The number of authorized foreign agriculture workers in Florida more than doubled between 2017 and 2022, but a new state law stops cities and counties from making requirements for employers to provide them protection from the Sunshine State.
The amount of certified H-2A Temporary Agriculture Worker Program laborers in Florida grew from 25,303 in 2017 to 50,973 in 2022, according to data collected by the American Immigration Council. They work all throughout the state, but counties like Manatee, Hillsborough, DeSoto, Hendry, Highlands, Palm Beach, Polk, Collier and Hardee all saw more than 1,000 workers at some point in 2022.
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What is House Bill 433?
State legislators approved a new law this year that prohibits political subdivisions from requiring that employers to meet any heat exposure requirements beyond those established by the state or federal government — even though there currently are no specific federal or state laws dealing with the matter. The law, known as House Bill 433, also prevents municipalities from making competitive solicitation decisions based on heat exposure requirements.
How many agricultural workers are there in Manatee and Sarasota?
There are about 750 farms in Manatee and 286 farms in Sarasota counties, according to the Florida Farm Bureau.
Manatee County ranks near the top of the list of Florida counties with the most agricultural workers, boasting similar numbers to Hillsborough County, according to AIC statistics. In 2022, there were between 1,653 to about 2,900 H-2A workers in Manatee from January through May, 946 to 1,980 between June and August, and from 2,470 to as high as 4,686 between September and December. It is the only county with more than 4,000 H-2A workers in a given month.
Sarasota County saw much more modest numbers, with a range of 35 to 95 agricultural workers authorized in a given month in 2022.
Why was the bill introduced?
The state law was introduced in response to an ordinance that was proposed, but never approved, in 2023 in Miami-Dade County.
The ordinance would have required employers to establish outdoor heat exposure safety programs written in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. It would have required employers to train staff how to recognize and provide first-aid for heat illness and implement mandatory procedures during high-heat. Those include ensuring access to electronic devices to report heat illness to supervisors, ensuring outdoor employees take 10-minute breaks every two hours, and ensuring availability of drinking water.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Number of foreign farm laborers in Florida doubles, and one local county leads the way
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