H.R. 60: BARN Act
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H.R. 60: BARN Act
116th Congress · introduced 2019-01-03 · Immigration · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2019-01-03 · official record
- Who proposed it: Rep. Allen, Rick W. [R-GA-12] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
BARN Act
Plain summary
Better Agriculture Resources Now Act or the BARN Act This bill revises the H-2A visa program for temporary nonimmigrant agricultural workers. It moves administration of the program from the Department of Labor to the Department of Agriculture, and eliminates the requirement that employers hire any qualified U.S. applicants until 50% of the time period of the H-2A worker's contract has elapsed. The bill also revises requirements for employer-provided housing or housing allowances for H-2A workers, including standards for such accommodations. The employer shall request an inspection of the housing to certify that it meets the required standards. Aliens admittted as H2-A workers who overstay their visas are barred from the program for five years. Aliens admitted on the basis of fraud or who commit certain crimes are barred permanently. Employers who knowingly hire H-2A workers who overstay their visas or employers who engage in fraud or misrepresentation shall be barred from the program.
Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
What a vote does
A “Yea” vote
If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.
A “Nay” vote
If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.
PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).
What does this mean? (plain words)
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The strongest published arguments
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Alternatives
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Rep. Allen, Rick W. [R-GA-12] · 1 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Cosponsors on this site
Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Allen, Rick W. [R-GA-12] reported raising $1.3 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.
No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.
Words on this page, explained (1)
- Bill
- A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116hr60.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/hr>
Record fed-us-cong116-hr60 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116