Congresswoman Claudia Tenney has introduced the Protect Local Farms Act which would establish a federal mandate that the overtime threshold for farm workers cannot be set below 60 hours per week.
Original co-sponsors of this bill include Representatives Nick Langworthy (NY-23) and Doug LaMalfa (CA-1).
As of January 1, 2024, New York’s threshold dropped to 56 hours per week and will continue decreasing by four hours every other year until it reaches 40 hours in 2032. If enacted, Tenney’s legislation would nullify this decision, ensuring farm workers nationwide are able to work the amount of hours per week they choose.
“New York’s overtime threshold for farm workers jeopardizes the livelihoods of thousands of farm laborers and threatens the survival of small, family-owned farms across the state. This critical legislation would rescind Albany’s oppressive threshold and set a federal standard to ensure the overtime threshold for agricultural workers is not lowered below 60 hours per week. As the representative of the largest agriculture district in the Northeast, I will continue to fight tirelessly for our farmers and ensure they are not overburdened by out-of-touch, bureaucratic regulations,” said Congresswoman Tenney.
“I am proud to join my New York colleagues on this legislation to fight for New York agricultural workers. We must stand up to our extreme leaders in Albany who want to limit the overtime threshold, which would put an unnecessary burden on hard-working farmers and their employees. As our state leaders continue to fail New Yorkers, we will use our power in Congress to stand up and protect our farmers,” said Congressman Langworthy, who represents Schuyler and Steuben counties in the House.
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