20 CFR Part 655, Subpart B - Labor Certification Process for Temporary Agricultural Employment in the United States (H-2A Workers)

The U.S. Department of Labor (Department) is publishing this final rule to adjust for inflation the civil monetary penalties assessed or enforced in its regulations, pursuant to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (Inflation Adjustment Act). The Inflation Adjustment Act requires the Department to annually adjust its civil money penalty levels for inflation no later than January 15 of each year. The Inflation Adjustment Act provides that agencies shall adjust civil monetary penalties notwithstanding Section 553 of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Additionally, the Inflation Adjustment Act provides a cost-of-living formula for adjustment of the civil penalties. Accordingly, this final rule sets forth the Department's 2018 annual adjustments for inflation to its civil monetary penalties.

The Secretary of Homeland Security (“Secretary”), in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, has decided to increase the numerical limitation on H-2B nonimmigrant visas to authorize the issuance of up to an additional 15,000 through the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2017. This is a one-time increase based on a time-limited statutory authority and does not affect the H-2B program in future fiscal years. The Departments are promulgating regulations to implement this determination.

The U.S. Department of Labor (Department) is publishing this final rule to adjust for inflation the civil monetary penalties assessed or enforced in its regulations, pursuant to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (Inflation Adjustment Act). The Inflation Adjustment Act requires the Department to annually adjust its civil money penalty levels for inflation no later than January 15 of each year. The Inflation Adjustment Act provides that agencies shall adjust civil monetary penalties notwithstanding Section 553 of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Additionally, the Inflation Adjustment Act provides a cost-of-living formula for adjustment of the civil penalties. Accordingly, this final rule sets forth the Department's 2017 annual adjustments for inflation to its civil monetary penalties, effective January 13, 2017.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is correcting an interim final rule published in the Federal Register on July 1, 2016 (81 FR 43430). The interim final rule adjusts the amounts of civil penalties assessed or enforced in its regulations pursuant to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015. That document inadvertently provided an incorrect authority citation when revising the general authority section for 20 CFR part 655. This document corrects the interim final rule by revising the appropriate authority section.

The U.S. Department of Labor is issuing this interim final rule to adjust the amounts of civil penalties assessed or enforced in its regulations. The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (Inflation Adjustment Act) requires agencies to adjust the levels of civil monetary penalties with an initial catch-up adjustment, followed by annual adjustments for inflation. The Department is required to calculate the catch-up and subsequent annual adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers. The Department must publish the interim final rule by July 1, 2016, and the new penalty levels are effective no later than August 1, 2016.

The Department of Labor is issuing regulations to govern its certification of the employment of nonimmigrant workers in temporary or seasonal agricultural employment under the H-2A program. Specifically, these regulations establish standards and procedures for employers seeking to hire foreign temporary agricultural workers for job opportunities in herding and production of livestock on the range. These regulations are consistent with the Secretary of Labor's statutory responsibility to certify that there are not sufficient able, willing, qualified and available U.S. workers to perform these jobs, and that the employment of foreign workers will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of workers in the United States similarly employed. Among the issues addressed in these regulations are the qualifying criteria for employing foreign workers in the applicable job opportunities, preparing job orders, program obligations of employers, filing of H-2A applications requesting temporary labor certification for range occupations, recruiting U.S. workers, determining the minimum offered wage rate, and the minimum standards for housing used on the range. The regulations establish a single set of standards and procedures applicable to employers seeking to hire foreign temporary agricultural workers for sheep and goat herding and range production of livestock, given the unique characteristics of these job opportunities in their industry.

The Department of Labor (Department) issued a proposed rule in the Federal Register of April 15, 2015 [FR Doc. 2015-08505], concerning proposed amendments to its regulations governing certification of the employment of nonimmigrant workers in temporary or seasonal agricultural employment under the H-2A program to codify certain procedures for employers seeking to hire foreign temporary agricultural workers for job opportunities in sheepherding, goat herding and production of livestock on the open range. This notice extends the comment period for 15 days, from May 15 to June 1, 2015. Multiple commenters requested additional time to develop their comments concerning the proposed rulemaking. The Department is therefore extending the comment period in order to give all interested persons the opportunity to comment fully.

