Van Hollen, Alsobrooks, Murkowski, Kaine Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Support Seafood Industry’s Long-Term Workforce Needs
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks (both D-Md.) joined Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) in reintroducing the Save Our Seafood Act, bipartisan legislation to improve the H-2B visa program and help ensure Maryland seafood companies can hire the seasonal workforce they need to operate at full capacity.
This visa program is essential for the operations of Maryland’s crab and seafood small businesses, which have historically employed foreign workers through it when domestic workers cannot be found to fill these positions. However, in recent years, the H-2B visa program has become an increasingly uncertain source of labor as economy-wide demand for the program has surged, ultimately squeezing out the seafood industry. This bipartisan bill addresses this issue by exempting seafood processors from the current annual 66,000-visa cap on the H-2B program.
“Maryland’s seafood businesses – most of which are small and family-owned – not only process the iconic blue crabs that our state is known for, they are also a key economic driver for our state and the region. While I push every year to ensure the Administration makes the maximum number of H-2B visas available for the seafood industry, the uncertainty our small businesses face threatens their success and ultimately their ability to keep running. This legislation provides a permanent, tailored fix for the H-2B program to better position Maryland’s seafood businesses to consistently meet their seasonal workforce needs while also supporting American jobs. This long-term legislative solution – along with our ongoing fight to protect the workers in this industry – are critical to the enduring success of Maryland’s cherished seafood businesses,” said Senator Van Hollen.
“There’s nothing more Maryland than crabs,” said Senator Alsobrooks. “Making sure we have the workforce we need so everyone can continue enjoying this Maryland staple is what this bipartisan bill is all about.”
“Alaska’s seafood industry is a delicate chain – and when processors don’t have the workforce to meet demand, the whole industry can fall apart,” said Senator Murkowski. “Coastal communities, family-owned fishing boats, and Alaskans who work in the industry need to know that they have fully-functioning operations where they can deliver their catch. Through this legislation, I’m working to ensure that the industry has a dependable workforce that can process and deliver the highest-quality seafood in the world.”
“The seafood industry is a critical part of Virginia’s economy, especially in Hampton Roads and on the Eastern Shore,” said Senator Kaine. “I often hear from Virginia’s seafood processors about how hard it is to find seasonal workers, so I’m glad to introduce this bipartisan legislation with my colleagues to make it easier for these businesses to hire the workers they need.”
This legislation is supported by the Chesapeake Bay Seafood Industries Association.
“The Chesapeake Bay Seafood Industries Association applauds the reintroduction of the Save Our Seafood Act. Since 1989 Maryland Seafood Processors have used and depended on the H-2B non-agricultural seasonal visa work program to staff these traditional seasonal jobs. These hardworking people who come to Maryland every season under this very important program support thousands of jobs of American citizens and small seafood businesses around Maryland's Chesapeake Bay that also support seafood processors. Due to the scarcity of H-2B visas, Maryland has lost more than 40 of its seafood processing companies, located mostly in rural areas around the Bay, since the 90s – and now we have less than a dozen left. Maryland Watermen continue to demonstrate year after year the need, no matter the economic climate, for these seasonal workers. All of Maryland Seafood is extremely grateful that Senators Murkowski, Van Hollen, and their colleagues are reintroducing this bill to provide a permanent solution that will enable our seafood processors to meet their staffing needs every year and save our vital seafood industry,” said Jack Brooks, President of the Chesapeake Bay Seafood Industries Association.
This legislation is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Dr. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.).
Text of the bill can be viewed here.
H-2B visas allow domestic employers to temporarily hire nonimmigrants to perform nonagricultural labor or services if they cannot fill these jobs with American workers. Employers must first obtain certification from the Department of Labor and then complete an application process through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to obtain these visas.
Since Fiscal Year 2017, Congress has authorized DHS in appropriations laws to issue additional H-2B visas beyond the statutory cap of 66,000, subject to specified conditions – and most recently, the agency under the Biden Administration released an additional 64,716 for fiscal year 2025 at the urging of Senator Van Hollen and then-Senator Ben Cardin, among others. While Senator Van Hollen has worked each year to maximize the number of H-2B visas available for Maryland businesses, the program’s current structure fundamentally disadvantages crab processing and purchasing companies. This $355 million Maryland industry relies on these visas, which are distributed through a lottery system, to employ approximately 400 workers for the crab season – which runs from April to November. Maryland’s seafood companies do not have flexibility in their visa timing needs. If companies are not selected to secure visas through the lottery, or workers are not available to process crabs when harvest occurs, businesses face closure – either for the season or for good.
By exempting crab processing and purchasing companies from the 66,000-annual cap on H-2B visa allocation, this legislation will give Maryland seafood businesses the certainty they need to remain in operation and preserve the viability of this iconic industry.