# 117-hr-4288: Workforce for an Expanding Economy Act

117-hr-4288, Workforce for an Expanding Economy Act, is a 117th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-11] (R-PA); status Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. (as of 2025-11-18).

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- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 117-hr-4288
- Congress: 117
- Title: Workforce for an Expanding Economy Act
- Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.
- Introduced: 2021-06-30
- Sponsor: Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-11] (R-PA)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Immigration
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Workforce for an Expanding Economy Act This bill establishes a new nonimmigrant visa for temporary nonagricultural workers (H-2C visa) to fill jobs that have remained open for a certain amount of time and are located in an area where the unemployment rate is 4.9% or less. This visa shall only be available for certain occupations, and those requiring a bachelor's degree or higher level of education shall not be eligible. The bill imposes various requirements related to H-2C positions, such as requiring that the employer make certain efforts to recruit a U.S. worker beforehand. The employer must register the opening before filling it with an H-2C worker, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall maintain a publicly available registry of registered positions. For the first fiscal year after the bill's enactment, no more than 65,000 positions may be registered. For subsequent fiscal years, the number shall be increased or decreased depending on how many positions were registered the previous year and how quickly the allotment was filled. A certain number of allocations shall be reserved for small businesses. An employer seeking to hire H-2C workers shall register with DHS and provide documentation establishing that the employer meets various qualifications. An employer may become ineligible for registration for certain actions, such as having been penalized for a pattern of willful violation of wage and hour laws. H-2C workers shall not be entitled to certain federal public benefits. The Bureau of the Census shall report to Congress on the impact of the H-2C program.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Rep. Bourdeaux, Carolyn [D-GA-7] (D-GA), 2022-10-28T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 117-hr-3537: Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act
- 117-hr-5142: To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal, in commemoration to the servicemembers who perished in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021, during the evacuation…
- 117-hr-263: Big Cat Public Safety Act
- 117-hr-310: To posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods, J. Christopher Stevens, and Sean Smith, in recognition of thei…
- 117-hr-1057: Greatest Generation Commemorative Coin Act
- 117-hr-6207: Humane Cosmetics Act of 2021

## Sources
- [117-hr-4288 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4288)

## Related
- [117-hr-3537: Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-3537)
- [117-hr-5142: To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal, in commemoration to the servi…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-5142)
- [117-hr-263: Big Cat Public Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-263)
- [117-hr-310: To posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to Glen Doher…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-310)
- [117-hr-1057: Greatest Generation Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-1057)
- [117-hr-6207: Humane Cosmetics Act of 2021](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-6207)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-4288 (as of 2025-11-18).