Senate committee debate on 40‑hour agricultural overtime standard falters; SB81 fails to move forward

Senate Bill 81, which would establish a 40‑hour overtime threshold for agricultural workers, received substantial testimony from advocates, farmworkers and labor groups but failed to gain committee support on procedural motions and was postponed indefinitely.

Sen. Danielson, who introduced SB81 during the joint hearing, argued the measure restores parity for agricultural workers with other industries and addresses historical inequities. “I introduced the measure to establish a 40 hour work week for farm workers,” he said, framing the bill as an effort to ensure equal treatment following the 2021 reforms.

Worker advocates, including union representatives, community organizers and legal services attorneys, offered personal testimony and data on health and safety risks tied to long hours, and warned that raising the overtime threshold would reverse progress. “Overtime protections exist to ensure that workers are compensated fairly for long hours,” said Zenaida Huerta of the UFW Foundation.

Industry groups, CSU extension representatives and producers argued that a 40‑hour threshold would be economically disruptive, especially during short harvest windows and for operations with thin margins. Producers described tactics they said they had used to manage overtime exposure — reducing hours offered, changing production practices, mechanizing or hiring H‑2A workers.

Committee action: a motion to send SB81 to the Committee on Appropriations failed on a 2–3 vote; later, by reverse roll call, the committee postponed SB81 indefinitely, effectively removing it from the committee's active docket.

What happens next: SB81 was postponed indefinitely in committee; sponsors and advocates may seek other legislative vehicles or future hearings to advance a 40‑hour standard.