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HCR 82

CONGRESS: Urges and requests the United States Congress, the United States Department of Labor, and the United States Department of Homeland Security to authorize Louisiana to establish a pilot program allowing the state to administer and regulate the H-2B temporary worker visa programs for horticulture and landscaping, sugar processing, and seafood processing industries

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Rhonda Butler

Louisiana seeks federal authorization to pilot a state-administered H-2B program for seasonal workers in horticulture, sugar, and seafood industries to improve timing and protectio

Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development.
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Bill Summary · HCR 82

Summary of Louisiana House Concurrent Resolution No. 82 (2026)

Purpose and intent

  • HCR 82 urges and requests the United States Congress, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to authorize Louisiana to establish a pilot program.
  • The pilot would allow Louisiana to administer and regulate the H-2B temporary worker visa program for specific industries: horticulture and landscaping, sugar processing, and seafood processing.
  • The bill frames this as a way to address seasonal labor shortages while maintaining federal protections, and to potentially serve as a national model for other states.

Key provisions and changes proposed

  • Authorization: Seek federal authorization for a state-administered pilot program to manage H-2B non-agricultural temporary workers in the targeted industries.
  • Scope of industries and activities:
    • Horticulture and landscaping
    • Sugar processing (including sugarcane-related processing)
    • Seafood processing (e.g., shrimp processing/peeling, crab processing/picking, oyster processing, alligator processing; includes other seafood processing not produced in controlled environments)
    • Off-farm agricultural processing beyond the H-2A program
    • Landscaping and planting of ornamental crops
  • State administration:
    • Louisiana would coordinate seasonal labor to align with industry harvest and processing cycles.
    • Emphasis on streamlining worker certification and placement, matching labor availability with Louisiana’s seasonal needs.
    • Maintain compliance with federal labor standards and worker protections.
    • Collect and report data to federal agencies to evaluate program effectiveness.
  • Goals and outcomes:
    • Alleviate labor shortages in affected industries.
    • Improve efficiency and timeliness of seasonal hiring in Louisiana.
    • Preserve and strengthen protections for domestic workers.
    • Provide a framework and data that could inform national improvements to seasonal worker visa programs.

Who is affected

  • Industries and employers in Louisiana engaged in:
    • Horticulture and landscaping
    • Sugar processing (including cane-related processing)
    • Seafood harvesting and processing (e.g., shrimp, crab, oyster, alligator processing, among others not farm-raised/aquaculture)
  • Louisiana workers:
    • Domestic (Louisiana) workers in seasonal roles may experience changes in certification/placement processes and potential adjustments to labor demand alignment with seasons.
  • Federal partners:
    • U.S. Congress, Department of Labor, and Department of Homeland Security would consider authorization and implement any pilot framework if approved.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Legislative status: A concurrent resolution urging federal action; does not itself create program authority or funding at the state level.
  • Action history noted: Read by title and laid over under the rules as of 2026-04-23.
  • Instrument type: Non-binding resolution; expresses legislative intent and policy preference, and seeks federal permission/federal action rather than establishing state law.
  • Transmission: If adopted, a copy would be sent to the President, leadership of both houses of Congress, Louisiana’s delegation, and federal agency secretaries.

Potential impact and considerations

  • If federal authorization is granted, Louisiana could pilot a state-run H-2B program tailored to its seasonal industries, potentially improving recruitment efficiency and timing.
  • The proposal emphasizes protections for U.S. workers and data reporting to assess effectiveness.
  • Could influence broader national discussions on reforming seasonal worker visa programs and serve as a model for other states if successful.
  • As a concurrent resolution, it signals Legislative support but does not mandate action or allocate state funds absent separate legislation or federal programs.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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