Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program

USDA requests applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2023 Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot (FLSP) grant program. Section 1001(b)(4) of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) (Pub. L. No. 117-2) provides funds for the FLSP program, for the purpose of providing "loans and grants and other assistance to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency." The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) will provide the FLSP Program funding; however, USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will administer the program. This Notice will refer to FSA and AMS jointly as USDA.

The FLSP program aims to improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency by addressing challenges agricultural employers face with labor shortages and instability. The FLSP Program seeks to advance the following Administration priorities and funds will be awarded with the purpose described below:

• Goal 1: Drive U.S. economic recovery and safeguard domestic food supply by addressing
• current labor shortages in agriculture;
• Goal 2: Reduce irregular migration from Northern Central America through the expansion of regular pathways; and
• Goal 3: Improve working conditions for all farmworkers.

USDA will advance these priorities by awarding grants to agricultural employers, to be known as Awardees, that commit to all Baseline Requirements and choose to apply for employees through the H-2A Temporary, Agricultural Employment of Foreign Workers Program ("the H-2A program") as outlined in Section 218 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and based on the additional competitiveness of their application.

Awardees must demonstrate an effort to effectively recruit U.S. based workers and hire all willing, able, and qualified U.S. applicants; if Awardees are unable to meet their labor needs through this recruitment, they must submit an application for Temporary Employment Certification (Form 9142A), in accordance with U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) H-2A program. More information on eligibility and the H-2A Temporary, Agricultural Employment of Foreign Workers Program ("the H-2A program") as outlined in Section 218 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, including DOL and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requirements can be found in the NFO.