Hernan Hernandez, executive director of the California Farmworker Foundation, said that farmworkers are already seeing their work hours decreasing every year.

“Farmworkers now have to choose between putting food on their tables and paying rent, as there is less work in agriculture because of the lack of water in the Central Valley,” he said in a news release from Hurtado’s office, adding that the proposed legislation would bring “much-needed relief” to farmworkers and their families.

Some growers also support the legislation. Representatives of agriculture groups such as the California Fresh Fruit Association spoke in support of SB 1066 during a Senate committee hearing on Tuesday.

In a phone interview with The Bee on Thursday, Ian LeMay, president of the California Fresh Fruit Association, said the bill was an “interesting proposal” that acknowledges the many impacts of the drought on Central Valley communities.

“When we are in drought situations, or when we have low water allocations, not only are the businesses that we represent impacted, but ultimately our employees,” said LeMay.

He said he hopes the pilot program can help sustain the livelihoods of California’s farmworkers during the drought so they can remain in the community and be available for employment when the drought dissipates or when “an increased allocation of water is made to the growers in the central San Joaquin Valley.”

Who would Qualify for the Drought Relief Payments?

To be eligible for the program, a household must meet the following criteria:

• At least one member of the household is a California resident;
• At least one member of the household has worked as a farmworker for the entire period between March 11, 2020 to January 1, 2022;
• At least one member of the household is a farmworker at the time of consideration for, and throughout the duration of, the pilot project; and
• The household received benefits under CalFresh, California Food Assistance Program, or would have been eligible to receive benefits “but for the immigration status of one or more members of the household.”

Undocumented individuals that would have qualified for CalFresh or FCAP, except for their immigration status, could be eligible for the supplemental payments if they meet the other criteria. The legislation does allow for short lapses of unemployment during the duration of the pilot project if the unemployment is “due to reasons out of their control.”

If approved, the pilot project would run from January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2026.

Some Farmworkers Still Left Out of Safety Net

Legislators and labor advocates are increasingly calling on the state to expand the safety net to the state’s most vulnerable workers, including undocumented workers.

Last month, Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, a Democrat from Coachella, introduced legislation that would create a pilot program to provide unemployment benefits to undocumented workers. The bill—a high-priority legislation for the Latino Legislative Caucus—would provide undocumented workers with $300 per week for up to 20 weeks of unemployment between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023.

Researchers at the U.C. Merced Community and Labor Center released a report last month making a case for why California should provide unemployment benefits to undocumented workers. Undocumented workers risked their lives during the pandemic, the report found, and could be in significant jeopardy in the future due to climate change.

This article originally appeared in CalMatters, and is part of The California Divide, a collaboration among newsrooms examining income inequity and economic survival in California.