# Plain Language Summary: Fairness for Farm Workers Act

Right now, farm workers are treated differently than other workers under federal labor laws. This bill changes that by extending overtime protections to agricultural workers—something most other industries have had for decades. Currently, farm workers can be required to work unlimited hours without getting paid extra, while workers in factories, offices, and other industries get overtime pay (time-and-a-half) after 40 hours per week. This bill brings farm workers into that same system.

Starting in 2024, the bill gradually reduces the number of hours farm workers can be required to work before they qualify for overtime pay. For larger farms (those with more than 25 employees), the threshold starts at 55 hours per week in 2024, then drops to 50 hours in 2025, 45 hours in 2026, and finally reaches the standard 40-hour workweek in 2027. Smaller farms with 25 or fewer employees get a longer timeline to adjust—they won't have to follow these rules until 2027, and won't reach the 40-hour standard until 2030. The bill also removes several other exemptions that currently allow farm employers to avoid paying minimum wage or following other labor standards, though family farms where only family members work are still exempt from these requirements.

The practical effect is that farm workers would earn overtime pay for hours beyond these thresholds, similar to other workers across the country. This could mean significantly higher earnings for workers who currently work 60+ hour weeks during harvest seasons without any extra compensation. For farm businesses, it means higher labor costs, though the gradual phase-in gives them time to adjust their operations and budgets. The bill essentially says that agricultural work should be subject to the same basic labor protections that have applied to other industries for nearly a century.