Lobbying for H-2B Reform

Pending legislation regarding the recent cap on guest worker visas is reaching a critical crossroads – and green industry professionals are staying aggressive in their efforts to lobby lawmakers.

Hundreds of lawn and landscape professionals have sent letters to government representatives, expressing objection to the 66,000-worker limit and asking for relief in some form.

In response, two legislative approaches have emerged. The “Save Summer Acts” (H.R. 4052 and S. 2252) would increase this year’s H-2B cap by 40,000. And the “Summer Operations and Services (S.O.S.) Relief and Reform Act” (S. 2258) would not allow H-2B workers who had been counted within the last two years to be counted against this year’s cap.

While representing different approaches, either of the bills would bring much-needed relief to the thousands of companies – within and outside the green industry – that rely on H-2B workers for seasonal staffing. And although the bills are waiting for approval, those connected to the political pipeline insist results may be just around the corner.

“The Senate may vote on the H-2B emergency legislation on April 7,” notes Hank Lavery, co-owner of Century Pool, Kensington, Md., and founder of www.raisethecap.org – a Web site aimed at garnering support for H-2B reform. If one of the bills passes the Senate, it will go before the House of Representatives. Then, if the Senate passes the bill, the House likely will take up the matter when it returns from recess on April 19.

“The House and Senate should be sending letters later today (April 6) to President Bush to request resumption of H-2B petition processing even while Congress works to pass legislation to raise the H-2B cap,” Lavery explains. “Resuming processing now will make it more likely that our temporary seasonal workers can arrive at, or shortly after, the start of the upcoming summer season.”

However, Lavery and others continue to urge the lobbying efforts. The American Nursery & Landscape Association (ANLA), the Professional Lawn Care Association of American (PLCAA) and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) have encouraged their membership to voice concerns and become involved in the political issue.

To send a letter via ALCA to a U.S. senator about the H-2B legislation, click here.
 
“It is up to us to get our senators to pass this bill,” Lavery comments. “We need to keep our calls, faxes and other contacts going into Senate offices, and especially to the senators themselves, to pass this Bill before the Senate goes on recess at the end of its Wednesday session,” Lavery notes. “While not every Senator has signed on as a cosponsor of one or more of the H-2B bills, we only know of two Senators who have expressed reservations about passing a bill that would save the summer.”

The author is assistant editor-Internet of Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at aanderson@lawnandlandscape.com.