The State - News from Sept. 13, 1985

California Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez) and Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) vowed at a news conference to push congressional legislation requiring toilets, fresh drinking water and water to wash in for farm workers in the field. Although 13 states, including California, already have passed laws requiring sanitary facilities, farm workers have been seeking national legislation for 13 years. This week Labor Secretary William E. Brock gave states 18 months to establish rules on the matter and said the federal government will issue a field sanitation standard for any state that does not comply. The lack of sanitary facilities in the field has been linked to an increased rate of parasitic diseases, infections and other illnesses among farm workers.