Spotted Lanternfly Research and Development Act

House Bill

H.R. 4708

119th Congress

Spotted Lanternfly Research and Development Act

In Committee

Introduced:Jul 23, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Tony Gonzales

Representative

Republican

TX-23

Cosponsors

37

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Immigration

Summary

This bill aims to make it easier for businesses to hire temporary agricultural and non-agricultural workers by extending the duration of their visas. It would allow H-2A and H-2B visa holders to stay in the U.S. for up to 3 years, rather than the current 1-year limit with extensions, and waive the in-person requirement for visa renewals.

Latest Action

Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

SponsorTony Gonzales (R-TX)

Introduced7/23/2025

StatusReferred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

ChamberHouse

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Vote Prediction

Spotted Lanternfly Research and Development Act

This bill aims to make it easier for businesses to hire temporary agricultural and non-agricultural workers by extending the duration of their visas. It would allow H-2A and H-2B visa holders to stay in the U.S. for up to 3 years, rather than the current 1-yea

Community Breakdown

Pass

0%

Fail

0%

0 predictions

This bill aims to make it easier for businesses to hire temporary agricultural and non-agricultural workers by extending the duration of their visas. It would allow H-2A and H-2B visa holders to stay in the U.S. for up to 3 years, rather than the current 1-year limit with extensions, and waive the in-person requirement for visa renewals.

Bill Number: 4708
Sponsor: Tony Gonzales (R-TX)
Introduced: 7/23/2025
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Policy Area: Immigration

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: Spotted Lanternfly Research and Development Act
Bill Number: 4708
Sponsor: Tony Gonzales (R-TX)
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Introduced: 7/23/2025
Summary: This bill aims to make it easier for businesses to hire temporary agricultural and non-agricultural workers by extending the duration of their visas. It would allow H-2A and H-2B visa holders to stay in the U.S. for up to 3 years, rather than the current 1-year limit with extensions, and waive the i

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill aims to make it easier for businesses to hire temporary agricultural and non-agricultural workers by extending the duration of their visas. It would allow H-2A and H-2B visa holders to stay in the U.S. for up to 3 years, rather than the current 1-year limit with extensions, and waive the in-person requirement for visa renewals.

Last updated: 12/30/2025

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

H-2 Improvements to Relieve Employers Act or the HIRE Act This bill addresses issues relating to temporary work visas, including by extending the period of stay for H-2A (temporary agricultural workers) and H-2B (temporary nonagricultural workers) visas. Under this bill, the period of stay for an H-2A or H-2B visa shall generally be three years, whereas under current law, these visas are typically valid for up to a year with extensions available for one-year periods for up to three consecutive years. Specifically, this bill establishes that labor certifications and petitions for such visas shall be valid for three years. (Under current regulations, the period of stay for an H-2A or H-2B visa is for the validity period of the underlying petition and supporting labor certification, with some additional time to allow the visa holder to relocate to and from the United States.) The bill also authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to waive the in-person requirement for an individual seeking to renew an H-2A or H-2B visa within four years of the expiration of the earlier visa. The Department of Labor must publish on its website information on the number of seasons during which an employer expects to have seasonal employment available, if the employer requests such information.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Extends the period of stay for H-2A (agricultural) and H-2B (non-agricultural) temporary worker visas from 1 year to 3 years
Allows the Department of Homeland Security to waive the in-person requirement for renewing H-2A and H-2B visas within 4 years of the previous visa's expiration
Requires the Department of Labor to publish information on the number of seasons an employer expects to have seasonal employment available

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

If this bill becomes law, it would primarily impact businesses that rely on temporary foreign workers, such as farms, landscaping companies, and hospitality industries. It would make it easier for them to retain workers for longer periods, potentially reducing turnover and training costs. The changes could also benefit visa holders by providing more stability and reducing the administrative burden of frequent visa renewals.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Immigration

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

4708, 119th Congress (2025). "Spotted Lanternfly Research and Development Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-4708