HCR 65

HLS 26RS-3025  ENGROSSED
 2026 Regular Session
 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 65
 BY REPRESENTATIVE BUTLER
 CONGRESS: Memorializes the United States Congress, the President of the United States,
  the United States Department of Labor, the United States Department of Homeland
  Security, and the Louisiana Congressional Delegation to take all necessary and
  appropriate actions to reclassify all job duties of the crawfish industry as agricultural
  labor services for purposes of the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Program
1A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
2 To memorialize the United States Congress, the President of the United States, the United
3States Department of Labor, the United States Department of Homeland Security,
4and the Louisiana Congressional Delegation to take all necessary and appropriate
5actions to reclassify all job duties of the crawfish industry as agricultural labor
6services for purposes of the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Program.
7WHEREAS, the Louisiana crawfish industry is a cornerstone of the state's
8 agricultural economy, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in annual economic impact,
9 and serving as an irreplaceable part of the state's cultural heritage; and
10WHEREAS, crawfish production in Louisiana is highly seasonal and labor intensive,
11 requiring a reliable and timely workforce during peak harvest and processing periods; and
12WHEREAS, handling, weighing, washing, grading, processing, peeling, packaging,
13 and freezing of crawfish for sale are fundamentally tied to aquacultural production, forming
14 a continuous chain of timely executed operations essential for moving the product from farm
15 to market; and
16WHEREAS, due to the temporary and seasonal nature of crawfish harvest in
17 Louisiana, job postings are often left vacant due to a shortage of readily available, able,
18 willing, and qualified domestic workers; and
19WHEREAS, the H-2A program could account for this domestic labor shortage while
20 not displacing or adversely affecting domestic workers or wages; and
  Page 1 of 3
 HLS 26RS-3025  ENGROSSED
  HCR NO. 65
1WHEREAS, to employ workers under the H-2A program, an employer is required
2 to provide domestic workers, including H-2A workers, with adequate housing,
3 transportation, and meals, and pay wages in accordance with the current Adverse Effect
4 Wage Rate, as determined by the United State Department of Labor; and
5WHEREAS, despite the seasonality and agricultural nature of Louisiana's crawfish
6 industry, current federal regulations classify job duties involving crawfish processing and
7 related work as nonagricultural, restricting employers to the oversubscribed and highly
8 competitive H-2B Temporary Non-agricultural Workers Program; and
9WHEREAS, the H-2B program's limited visa cap, unpredictable supplemental visa
10 allotments, and lengthy processing delays have caused severe workforce shortages in
11 Louisiana's crawfish industry, resulting in reduced farm production, limited processing
12 capacity, financial losses, and significant disruptions across the supply chain, largely due to
13 administrative rulemaking regarding visa certifications, job duty classifications, and
14 supplemental visa distributions; and
15WHEREAS, the H-2A program is specifically designed to meet seasonal agricultural
16 labor needs; and
17WHEREAS, classifying all job duties performed by a crawfish worker, including but
18 not limited to fishing, baiting, handling, weighing, washing, grading, tagging, cleaning,
19 processing, peeling, packaging, freezing, and preparation of crawfish for sale as agricultural
20 labor would bring federal policy into alignment with the operational reality of crawfish
21 farming and would stabilize the workforce that Louisiana's crawfish industry depends on;
22 and
23WHEREAS, ensuring an adequate, legal, and dependable labor supply is vital to the
24 survival of Louisiana's crawfish farmers, processors, and associated rural economies.
25THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
26 memorialize the United States Congress, the President of the United States, the United States
27 Department of Labor, the United States Department of Homeland Security, and the members
28 of the Louisiana Congressional Delegation to take all necessary and appropriate actions to
29 reclassify all job duties of the crawfish industry as agricultural labor services for purposes
30 of the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Workers Program.
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 HLS 26RS-3025  ENGROSSED
  HCR NO. 65
1BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that reclassification should include revisions to
2 federal statutes, regulations, or administrative interpretations, as needed, to ensure that
3 Louisiana crawfish producers and processors will be able to utilize the H-2A program to
4 meet their essential seasonal workforce needs immediately.
5BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the action to reclassify the job duties of the
6 crawfish industry as agricultural labor services be taken expeditiously, with emergency
7 measures implemented to ensure the timely processing of the H-2A visas and to meet the
8 labor demands of the 2026 crawfish season.
9BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the
10 President of the United States, the secretary of the United States Department of Labor, the
11 secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the majority and minority
12 leaders of the United States Senate, the speaker and minority leader of the United States
13 House of Representatives, and each member of the Louisiana Congressional Delegation.
  DIGEST
 The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
 of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
 part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
 HCR 65 Engrossed  2026 Regular Session  Butler
 Memorializes the U.S. Congress, the President of the U.S., the U.S. Dept. of Labor, the U.S.
 Dept. of Homeland Security, and the members of the La. congressional delegation to take
 all necessary and appropriate actions to reclassify all job duties of the crawfish industry as
 agricultural labor services for purposes of the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Workers
 Program.
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