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HLS 26RS-3026 ORIGINAL
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 82
BY REPRESENTATIVE BUTLER
CONGRESS: Urges and requests the United States Congress, the United States Department
of Labor, and the United States Department of Homeland Security to authorize
Louisiana to establish a pilot program allowing the state to administer and regulate
the H-2B temporary worker visa programs for horticulture and landscaping, sugar
processing, and seafood processing industries
1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
2 To urge and request the United States Congress, the United States Department of Labor, and
3 the United States Department of Homeland Security to authorize the state of
4 Louisiana to establish a pilot program allowing the state to administer and regulate
5 the H-2B temporary worker visa programs for horticulture and landscaping, sugar
6 processing, and seafood processing industries.
7 WHEREAS, Louisiana is nationally recognized as a leading producer of horticulture
8 and agricultural products, sugar, and seafood; and
9 WHEREAS, seafood processing industries are vital to Louisiana's economy and to
10 the economic stability of rural communities across the state and throughout the Gulf of
11 America region; and
12 WHEREAS, sugarcane is the leading valued crop, contributing millions of dollars
13 to Louisiana's economy; and
14 WHEREAS, sugarcane production and processing is a treasured way of life for
15 hundreds of farming families in Louisiana; and
16 WHEREAS, horticultural production in this state provides plants that are unique to
17 our climate and cultural heritage, while also significantly contributing to both Louisiana's
18 economy and the beautification and environmental value of our state, region, and nation; and
19 WHEREAS, Louisiana's agricultural sector relies on additional processing activities
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HLS 26RS-3026 ORIGINAL
HCR NO. 82
1 not covered under the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Workers program to add value to its
2 agricultural production, thereby strengthening food security, which is national security; and
3 WHEREAS, these industries depend heavily on seasonal and labor-intensive work
4 to maximize the value of perishable goods, particularly during harvest and processing
5 seasons; and
6 WHEREAS, producers and processors across Louisiana have experienced significant
7 labor shortages, which threaten production capacity, increase costs, and jeopardize the long-
8 term viability of these industries; and
9 WHEREAS, the H-2B Temporary Non-agricultural Program was established to allow
10 employers to hire temporary foreign workers when qualified domestic workers are not
11 available; and
12 WHEREAS, domestic workers have not demonstrated sufficient demand for these
13 seasonal employment opportunities, as evidenced by decades of unfilled domestic job
14 advertisements and placement efforts by horticultural and agricultural sugar, and seafood
15 processors; and
16 WHEREAS, the administration of these programs at the federal level has proven
17 slow, complex, and often incompatible with the timing and operational realities of
18 Louisiana's seafood harvesting and processing seasons, sugar processing demands,
19 horticultural production cycles, and other perishable agricultural goods; and
20 WHEREAS, allowing a state-administered pilot program would enable Louisiana to
21 streamline seasonal migratory workforce access while maintaining federal labor protections
22 and oversight; and
23 WHEREAS, Louisiana possesses institutional knowledge, regulatory capacity, and
24 workforce development infrastructure necessary to responsibly administer such a program;
25 and
26 WHEREAS, establishing a pilot program in Louisiana would provide the federal
27 government with valuable data and a tested framework that could serve as a national model
28 for improving seasonal workforce programs across the United States.
29 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
30 urge and request the United States Congress, the United States Department of Labor, and the
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HLS 26RS-3026 ORIGINAL
HCR NO. 82
1 United States Department of Homeland Security to authorize the state of Louisiana to
2 establish a pilot program allowing the state to administer and regulate the H-2B temporary
3 worker visa programs for horticulture and landscaping, sugar processing, and seafood
4 processing industries.
5 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the pilot program should authorize the state of
6 Louisiana to coordinate seasonal labor for horticultural and agricultural processing, sugar,
7 and seafood harvesting and processing, including shrimp processing and peeling, crab
8 processing and picking, oyster processing, alligator processing, and any other seafood
9 processing not produced in controlled environments deemed farm-raised or aquaculture;
10 sugar extraction and refinement; landscaping and planting of ornamental crops; and any
11 other agricultural processing performed off-farm beyond preparation for market not covered
12 under the H-2A program.
13 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that state level management and administration of
14 workforce programs will more accurately reflect the seasonal labor demands unique to
15 Louisiana, while also demonstrating the availability of United States workers and providing
16 stronger protections for the state's domestic workforce.
17 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the state of Louisiana pledges it commitment
18 to streamline worker certification and placement processes, align workforce availability with
19 Louisiana's unique harvesting and processing seasons, ensure compliance with federal labor
20 standards and worker protections, and collect and report data to federal agencies to evaluate
21 program effectiveness.
22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana Legislature expresses its intent
23 that this pilot program serve as a national model for improving the administration and
24 efficiency of seasonal worker visa programs in seafood processing, sugar processing, and
25 horticultural and agricultural processing industries across the United States.
26 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
27 President of the United States, the speaker of the United States House of Representatives,
28 the president of the United States Senate, each member of the Louisiana Congressional
29 Delegation, the secretary of the United States Department of Labor, and the secretary of the
30 United States Department of Homeland Security.
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HLS 26RS-3026 ORIGINAL
HCR NO. 82
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 82 Original 2026 Regular Session Butler
Urges and requests the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Dept. of Labor, and the U.S. Dept. of
Homeland Security to authorize La. to establish a pilot program allowing the state to
administer and regulate the H-2B temporary worker visa programs for horticulture and
landscaping, sugar processing, and seafood processing industries.
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