As you know. Mr. Chairman. the 1990 freeze and the continuing drought in California have caused significant hardship for California growers and the migrant and seasonal farmworkers they depend on to harvest their crops. We have already been able to provide some disaster assistance to farmers and ranchers. but the needs of farmworkers continue to go unmet. Some estimates suggest that over 65.000 farmworkers in California lost their jobs because of disasters in 1990 and 1991. Most counties In my district lost up to 10 percent of farm jobs because of disasters. Nearly 1.000 migrant and seasonal farmworkers were displaced. The provision in H.R. 5620 clarifies our original intent that farmworkers be eligible for disaster assistance grants under the dire emergency supplemental appropriations bill. Public Law 102229. which we enacted last year. During consideration of Public Law 102229. the Appropriations Committee recognized farmworkers in the drought and freeze assistance bill. However. the Agriculture Department has since stated that it needs more explicit direction to implement the farmworker assistance program. Title VI of H.R. 5620 makes it clear that the disaster assistance money provided under Public Law 102229 can be used to provide emergency services to lowincome migrant and seasonal farmworkers. I fully expect and anticipate. and Indeed it is now the clear congressional intent under this provision. that if the administration releases the second installment of disaster assistance money. then a portion of that money will be used to provide emergency services to lowincome migrant and seasonal farmworkers. Again. Mr.