The Department of Labor (Department) is proposing to amend its regulations governing certification of the employment of nonimmigrant workers in temporary or seasonal agricultural employment under the H-2A program to codify certain procedures for employers seeking to hire foreign temporary agricultural workers for job opportunities in sheepherding, goat herding and production of livestock on the open range. Such procedures must be consistent with the Secretary's statutory responsibility to ensure that there are no able, willing, qualified and available U.S. workers to perform these jobs, and that the employment of foreign workers will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of workers in the United States similarly employed. Before the current rulemaking, variances from the general H-2A regulatory requirements were established and revised for these occupations through sub-regulatory guidance, i.e. “special procedures,” that were issued in the form of separate Field Memoranda or Training and Employment Guidance Letters. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit recently ruled that the existing special procedures for sheepherding, goat herding and open range production of livestock are not interpretive rules but rather include substantive departures from established regulatory requirements necessitating notice and comment rulemaking under the Administrative Procedure Act. This proposed rule provides the public with the notice and opportunity to comment on proposed procedures to be followed in the filing and processing of applications involving herding and production of livestock on the open range. Among the issues addressed are the qualifying criteria for employing foreign workers in the applicable job opportunities, preparing job orders, program obligations of employers, filing of H-2A applications requesting temporary labor certification, recruiting U.S. workers, determining the minimum offered wage rate, and the minimum standards for mobile housing on the open range. The Department's goal is to establish a single set of regulations enabling employers seeking to hire foreign temporary agricultural workers for both herding and production of livestock on the open range to comply with their obligations under the H-2A program given the unique characteristics of these job opportunities in their industry.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is providing notice to the regulated community of the status of Wage Methodology for the Temporary Non-agricultural Employment H-2B Program, published January 19, 2011 in the Federal Register . DOL intends to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking on the proper wage methodology for the H-2B program, working off of the 2011 Wage Rule as a starting point.

The Department of Labor (Department or we/us) is delaying indefinitely the effective date of the Wage Methodology for the Temporary Non-agricultural Employment H-2B Program final rule (2011 Wage Rule), in order to comply with recurrent legislation that prohibits us from using any funds to implement it, and to permit time for consideration of public comments sought in conjunction with an interim final rule published April 24, 2013, 78 FR 24047. The 2011 Wage Rule revised the methodology by which the Department calculates the prevailing wages to be paid to H-2B workers and United States workers recruited in connection with a temporary labor certification for use in petitioning the Department of Homeland Security to employ a nonimmigrant worker in H-2B status. The 2011 Wage Rule was originally scheduled to become effective on January 1, 2012, and the effective date has been extended a number of times, most recently to October 1, 2013. We are now delaying the effective date of the 2011 Wage Rule indefinitely. This rule does not affect the Interim Final Rule, 78 FR 24047, published on April 24, 2013, establishing the current prevailing wage methodology for the H-2B program; that rule remains in effect.

The Department of Labor (Department) is proposing to delay indefinitely the effective date of the Wage Methodology for the Temporary Non-agricultural Employment H-2B Program final rule (2011 Wage Rule), in order to comply with recurrent legislation that prohibits the Department from using any funds to implement it, and to permit time for consideration of public comments sought in conjunction with an interim final rule published April 24, 2013, 78 FR 24047. The 2011 Wage Rule revised the methodology by which the Department calculates the prevailing wages to be paid to H-2B workers and United States workers recruited in connection with a temporary labor certification for use in petitioning the Department of Homeland Security to employ a nonimmigrant worker in H-2B status. The 2011 Wage Rule was originally scheduled to become effective on January 1, 2012, and the effective date has been extended a number of times, most recently to October 1, 2013. 1 The Department is now proposing to delay the effective date of the 2011 Wage Rule until such time as Congress no longer prohibits the Department from implementing the 2011 Wage Rule. 1 The effective date of the 2011 Wage Rule was previously revised to September 30, 2011, 76 FR 45667 (Aug. 1, 2011); to November 30, 2011, 76 FR 59896 (Sept. 28, 2011); to January 1, 2012, 76 FR 73508 (Nov. 29, 2011); to October 1, 2012, 76 FR 82115 (Dec. 30, 2011); to March 27, 2013, 77 FR 60040 (Oct. 2, 2012); and to October 1, 2013, 78 FR 19098 (Mar. 29, 2013).

