On June 4, the House Appropriations Subcommittee for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) passed the FY 25 DHS funding bill. The bill extends the existing discretionary language that has been law for the past several years.
The full Appropriations Committee plans to take up the bill on June 12, 2024. During that time, we’re hopeful that some of our Congressional champions will offer an amendment to strengthen the current discretionary language by stating that the Department of Homeland Security “shall” issue supplemental visas, rather than saying it “may” issue more visas if the needs of seasonal businesses cannot be met with U.S. workers.
As with the past few years, the bill passed gives the Department of Homeland Security the discretionary authority to release up to an additional 64,716 visas during the fiscal year.
Thankfully, the Biden Administration released all 64,716 visas in December and then November the past two years. BUT there is no guarantee that will happen again in FY 25 or under a new Administration. We need to amend the discretionary authority by changing one word from “may” to “shall,” which would then automatically release the 64,716 when the cap is hit.
While we would like to see even stronger H-2B cap relief, we are facing political opposition from anti-immigration and labor groups. Some labor organizations are already actively calling on Congress to oppose any amendment to expand the H-2B program.
Take Action Now
Call your Member of Congress and ask him or her to encourage the House Appropriations Committee leaders to amend the FY 25 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill by changing the word “may” to “shall”. By making this minor change from “may” to “shall” we will be maintaining the status quo from the previous two years , expedite the process to access the supplemental visas and provide much needed certainty for seasonal businesses.
You can reach your Representative through the Congressional switchboard at 202-225-3121. Once connected to the office, ask to speak to the staff person who handles DHS appropriations.
Send an email to your representative using the link below. Thanks to the National Association of Landscape Professionals for setting up this email tool.
EMAIL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE NOW!
Thank you for your help to #SaveH2B.