Governor Newsom signs farmworker relief bills authored by Assemblymembers Eduardo Garcia and Robert Rivas

Governor Newsom signed two new farmworker relief bills this week designed to provide protections for agricultural workers during the pandemic.

The two bills, AB 2043 and AB 2165, were authored by Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) alongside Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Hollister). These measures, passing the legislature with bipartisan support, represent the nation’s first legislative package of COVID-19 protections for agricultural workers.

“I would like to thank Governor Newsom for responding to our call for increased farmworker protections,” said Assemblymember Garcia. “Our agricultural, farmworker communities have been serving on the frontlines, making extraordinary sacrifices to keep us fed throughout this pandemic.”

According to Garcia’s office: 

AB 2043, Agricultural Workplace Health and Safety Act (Rivas/E. Garcia): Ensures enforcement by Cal/OSHA of its COVID-19 guidance, funds a targeted bilingual outreach campaign to educate agricultural workers on Cal/OSHA guidance, as well as COVID-19-related paid sick leave and workers compensation benefits, and directs Cal/OSHA to track and report workplace investigations related to the agricultural industry.

 AB 2165, E-Filing and Rural Access to Justice Act (Rivas/E. Garcia): Expands the availability of electronic filing to all state trial courts, given that access to courthouses is a problem in many farmworker and other rural communities.

 AB 2043 will take immediate effect, while AB 2165 will go into effect on January 1, 2021.