Congress is back in session following their August recess, and negotiations are ongoing on agricultural immigration reform legislation to address the current workforce and to reform the “future flow” visa program. At the same time, the Department of Labor is in the process of making significant changes to the existing H-2A temporary agricultural worker visa program.
News
Demise of Key Environment Bill Could Escalate California’s Water Wars
Gov. Newsom said he won’t approve Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins’ bid for a legal backstop against environmental rollbacks by the Trump administration.
The smoke has (partly) cleared from the legislative battlefield, in the aftermath of a struggle pitting the leader of the California Senate against not only powerful water and agricultural interests but also Gov. Gavin Newsom. And California’s two largest water-delivery systems may soon be operating under rules that differ ever more significantly.
California Mandating Individual Coverage - SB 78
Despite the fact that 93% of Californians have health insurance, as part of its 2019 budget, the California legislature passed and Governor Newsom signed into law - The Minimum Essential Coverage Individual Mandate”. This mandate is modelled after the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA).
The new mandate, effective January 1, 2020, requires California residents (who are not already covered by individual or group health coverage) to enroll in qualified insurance coverage for each month of the year, with exemptions for individuals on the basis of financial hardship or religious beliefs as determined by the state’s healthcare exchange, Covered California.
Produce Safety Rule Update
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is announcing that starting next week, 8,000 "small" and "very small" produce farms throughout California are being mailed educational letters about their roles in upholding the Produce Safety Rule (PSR) of the federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), passed in 2011 to help prevent foodborne illness outbreaks.
Governor Newsom Signs Clean Drinking Water Bill
California's governor on Wednesday signed a law that will take up to $130 million of state money each year that was supposed to clean up the air and instead use it to clean up drinking water.