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An H2B Win in Appropriations Committee06-04-08 | News

An H2B Win in Appropriations Committee

Many employers are now largely shut out of the H2B program, and are struggling to operate and provide their services and goods. Congress must act now to help. This bipartisan amendment restores a key provision in the H2B program that frees up additional visas and rewards companies and foreign workers that play by the rules.

For landscape industry employers, H2B is considered a lifeline for their businesses, as hiring landscape workers can be a challenge. As a result of the H2B program, a cap of 66,000 has been set for the number of visas issued to temporary workers.

The Senate Appropriations Committee in May approved S. 988 as an amendment to the supplemental appropriations bill that was offered by Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.). Senator Mikulski, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, applauded the committee?EUR??,,????'?????<

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The Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act, signed into law by President Bush in May 2005, made significant changes to the federal H2B (non-skilled seasonal worker) visa program. Among the changes, it exempted returning seasonal workers from counting against the national cap of 66,000 people. This provision, however, was not made permanent in the 2005 bill, and has to be extended each year until Senator Mikulski?EUR??,,????'?????<