WIN! California makes our campaign bill law!

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed AB 1362 into law — a groundbreaking step forward in ensuring temporary migrant workers in California are safer from exploitation, abuse, and unfair recruitment practices.

AB 1362 closes the accountability gap in the agricultural industry by requiring H-2A recruiters to register with the state and post a bond. These mechanisms ensure recruiters follow the law, benefiting around 40,000 agricultural workers recruited to California each year.

While this bill specifically covers agricultural workers, it sets an important precedent and a foundation for broader protections in future legislation and positions California as a leader as federal rollbacks weaken migrant worker protections across the US.

Freedom United is proud to have been a co-sponsor of this bill, working alongside our partners in California to push it across the finish line.

We first campaigned on this issue in 2021, when a similar bill was introduced to require foreign labor contractors to register and disclose working conditions. That bill passed the legislature but was ultimately vetoed.

But our community didn’t give up. Tens of thousands of Freedom United supporters around the world rallied behind temporary migrant workers, demanding change when the bill was reintroduced this year. Together with our partners on the ground, we kept the pressure on lawmakers until AB 1362 passed both chambers and reached the governor’s desk.

Thank you to everyone who helped push this important legislation forward. Your voices have helped advance the fight to protect migrant workers in California from exploitation.