H.R. 9260: Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027

Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027

While this bill is primarily an appropriations bill for hte Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, it does contain some immigration provisions. It-

• Gives the seafood industry staggered H-2B dates;
• Changes prevailing wages for H-2Bs to the greater of the actual wage paid by the employer to similar employees or the prevailing wage for the occupational classification in that area, and requires the Secretary of Labor to accept statistically supported private wage surveys over Occupational Employment Statistics survey data;
• Prohibits funds from being used to enforce the "corresponding employment" definition or the "three-fourths guarantee rule" (which typically guarantees workers a minimum number of work hours), and strictly narrows the definition of "temporary need";
• Bars the Secretary of Labor is permanently prohibited from issuing H-2B temporary labor certifications to any employer convicted of a felony human trafficking offense or found liable for human trafficking in a civil judgment; and
• Freezes H-2As at the rate from October 2, 2025.