ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
REVISED
As Adopted
by APPROP Committee
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 housing situation for migrant 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 Arizona.
The AIFC has consistently
identified housing/shelter as the critical issue for farmworkers in this
state. 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 $50,000 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 $50,000 in FY 2001-2002 from the state general fund to the Department of Commerce in order to employ a consultant to assist the committee in an administrative and technical capacity.
4. Exempts the Department of Commerce from the full procurement process for contracting for the consultant to assist the study committee.
5. Requires the committee to report it findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature by December 31, 2002, and repeals the committee on January 31, 2003.
6. Prohibits any recommendation for farmers or ranchers to be responsible for building facilities or for the future operation or maintenance of housing facilities.
7. Contains an emergency clause.
Amendments Adopted by APPROP Committee
1. Appropriates $50,000 from the general fund in FY 2001-2002 to the Department of Commerce for the consultant to assist the committee.
2. Exempts the Department of Commerce from the full procurement process for contracting for the consultant to assist the study committee.
3. Eliminates from the scope of the study committee’s recommendations, the considerations of health issues, wages or benefits.
4. Clarifies the scope of the study will encompass only migrant farmworkers who work in this state.
5. Requires the committee to make recommendations on the impediments to Farmworker housing resulting from the federal Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act.
6. Adds an emergency clause.
Senate Action
NRAE 2/1/01 DPA 5-3-0-0
APPROP 2/27/01 DPA 11-0-1-0
Prepared by Senate Staff
March 2, 2001