AB 2646 (Krell) – Agricultural Worker Minimum Wage Increase (Oppose)
Published Friday, March 27, 2026
Assembly Bill 2646 by Assemblymember Maggy Krell, D-Sacramento, establishes a new minimum wage of $19.75 an hour for non-California resident “authorized” agricultural workers employed in the state with approval from either the Employment Development Department or the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, as well as “corresponding” agricultural workers performing similar work. The bill is widely understood to target H-2A foreign temporary agricultural workers and those doing comparable work.
Amendments as of March 25 clarify that “corresponding” workers must be employed by the same employer of authorized workers within the same county to be subject to the higher wage requirement.
The bill would take effect Jan. 1, 2027, with annual cost-of-living increases thereafter. AB 2646 is pending in the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee and is expected to be heard on April 22. Farm Bureau opposes the bill.
Staff contact: Bryan Little, blittle@cfbf.com.
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