Local Congressman Anthony Brindisi and Pennsylvania Congressman John Joyce on Thursday introduced bipartisan legislation to help Upstate New York dairy farmers hire the workforce they need to run their farms and dairy operations efficiently. It’s called the Dairy and Sheep H-2A Visa Enhancement Act. It would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow foreign dairy workers and sheepherders to use the visa program and enter the United States for an initial period of three years with an additional three-year extension period. Dairy workers do not currently qualify for H-2A visas, a program that Brindisi says helps many New York producers keep their farms open. Brindisi said in his district the dairy industry alone supports nearly 4,000 direct jobs, more than $235 million in wages, and generates an economic impact of $1.83 billion.
