# 119-hr-6122: BARN Act 119-hr-6122, BARN Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Allen, Rick W. [R-GA-12] (R-GA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6122 - As of: 2026-04-21 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: 119-hr-6122 - Congress: 119 - Title: BARN Act - Status: introduced - Introduced: 2025-11-19 - Sponsor: Rep. Allen, Rick W. [R-GA-12] (R-GA) - Cosponsors: 0 - Policy area: Immigration - Touches household money: yes - Last recorded action: 2026-04-21 ## Summary **Reshapes the H-2A guest worker program.** It would move administration from the Department of Labor to the Department of Agriculture and expand which farm and agricultural tasks qualify for temporary worker visas. - Workers: The bill would broaden the definition of agricultural labor to include tasks like planting, packing, processing, grading, storing, and delivering unmanufactured produce. It would require no-cost employer housing or allow a state-certified housing allowance and set an initial admission period of 1 year with a 2-year total cap. - Employers and process: Oversight would shift to Agriculture, and applications would face faster timelines with a 15-day review that can lead to deemed approval if missed. The bill would also allow experience requirements that exclude time worked in unlawful status and set a wage ceiling at 115% of the higher of the federal or state minimum wage. - Enforcement and legal access: The bill would tighten enforcement by barring certification for employers who knowingly hire expired workers or commit fraud. It would limit Legal Services Corporation representation in certain cases and create a good-faith compliance defense for employers. ## Provisions PRIA read - More farm tasks qualify for H-2A jobs: benefit, medium. If enacted, tasks like handling, planting, drying, packing, packaging, processing, freezing, grading, storing, and delivering crops to storage or to a carrier would count as farm work if the product is unmanufactured. This could let more jobs and worksites use the H-2A program. - Shorter H-2A stays and 60-day gap rule: cost, medium. If enacted, H-2A status would start at up to 1 year. One extension up to 1 more year would be allowed only if the employer did required recruitment, including the interstate job system. No one could stay more than 2 years total, and then must leave for 2 months before reapplying. A work gap of 60 d… - Stricter H-2A eligibility and hiring penalties: cost, medium. If enacted, people could be denied H-2A admission if in the past 5 years they overstayed or broke H-2A terms, were admitted by fraud, or committed a deportable offense while admitted. Employers found to knowingly hire workers after their admission expired, or who used fraud or misrepresentation, co… - Tighter access to legal aid for noncitizens: cost, medium. If enacted, the Legal Services Corporation could only help a noncitizen if the person is in the U.S. when helped and both sides tried good‑faith mediation first. LSC would have to honor employer‑worker arbitration agreements. Employers could bar LSC staff from entering their property unless there i… - Free housing or allowance for H-2A workers: mixed, medium. If enacted, H-2A employers would have to provide free housing for workers who cannot commute. A governor could allow a housing allowance instead, set to the statewide HUD fair‑market rent for a 2‑bedroom home (two people per bedroom). Employers would need to help workers find housing, cannot force… - Limit farm visa pay to 115% of minimum wage: mixed, medium. If enacted, employers would not have to pay more than 115% of the higher of the federal or state minimum wage for H-2A jobs. In some places, this could lower required pay for workers. Employers could face more predictable wage costs. - Move H-2A oversight to Agriculture Department: mixed, medium. If enacted, the H-2A program would move from the Labor Department to the Agriculture Department. The Agriculture Secretary would run and enforce the program. This could change how rules are applied and how employers and workers comply. - Faster decisions and inspections for H-2A: mixed, low. If enacted, the Agriculture Secretary would have 15 days to decide H-2A applications; if no decision, they would be deemed approved. Some filing deadlines would shorten from 45 days to 30 days. If an employer requests a housing inspection when filing, it must be done or scheduled within 28 days, an… ## Related bills - 119-hr-4317: PBM Reform Act of 2025 - 119-hr-833: Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025 - 119-hr-2345: Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve Establishment Act - 119-hr-9535: Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act of 2026 - 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act - 119-hr-21: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act ## Sources - [119-hr-6122 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6122) ## Related - [119-hr-4317: PBM Reform Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4317) - [119-hr-833: Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-833) - [119-hr-2345: Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve Establishment Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2345) - [119-hr-9535: Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9535) - [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262) - [119-hr-21: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-21) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6122 (as of 2026-04-21).