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Utah Senate approves workers—comp coverage for farm employers, rejects higher exemption
Summary
After hours of debate over the balance between protecting farmworkers and shielding small family farms, the Utah Senate passed SB11 requiring agricultural employers whose payroll meets a threshold to carry workers—compensation; a proposed amendment to raise the threshold from $8,000 to $10,000 failed.
The Utah Senate voted to pass Senate Bill 11 on Feb. 4 after an extended floor debate over whether small agricultural employers should be exempt from workers—compensation requirements.
Sponsor Senator Robert Steiner said the bill would require farm employers to enroll in the state—s workers—compensation fund once their calendar-year payroll reaches the statutory threshold and proposed a clarifying amendment that coverage begin "the first day of the next month following" the month the payroll exceeded that threshold. "That would give [an employer] a little bit of time to get with the workers' compensation fund and get signed up," Steiner said.
Senator Nielsen introduced an amendment to raise the payroll exemption from $8,000 to $10,000, arguing that many family farms would otherwise be caught by the lower number: "An ordinary fruit harvest would go above the 8,000 even as a family farm in total," Nielsen said, adding that a 10,000 threshold would include more small operations.
Opponents urged caution. Senator May and Senator Warren warned that raising the cap would leave seasonal and Hispanic farmworkers without protection. "The least we should be able to do for these people is let them know that if they get hurt ... they are protected," Warren said, stressing the frequency and severity of farm injuries and the limited ability of many farm families to buy private insurance.
Senator Tanner and other members pushed back that increasing labor costs could force marginal farms to close or stop hiring, which could shrink seasonal job opportunities. "As you add to those labor costs, you put farmers out of business," Hillier warned, recounting job losses in agriculture over recent decades.
After floor discussion and a standing count, the Senate rejected the Nielsen amendment to raise the threshold and then voted on the bill as amended; the clerk announced the final roll call as 26 ayes, 2 nays and 1 absent. The bill will be transmitted to the House for further consideration.
Key numerical details debated on the floor included the $8,000 payroll threshold in the original bill and the proposed $10,000 amendment; senators cited state agricultural statistics and estimates offered to legislative committees during consideration.
Next steps: SB11 will go to the Utah House of Representatives for its committee and floor process.
