Speech #1100057025

This amendment deals with the fine structure for ZA workers. which is a part of the agricultiure piece of this legislation. I worked very closely with my colleagues. Senator CRAIG and Senator FEINSTEIN. to make some changes to the agriculture portion of this bill which was initially drafted. but one area that was left unresolved in our discussion was the amount of fines agricultural workers would be required to pay under the ZA visa program. Under the substitute bill we are debating. an agricultural workers fine to obtain a ZA visa is $100. as compared to the $1.000 that regular Z applicants must pay. Then. for those ZA workers who wish to depart the country and make application for a green card. the fine in the underlying substitute is $400 as compared to the $4.000 for regular Z visa holders. This amendment is very simple. This brings into parity the fine structures for Z visa workers and ZA visa workers. However. the amendment also recognizes that annual earnings from agricultural employment are generally lower than in other sectors of the economy due to the often seasonal nature of agricultural work. The amendment requires agricultural workers to pay a $1.000 fine at the time they make application for a ZA visa. just as workers in other sectors of the economy must pay a $1.000 fine when they make application for a Z visa. Further. the amendment requires ZA visa workers to pay a $4.000 fine at the time they make application for a green card. just as Z visa workers must pay a $4.000 fine. However. ZA workers would be allowed to discount $1.000 from the $4.000 fine for each year they worked in agriculture under the terms of the bill. with a maximum deduction of $3.000. So the total fine amount a ZA worker will be mandated to pay is $2.000. as compared to the $5.000 the Z visa workers are mandated to pay. provided those workers stay in the field of agriculture. which is one of the ideas behind the base bill. as well as this provision. I think this fine structure is much more equitable than the current total of $500 that ZA workers are expected to pay. It also recognizes some of the unique aspects of agricultural work. Regardless of the sector of the economy in which the Z visa applicants work. we need to ensure that the fines. which are penalties. are meaningful and dlifficult to achieve. These are two commonsense. straightforward amendments. I hope the Senate will have an opportunity to consider them soon.