Ben Luján (D-NM)
Grocery, Farm, and Food Worker Protection Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill is known as the Grocery, Farm, and Food Worker Protection Act of 2026. It directs the Secretary of Agriculture to create a grant program for certain worker organizations and labor unions. The program will provide funding for stabilization payments to farmworkers, meat processing workers, and grocery workers during natural disasters or other disasters. The Secretary of Agriculture must report on the program outcomes and impacts to specific congressional committees within four years. Finally, the bill authorizes $50,000,000 to be appropriated to carry out this section, and these funds will remain available until expended.
Yes· 3 of 19
- Scored +6
Would union members be better off under this?
The bill explicitly directs grant funding through labor unions and worker membership organizations.
- Scored +5
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
Low-income farmworkers, meat processing workers, and grocery workers receive direct financial stabilization during disasters.
- Scored +5
Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster?
The bill establishes a dedicated grant program to provide disaster stabilization payments to essential food system workers.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The legislation increases government spending by authorizing a new $50,000,000 grant program.
- Scored -1
Does this reduce what the federal government owes?
The bill authorizes $50,000,000 in federal appropriations for disaster stabilization grants.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Disaster Relief Funding for Workers: Under section 2(b), the Secretary of Agriculture will establish a grant program to provide funding to eligible membership organizations and labor unions representing farmworkers, meat processing workers, and grocery workers. This funding is meant for stabilization payments in the case of a natural disaster or other disaster, which could directly benefit these workers during hard times.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No Negative Impacts Identified: Based strictly on the provided text, there are no specific sections or provisions identified that outline negative consequences or burdens for individuals or groups of people in the United States.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would union members be better off under this? — The bill explicitly directs grant funding through labor unions and worker membership organizations. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Low-income farmworkers, meat processing workers, and grocery workers receive direct financial stabilization during disasters. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — Many farmworkers and meat processing workers belong to Hispanic and minority communities, who stand to benefit from the relief grants. Would immigrants be better off under this? — Immigrant workers make up a significant portion of the farmworker and meat processing populations and will benefit from disaster stabilization. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Farmworkers and rural meat processing workers will benefit directly from the disaster relief provisions. Would farmers be better off under this? — Supporting the agricultural supply chain and farmworkers helps maintain stability for the broader farming sector. Would men be better off under this? Would people in middle age be better off under this? Would middle-income households be better off under this? Would people in cities be better off under this? — Grocery workers in urban centers are covered by the stabilization grant program. Would women be better off under this? Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this?
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster? — The bill establishes a dedicated grant program to provide disaster stabilization payments to essential food system workers. Does this invest in rural communities? — The bill provides disaster relief and economic stabilization support that benefits rural farmworkers and agricultural communities.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The legislation requires the Secretary of Agriculture to submit a detailed outcome and impact report to congressional committees within four years. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill expands federal authority by directing the USDA to establish and oversee a new grant and reporting program.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this strengthen the rights of workers to organise? — The bill directly supports labor unions and membership organizations representing food and agricultural workers by providing grant funding for stabilization payments. Is this likely to grow the economy? — Providing financial stabilization to essential food and grocery workers during disasters helps maintain local economic stability. Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The legislation increases government spending by authorizing a new $50,000,000 grant program. Does this reduce what the federal government owes? — The bill authorizes $50,000,000 in federal appropriations for disaster stabilization grants.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Stabilization payments help low-income food and agricultural workers weather financial shocks caused by natural disasters.
- 5/12/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/16/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Michael BennetDemocrat · Colorado