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) (jointly referred to as the Departments) are amending regulations governing certification for the employment of nonimmigrant workers in temporary or seasonal non-agricultural employment. This interim final rule revises how DOL provides the consultation that DHS has determined is necessary to adjudicate H-2B petitions by revising the methodology by which DOL calculates the prevailing wages to be paid to H-2B workers and U.S. workers recruited in connection with the application for certification; the prevailing wage is then used in petitioning DHS to employ nonimmigrant workers in H-2B status. DOL and DHS are jointly issuing this rule in response to the court's order in Comité de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agricolas v. Solis, which vacated portions of DOL's current prevailing wage rate regulation, and to ensure that there is no question that the rule is in effect nationwide in light of other outstanding litigation. This rule also contains certain revisions to DHS's H-2B rule to clarify that DHS is the Executive Branch agency charged with making determinations regarding eligibility for H-2B classification, after consulting with DOL for its advice about matters with which DOL has expertise, particularly, in this case, questions about the methodology for setting the prevailing wage in the H-2B program.

The Department of Labor is delaying the effective date of the Wage Methodology for the Temporary Non-agricultural Employment H-2B Program final rule (the Wage Rule), in order to address legislation that prohibits any funds from being used to implement the Wage Rule for the remainder of fiscal year (FY) 2013. The Wage Rule revised the methodology by which the Department calculates the prevailing wages to be paid to H-2B workers and United States (U.S.) workers recruited in connection with a temporary labor certification for use in petitioning the Department of Homeland Security to employ a nonimmigrant worker in H-2B status.

The Department of Labor (Department) is delaying the effective date of the Wage Methodology for the Temporary Non-agricultural Employment H-2B Program final rule, in response to recently enacted legislation that prohibits any funds from being used to implement the Wage Rule for the first 6 months of fiscal year (FY) 2013. The Wage Rule revised the methodology by which the Department calculates the prevailing wages to be paid to H-2B workers and United States (U.S.) workers recruited in connection with a temporary labor certification for use in petitioning the Department of Homeland Security to employ a nonimmigrant worker in H-2B status.

The Department of Labor (the Department) is providing notice of the judicial order enjoining the Department from implementing and enforcing the Temporary Non-agricultural Employment of H-2B Aliens in the United States, published February 21, 2012 (the 2012 H-2B Final Rule). The 2012 H-2B Final Rule revised the requirements by which employers seeking H-2B workers apply for a temporary labor certification for use in petitioning the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to employ a nonimmigrant worker in H-2B status. The effective date of the 2012 H-2B Final Rule was April 23, 2012. The operative date of the 2012 H-2B Final Rule was April 27, 2012. This document provides guidance to the regulated community of the injunction, by judicial order, of the 2012 H-2B Final Rule and the continuing effectiveness of the 2008 H-2B Rule until such time as further judicial or other action suspends or otherwise nullifies the order in the Bayou II litigation.

On February 21, 2012, the Department of Labor (the Department or DOL) published a Final Rule amending H-2B regulations governing the certification of temporary employment of nonimmigrant workers in temporary or seasonal non-agricultural employment. On March 20, 2012, the Department published guidance informing employers of the dates by which their H-2B application must be postmarked in order to be governed by the Final Rule. This guidance revises these dates so that the Final Rule will become operative 60 days after it was reported to Congress.

On February 21, 2012, the Department of Labor (the Department or DOL) published a Final Rule amending H-2B regulations governing the certification of temporary employment of nonimmigrant workers in temporary or seasonal non-agricultural employment. The Department's H-2B Final Rule also created new regulations to provide for enhanced enforcement under the H-2B program requirements when employers fail to meet their obligations under the H-2B program. The Department also made changes to the Application for Temporary Employment Certification, ETA Form 9142. The H-2B Final Rule becomes effective on April 23, 2012. All applications filed on or after that date will need to comply with all applicable program requirements. The purpose of this guidance is to provide transition procedures to ensure that employers filing H-2B applications on or after April 23, 2012, have sufficient information to file appropriately.

Under the Department of Labor's (we or the Department) H-2A temporary labor certification program, Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWRs) are the minimum wage rates the Department has determined must be offered and paid by employers to H-2A workers and workers in corresponding employment for a particular occupation and area such that the wages of similarly employed United States (U.S.) workers will not be adversely affected. 20 CFR 655.100(b). AEWRs are derived from the Farm Labor Survey (FLS) issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). In the interest of government transparency, we are publishing this document to announce a non-material change in the frequency of establishment surveys under the FLS (and its accompanying publication) beginning in 2012.