When his company started using a federal employment verification system, Daniel Garrido says he was surprised at how few new applicants were turned away because they weren't eligible to work in the United States.

At a Florida location of ALSCO, a Salt Lake-based linen supply and industrial laundry, 10 percent of new hires were found ineligible to work since 2003.

"I was expecting a higher number — one-third or 25 percent," said Garrido, employment law and regulatory compliance manager for ALSCO, which participates in the Basic Pilot Employment Verification Program.

For now, Basic Pilot is a voluntary way to verify, through the Department of Homeland Security, that new hires are eligible to work in the United States. However, a new bill introduced in the Utah House of Representatives would make verifying Social Security numbers mandatory.

Rep. Glenn Donnelson, R-North Ogden, said details of the bill, HB179, are still being worked out. He did not say how employers would be required to verify the information for new hires.

"It's to help with identity theft," Donnelson said. "It's not foolproof, but it's a start."

Currently, federal law requires employers to examine documents that establish an employee's identity and eligibility to work in the United States before completing an I-9 employment verification form, which must be kept on file. Further verification is optional.

Donnelson said his bill is targeted at identity theft in general, not just undocumented workers. However, Tony Yapias, director of Proyecto Latino de Utah, said he sees a troubling trend since Donnelson is also sponsoring bills to repeal the driving privilege card and in-state tuition for some undocumented students.

"It appears to me that Rep. Donnelson is just out to get the undocumented community," Yapias said. "Why can't we work toward sensible reform?"

The Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce had no immediate comment on the bill, which is still being drafted, said spokesman Michael DeGroote.

Michael Clara, spokesman for the Utah Hispanic/Latino Legislative Task Force, declined to comment on the bill until members of the bipartisan group could discuss it.

Alex Segura, director of the Utah Minuteman Project, said HB179 is a needed step in preventing "rampant fraud."

"This is just a way to combat identity theft and document fraud and hopefully get some people out of the work force who shouldn't be working," Segura said.

ALSCO is one of about 60 companies — with 276 sites — in Utah that use Basic Pilot, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

All information from an I-9 is entered into the system, and it generally takes less than a minute to verify the information, Garrido said. If an employee is found to be ineligible for work, he or she can appeal. Otherwise, the employer must immediately terminate the employee.