Vermont committee reviews H.403 to extend minimum wage, add overtime and housing inspections for farmworkers

Representative Heather Supernaught, sponsor of H.403, told the House Agriculture, Food Resiliency, & Forestry Committee that the bill would repeal the state exemption for agricultural workers from Vermont's minimum wage, provide overtime pay for agricultural workers after 60 hours in a week, and require a survey-and-inspection process for farm employee housing.

"This bill proposes to do three things: repeal the exemption of agricultural workers from minimum wage laws, provide overtime pay for agricultural workers, and provide inspections to determine the adequacy of farm employee housing," Representative Heather Supernaught said during the committee briefing.

Committee counsel Sophie Sedatny of the Office of Legislative Council said the measure was informed by last year’s agricultural labor study commission and by a review of state and federal law. She summarized the bill's mechanics and legal background: agricultural workers have historically been excluded from federal Fair Labor Standards Act coverage, and under current Vermont law many agricultural employees receive only the federal minimum wage rather than the state rate.

Under the bill text described by Supernaught and Sedatny, the proposal would: (1) remove the broad exclusion of agricultural…