# Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act

When disasters strike—whether it's a hurricane, wildfire, drought, or pandemic—farm workers often face immediate financial hardship. This bill creates a new federal program to get emergency money directly to farm workers who've lost income or can't work because of these disasters.

Here's how it works: Starting in 2024, whenever the Secretary of Agriculture declares that a covered disaster has occurred, the government will give grants to farm worker organizations. These organizations can then use the money to help affected workers in several ways: they can distribute cash directly to workers, provide emergency shelter, offer other support services, or invest in helping farm worker communities prepare better for future disasters. The money stays available until it's used, so organizations don't have to spend it all at once. A "covered disaster" includes obvious events like floods, hurricanes, and wildfires, but also pandemics and any other situation where the Secretary determines that farm workers have lost income or can't work.

The organizations that receive these grants need to have real connections to farm workers—either they're membership organizations run by farm workers themselves, or they're nonprofits with a track record of helping migrant and seasonal workers. The government will also create a plan to make sure farm workers actually know about this assistance and can access it. This matters because farm workers, especially migrant and seasonal workers, often lack the safety net that other workers have and can face severe hardship when work suddenly stops due to circumstances beyond their control.