Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to the Adverse Effect Wage Rate.

Summary of H.J.Res. 154 (119th Congress)

A joint resolution that would nullify a Department of Labor rule related to the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) methodology for the temporary employment of H-2A nonimmigrants in non-range occupations.

1) Purpose and intent

• The bill provides for congressional disapproval under Chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code of a specific Department of Labor rule.
• The targeted rule is the AEWR methodology for the temporary employment of H-2A nonimmigrants in non-range occupations in the United States, published in the Federal Register as 90 Fed. Reg. 47914 (October 2, 2025).
• In short, the resolution seeks to veto and negate the DOL rule, preventing it from taking effect or continuing in force.

2) Key provisions and changes

• Declares Congress’s disapproval of the DOL rule titled “Adverse Effect Wage Rate Methodology for the Temporary Employment of H-2A Nonimmigrants in Non-Range Occupations in the United States.”
• States that the rule shall have no force or effect.
• Typical effect under such a mechanism (Chapter 8, title 5, U.S.C.) is to permanently invalidate the rule unless Congress later enacts a different regulation or statute to replace it.

3) Who or what would be affected

• The primary actor affected would be the Department of Labor, specifically the Wage and Hour Division or the body responsible for AEWR methodologies for H-2A program participants.
• Employers and workers involved in the H-2A temporary agricultural guest worker program, particularly those in non-range occupations who are subject to AEWR determinations, would be affected indirectly:
  • If the AEWR methodology is invalidated, the wage-rate framework governing the compensation of H-2A workers in affected occupations would be unsettled or require replacement rules.
  • Farm employers utilizing H-2A labor could experience changes in wage-setting processes if DOL guidance on AEWR is withdrawn or altered.
• Beneficiaries or opponents of the specific AEWR methodology (e.g., industry groups, labor advocates) may be affected depending on their stake in the AEWR levels and methodology details.

4) Procedural and timeline aspects

• House action: The bill was introduced March 26, 2026, and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
• The bill is a concurrent joint resolution under the congressional disapproval process (often used to block or nullify agency rulemaking under the Congressional Review Act framework, Chapter 8 of title 5, U.S.C.).
• If enacted, the joint resolution would supersede the rule and remove its enforceability.
• The resolution contains the standard form: “Congress disapproves the rule … and such rule shall have no force or effect.”

5) Additional context

• The bill sheet lists nine cosponsors, suggesting select legislative support among House members.
• The bill does not appear to alter other aspects of immigration or labor policy beyond disapproval of the specified AEWR rule.

Note: This summary focuses on the substantive content currently present in the bill text and its immediate regulatory impact as a disapproval measure.