Agricultural Exceptionalism: Development of a Labor Law Equity Index to Capture Variation in State Labor Protections for U.S. Agricultural Workers.

The article focuses on the development and application of the Agricultural Worker Labor Law Equity Index (LLEI), which uses legal epidemiology methods to evaluate state labor laws related to workers' compensation, minimum wage, and overtime pay for agricultural workers across 39 U.S. states from 2001 to 2017. The LLEI reveals significant variation in labor protections, with most states providing some inclusion of agricultural workers, but many states still excluding them, particularly from overtime pay and minimum wage laws, reflecting a legacy of agricultural exceptionalism rooted in structural racism. Geographic disparities were noted, with Western states generally offering more inclusive protections compared to the Southeast and Central Midwest. The study highlights the potential of the LLEI as a tool for policymakers, advocates, and researchers to understand and address labor law inequities affecting agricultural workers' health and well-being.