Grocery, Farm, and Food Worker Protection Act of 2026

This bill would require the Agricultural Marketing Service to create a grant program that provides stabilization payments to grocery, farm, and meat processing workers during natural disasters or other emergencies. Under the proposal, the agency would distribute funding to labor unions or membership organizations representing these workers to facilitate the payments.

This bill directly affects farmworkers, meat processing workers, and grocery workers who may receive stabilization payments in the event of a natural or other disaster. The Agricultural Marketing Service is responsible for establishing the grant program and providing funding to the organizations that represent these workers. Specifically, membership organizations and labor unions representing these three categories of workers are eligible to receive and distribute the program's funds.

• Establishment of a disaster stabilization grant program. The Agricultural Marketing Service must create a program to provide stabilization payments to farmworkers, meat processing workers, and grocery store employees during natural disasters or other emergencies.
• Funding for labor and membership organizations. The bill directs the Agricultural Marketing Service to provide funding to labor unions and membership organizations that represent eligible food and agricultural workers to facilitate the distribution of payments.

The bill expands the responsibilities of the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) by directing the agency to oversee a new grant program for disaster stabilization payments.

The bill aims to provide financial stability to farmworkers, meat processing workers, and grocery workers by establishing a grant program that issues stabilization payments during natural disasters or other emergencies.