HI SCR145

Requests the Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, to convene an agriculture labor task force to address workforce shortages and improve affordable housing availability for laborers.

Task force is directed to align efforts with the K-12 agriculture workforce development pipeline initiative and identify ways to expand the labor pool, particularly targeting homeless populations and at-risk veterans.

Task force membership includes 17 designated positions including legislative committee chairs, state agency directors, federal Department of Labor representative, university and education officials, county planning representatives, and agricultural industry organizations.

Task force is required to select its own chairperson from among its members and submit findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the 2020 Regular Session convenes.

Addresses concerns about coffee industry labor crisis and the resulting increase in coffee berry borer populations due to unharvested cherries serving as pest reservoirs.