This week, the House Appropriations Committee passed the FY 2016 funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security. The bill includes the language below that would create an H-2B returning worker exemption for fiscal year 2016, which begins on October 1.

SEC. 561. Section 214(g)(9)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(g)(9)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘2004, 2005, or 2006 shall not again be count- ed toward such limitation during fiscal year 2007.’’ and inserting ‘‘2013, 2014, or 2015 shall not again be counted toward such limitation during fiscal year 2016.’’

To supporters of this H-2B legislation: We will have a long way to go to preserve this language in a final appropriations measure later this year, but this is a very important first step. Please continue your H-2B outreach to lawmakers.