Proposed bill seeks to ensure hiring of legal workers

In order to do business with the state of Utah, a proposed bill would require companies to use a federal program to verify that their workers are legal.

Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, said the bill he's planning to introduce would apply to all companies that bid for state contracts or receive any state funding. It would require those businesses to participate in the federal Basic Pilot program, which is administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

"Basically what we're saying is they have to do a good-faith effort to certify their employees are legal," Sandstrom said.

Under the bill, any business discovered to have knowingly hired undocumented labor would be barred from any work involving state money for one year, Sandstrom said.

The measure is one of several planned this session ranging from a bill to repeal in-state tuition for undocumented students to a bill introduced Thursday that would allow state or local law enforcement agencies to perform some functions of federal immigration officers.

In Utah, 109 businesses with 351 sites currently participate in Basic Pilot, which is optional under federal law. Participating employers use the Internet-based system to verify information from I-9 employment eligibility forms for new hires.

Nine states enacted legislation related to employment of illegal immigrants last year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In Utah, a broader bill that would have required all Utah employers to participate in Basic Pilot died in committee during the 2006 session.

The new bill would apply to thousands of contracts the state awards each year through various departments and divisions. The state Division of Finance alone issues about 1,000 contracts each year and about 2,000 purchase orders.

Lane Beattie, president of the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, said employers would likely support a reliable, easy-to-use program to verify their workers' identities.

"We're anxious to see the body of the bill, what it actually is saying," Beattie said. "Conceptually we have no concerns and are very supportive."

Kenny Shulsen, president of Associated Builders and Contractors of Utah, said employers shouldn't face sanctions if they're presented with false documents. "The biggest thing is to make sure our member companies are protected," he said.