In sum. S. 3202 extends that acts coverage and strengthens its enforcement mechanisms. The adoption of this legislation will. therefore. by strengthening the Governments ability to enforce violations of the Farm Labor Contractor Registration Act. improve the terms and conditions for this Nations migrant and seasonal farmworkers. It will also aid toward the elimination of abuses against farmers who are dependent upon the contractors for providing them with the labor needed to harvest the Nations food crops. It is well recognized that migrant and seasonal farm labor has long been among the most exploited groups in the Nations labor force. Despite the vital role performed by this segment of the workforce toward providing every American with the agricultural products that we have come to take for granted. and the vital contribution that these workers have made to our economy. migrant laborers have generally suffered from inordinately low wages. long and hard hours. inadequate housing. and working conditions so bad that they frequently defy description. Similarly. the effect that these working conditions have had on that segment of the labor force is to establish a vicious circle of poverty. illiteracy. and deteriorating health among both adults and children is an unfortunate reflection of the injustices and inequities which still exist in this Nation. Basically. there are two types of seasonal farm laborers: the migrant workers who travel from State to State performing work in fairly established seasonal patterns. and those who live permanently in the areas where they work. In both cases. employers have frequently experienced difficulty in obtaining a sufficient supply of labor for their needs. . The result has been the emergence of the farm labor contractor whose specific functions val from job to job. but who primarily undertakes the role of providing and managing the seasonal workforce needed to perform the various agricultural jobs in a given area. The role of the contractor has grown considerably during recent years. to the point where frequently these persons now control almost all of the terms and conditions of the migrant or seasonal workforce. Due to this acquisition of control. the contractors have frequently been able to exercise an inordinate. and frequently uncontrolled. amount of influence over the workplace situation. This has led to frequent abuses by contractors. both in their treatment of the workers and of the farmers to whom the contractor has agreed to provide the needed laborers.