So today I introduce S. 2577. a bill to change the law so that this onerous burden is eliminated. I want to emphasize this does not mean that pickers are exempt from income taxation. It simply means the employer does not have to withhold and pay PICA taxes in the following cases: First. if the employee is working on a piecerate basisthis is the common way of working in the berry fields. second. if the person doing the picking is paid less than $150 per year by that employer. third. if the picker commutes daily from his or her permanent residencethis would exclude almost all migrant labor. and fourth. if the picker worked less than 13 weeks performing agricultural labor in the prior calendar year. This bill is clearly designed to exempt one specific class of person. As I say. these pickers are usually children. not always but usually children. from grade school age on up.
Identified stereotypes
Pickers are usually children.