Legislation that passed the Senate and is sponsored by Sen. Betty Little would provide St. Lawrence County farmers financial relief by eliminating a requirement they pay for unemployment benefits for agricultural workers federally ineligible to receive them.

Little, who represents the 45th senate District, which includes the St. Lawrence County towns of Colton, Hopkinton, and Parishville, says “no other state but New York requires farmers pay for this.” “It’s an added and unnecessary cost for doing business here, putting our agricultural industry at a competitive disadvantage.”

Little said the fruit and vegetable sectors in New York State, in particular, depend a great deal on guest workers from outside the United States who enter the country through the “H-2A Guest Worker Program,” which is part of the Federal Immigration and Nationality Act.

A section of that act excludes “guest workers” from collecting unemployment insurance benefits. New York State, however, mandates that employers of H-2A guest workers pay a premium into the state Unemployment Insurance Program despite the employees not being eligible to receive a benefit.

Little’s legislation would resolve this inequity in the New York State Labor Law by exempting agricultural employers from paying for unemployment coverage for H-2A visa farm workers.

“The H-2A program serves a vital role for many farms in the North Country,” said Little. “These laborers provide a tremendous service and this change in law would not negatively impact them at all. In fact, by eliminating this unnecessary cost, it’s likely farms would utilize the federal program even more.”

The legislation was delivered to the Assembly, where a companion measure is sponsored by Assemblyman Bill Magee.