Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
September 7, 2024 - SACRAMENTO, CA— Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) and colleagues in both the Assembly and Senate passed significant bills in the Legislature this past week that will support California’s migratory farmworkers’ access to housing and protect laborers during heat waves.
The legislation — Assembly Bill 2240 authored by Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno) and Senate Bill 1299 by Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), both co-authored by Speaker Rivas — now await Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature.
The Speaker and Assemblymember Arambula made it a priority this year to support migratory farmworkers and their families access to housing, and to ensure their children remain in their local schools.
Assembly Bill 2240 makes it so that families are not forced to leave farmworker housing centers due to outdated requirements. The bill requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to submit a report to the Legislature, which analyzes the feasibility and impact of transitioning housing units at Office of Migrant Services (OMS) centers to year round availability. The bill also eliminates draconian requirements that prevent farmworkers and their families’ eligibility for housing. Under the current system, children and students are often forced to move from school to school, or in some cases have missed class for months at a time.
“Assembly Bill 2240 is about respecting and protecting the people who are the backbone of our vast agriculture industry — the farmworkers who put food on our tables. I’m grateful for the support of Speaker Rivas, and my colleagues in helping send this bill to Governor Newsom’s desk,” said Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, who authored the bill.
Senate Bill 1299 increases protections for farmworkers during record-breaking heat waves. It ensures that farmworkers receive treatment and expeditious compensation if they suffer a work-related heat injury or illness as the result of employer noncompliance. The bill also requires agricultural employers to comply with existing heat laws, which will save farmworker lives.
“As a former farmer and farmworker, I know first-hand how high the stakes are to one’s health and safety while working under extreme heat weather conditions out in the field. Without heat prevention measures in place, lives have been lost. And despite California’s landmark legislation over 19 years ago adopting and instituting heat prevention solutions in the workplace, nearly 50% of farmworkers today still report their farming employer not complying with existing law,” said Senator Dave Cortese, who authored SB 1299. “We see this played out in the firing of the Yolo Six, who were retaliated against for standing up for their health and safety during a recent heat wave. That is why I introduced Senate Bill 1299, to bring farming employers into compliance. But more importantly, to save farmworkers’ lives. I hope Governor Newsom joins me in this fight.”
Speaker Rivas is the grandson of farmworkers, grew up in farmworker housing and understands firsthand the challenges faced by those who labor in the fields to put food on Californians’ tables.
“Farmworkers across our state deserve to be acknowledged and treated with the utmost dignity and respect. I remain committed to fighting for the health, well-being, safety and rights of every farmworker in the state of California, and these bills are an important step forward,” Speaker Robert Rivas said.
Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas represents California’s 29th Assembly District, which includes all of San Benito County and portions of Monterey, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara Counties. For a full biography of Speaker Rivas, click here.
Source: Assemblymember Robert Rivas
