Employee verification measure advances

A House committee on Tuesday approved a bill that would require Utah employers verify new hires' work eligibility using a federal program.

Rep. Glenn Donnelson, R-North Ogden, the sponsor, said a substitute version of HB156 wouldn't take effect until July 2008, after the Labor Commission researches appropriate enforcement measures.

The 5-3 vote in the House Government Operations Standing Committee came after questions about what the Internet-based Basic Pilot program means.

Employers who sign up for the optional program provide information from a new hire's I-9, employment eligibility form. That information includes name, birth date and Social Security number.

Thomas Bingham, president of the Utah Manufacturers Association, pointed to the December arrests of 145 workers at the Swift & Co. plant in Hyrum, saying Basic Pilot doesn't protect against the theft of an entire identity.

"This is the same program that Swift was on when they were raided," he said. "All it verifies is the Social Security number and name match, it doesn't tell you if the documents were bogus or not."

However, speaking in favor of the bill, Rep. Eric Hutchings, R-Kearns, said even though it's not perfect, requiring the program is a positive step.

"People don't understand this identity theft is a nightmare," he said. "It is about the fastest-growing type of crime in the United States right now. ... It will absolutely destroy you."

The bill will be referred to the Rules Committee to be prioritized for a potential hearing in the House of Representatives.

A narrower employee verification bill, HB127, which would require all businesses that contract with the state to use Basic Pilot, was sent back to the Rules Committee on Monday by the House Business Committee, because too few members were present to vote on it.

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E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com