Sacramento, CA – Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) passed AB 317 out of the Assembly, completing its journey through the legislative process. The bill, which secures a long-term funding solution for Napa County’s farmworker housing passed off the Senate and Assembly floors this week with bipartisan support.
“These centers are an invaluable asset to our farmworkers and our local economy,” said Aguiar-Curry after the bill’s passage. “This brings us one step closer to ensuring Napa County can keep its one-of-a-kind housing program running. AB 317 means safe, reliable, and affordable housing for our region’s farmworkers.”
Napa’s unique agricultural industry requires a greater demand for workers and housing. Napa’s farmworker housing centers are the only housing centers in the state that are open year-round and rely entirely on local funds. Currently, the state-run migrant worker centers operate only about six months each year and receive financial support from the state.
Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry’s AB 317 will provide $250,000 in state matching funds to the Napa County Housing Authority annually. Despite the agricultural industry increasing their self-assessment to help with rising maintenance and operational costs, the Napa farmworker centers may be forced to shut down without additional help. The long-term funding solution in AB 317 will allow Napa County to keep the centers open and running.
Aguiar-Curry added: “We need all hands—local government, agricultural industry, farmworkers, and the state—on deck to keep our workers safe and our agricultural production thriving.”
AB 317 is now sitting on the Governor’s desk awaiting a final decision.
Aguiar-Curry represents the 4th Assembly District, which includes all of Lake and Napa Counties, parts of Colusa, Solano and Sonoma Counties, and all of Yolo County except West Sacramento.
www.asm.ca.gov/aguiar-curry