HCR 65 Louisiana House · 2026 Regular Session

CONGRESS: Memorializes the United States Congress, the President of the United States, the United States Department of Labor, the United States Department of Homeland Security, and the Louisiana Congressional Delegation to take all necessary and appropriate actions to reclassify all job duties of the crawfish industry as agricultural labor services for purposes of the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Program

This Louisiana concurrent resolution asks federal officials to officially classify all work in the crawfish industry as agricultural labor. Currently, many crawfish tasks are treated as non-agricultural, which forces employers to use a visa program with strict limits and long delays. The bill seeks to change these rules so that crawfish farmers can hire temporary foreign workers under the H-2A program, which is designed for seasonal farm jobs and includes requirements for housing and wages. If approved, this change would allow the industry to secure a reliable workforce for the upcoming 2026 harvest season.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Apr 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Apr 20, 2026 Last action May 11, 2026

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What changed between versions

HCR65 Original → HCR65 Engrossed · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reorganized to clarify that the H-2A program is the appropriate solution for the crawfish industry's labor shortage, replacing previous arguments about wage impacts. It explicitly requests that federal authorities reclassify all crawfish processing duties as agricultural labor to allow employers to use the H-2A program instead of the oversubscribed H-2B program. This change aims to stabilize the workforce and prevent supply chain disruptions in Louisiana's crawfish industry.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on Louisiana's crawfish industry, but the specific request to federal agencies was refined to emphasize job duty reclassification as the primary mechanism for access.

ELIGIBILITY

The argument that the H-2A program would not displace domestic workers was removed to streamline the bill's focus on job duty classification.

Added explicit language requesting the reclassification of crawfish processing duties (fishing, baiting, peeling, etc.) as agricultural labor.

REQUIREMENT

Reordered the bill's clauses to first establish the legal requirements of the H-2A program before explaining why crawfish workers currently do not qualify under federal rules.

TIMELINE

Maintained the request for expeditious action to meet the 2026 crawfish season labor demands.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 28, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported favorably (13-0).

lower

Apr 21, 2026

Committee

Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development.

lower

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor