ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
farmworker housing; study
committee
Establishes
a joint legislative study committee on farmworker housing to study and make
recommendations on the availability and habitability of housing for
farmworkers.
Currently,
according to the Arizona Interagency Farmworkers Coalition (AIFC), there is a
problem with the health and well being of migrant and seasonal farmworkers in
this state. Many crop yields are integrally tied to the availability of these
farmworkers. Presently, according to
AIFC estimates, there are 65,000 migrant and seasonal farmworkers in the state.
The AIFC has consistently
identified housing/shelter as the critical issue for farmworkers in
Arizona. Farmworker housing is
traditionally in short supply because of limited capital, relatively high
financing risks and a lack of resources in small local/rural governments. Shortages of adequate and affordable housing/shelter
can result in homelessness for many of these working families.
The Arizona Farm Bureau also
acknowledges the need to establish a more accurate count of the migrant worker
population to better address the issue of appropriate housing.
The fiscal impact of this
legislation is a yet-to-be determined general fund appropriation to pay for a
consultant to assist and advise the committee.
1. Establishes a 12 member joint legislative farmworker housing committee to investigate the availability, safety and habitability of housing, as well as to determine the number of workers and whether the housing is for families or individuals.
2. Specifies that the committee consist of six members from the House of Representatives and six members from the Senate, with not more than four members of the House or three members of the Senate from the same political party. The committee is to be co-chaired by one Representative selected by the Speaker of the House and one Senator selected by the President of the Senate.
3. Appropriates $ in FY 2001-2002 from the state general fund to the joint committee in order to employ a consultant to assist the committee in an administrative and technical capacity.
4. Requires the committee to report it findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature by December 31, 2001, and repeals the committee on December 31, 2002.
5. Prohibits any recommendation for farmers or ranchers to be responsible for building facilities or for the future operation or maintenance of housing facilities.
6. Provides for a general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Staff
January 23, 2001