• Fraud
• Identification devices
• Judicial review
• Labor
• Law
• Married people
• Mediation
• Prosecution
• Recruiting of employees
• Right to travel
• Seasonal labor
• Social security
• Social security numbers
• Temporary employment
• User charges
• Visas

Data from the Congressional Research Service

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In the News

October 04, 2007 RELEASE: Oregonians Visit DC to Urge Passage of AgJOBS

... to members of Congress and their staff the urgency of passing AgJOBS (the Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits and Security Act, S. 340/HR 371). ...

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Source: CAUSA, Oregon's Immigrant Rights Coalition, OR

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February 24, 2007 Growers hear immigration law update

Berman introduced HR 371, the Ag JOBS Act of 2007, in January. The bill currently sits in the subcommittee on immigration. Sen. ...

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Source: Hood River News, OR

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February 06, 2007 Prison time for exploitive farm boss

But the best hope lies in Congress passing the AgJobs bill (S 237/HR 371), which would offer agricultural workers legal status. AgJobs would make them less ...

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Source: Miami Herald, FL

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Blog Coverage

June 22, 2008 [IWS] CRS: IMMIGRATION: GUEST WORKER PROGRAMS--POLICY ...

reform the H-2A program (S. 237/S. 340/HR 371, S. 1639, HR 1645, HR 1792) and the H-2B program (S. 1639, S. 2094), and to establish new temporary worker visas (S. 330, S. 1639, HR 1645, HR 2413). Some of these bills also would ...

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Source: IWS Documented News INTERNATIONAL

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April 06, 2008 Believe in the One God Sent

340 and HR 371). Tucson Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas and Mexicali Bishop Jose Isidro Guerrero Macias urged passage of the Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits and Security Act, a bipartisan bill in the US Congress known as AgJOBS, ...

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Source: Your Daily Tripod

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November 01, 2007 House and Senate to Consider H-1B Fee Hike Amendment

... the Farm Bill is an excellent legislative vehicle to carry the AgJOBS bill (S. 340 and HR 371) as an amendment. Take action today, and urge you senators to support AgJOBS at: http://capwiz.com/aila2/issues/alert/?alertid=10352521.

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Source: Visa Lawyer Blog

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