CONGRESS: Memorializes the United States Congress to include expanding H-2B worker visas in its appropriations bill or other appropriate legislative instrument for Fiscal Year 2027

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Rhonda Butler

Louisiana urges Congress to expand H-2B visa baselines for FY 2027 to help seasonal industries hire more temporary workers.

Read by title. Lies over under the rules.

1) Purpose and Intent

HCR 73 is a Louisiana House Concurrent Resolution urging the United States Congress to take action to expand the H-2B visa program by including it in the baseline levels for appropriations (within the homeland security or labor departments) or through any other appropriate legislative instrument for Fiscal Year 2027.

The resolution frames expansion of H-2B visas as beneficial to Louisiana’s economy, particularly for seasonal industries.

2) Key Provisions and Changes Proposed

The resolution does not itself change law or create new visa allocations; instead, it requests Congress to:

Expand the baseline of H-2B visas in the DHS or DOL appropriations bill for FY 2027, or
Use another suitable legislative instrument to achieve greater H-2B visa availability.

Rationale provided in the resolution:

H-2B programs allow temporary non-immigrant workers for nonagricultural labor, supplementing U.S. employers during peak seasons.
Louisiana has been a top user of H-2B visas in FY 2025, with over 8,000 H-2B positions certified, mainly in crawfish/seafood processing and landscaping.
Supplemental visas in FY 2026 were issued for those facing irreparable harm due to visa limits and processing delays, indicating demand exceeds the current cap.
The crawfish and green industries contribute substantial economic value to Louisiana (crawfish industry > $300 million; green industry > $2 billion annually).
The current statutory cap on H-2B visas is 66,000 per fiscal year (established in 1990 and not updated since), with mechanisms to access unused visas in the second half of the year.

The resolution emphasizes the need to adjust or expand the program to support Louisiana’s employers and economy and to ensure businesses can hire more H-2B workers as needed.

3) Who or What Would Be Affected

Primary beneficiaries: Louisiana-based employers in seasonal/nonagricultural sectors such as crawfish processing, seafood processing, and landscaping that rely on H-2B workers.

Indirectly affected: Louisiana workers and the broader economy due to increased capacity to hire temporary non-U.S. workers during peak periods, reducing disruption to essential industries.

Federal level: The resolution targets Congress and requests action within federal appropriations or related legislative tools for FY 2027.

4) Procedural and Timeline Aspects

Status: Read by title and lying over under the rules as of April 20, 2026.

Action requested: For the U.S. Congress to memorialize or enact measures to expand H-2B visas in FY 2027 appropriations or via another legislative instrument.

Formal effect: The resolution serves as formal urging by the Louisiana Legislature; it does not have force of law within Louisiana or automatically alter federal immigration policy. It signals state-level priority to expand H-2B visa capacity in federal action.

5) Practical Considerations

The bill highlights a mismatch between visa allocations and industry demand, especially in Louisiana’s seasonal sectors.

It references data on visa caps, temporary supplemental visas, and industry economic impact to justify the request.

If enacted, potential effects include increased H-2B visa allocations or allowances in federal funding measures, enabling greater temporary labor recruitment for targeted industries.

Bill