Federal identity verification may be required for public employees

A House panel on Tuesday gave a nod to a bill requiring public employers use a federal electronic verification system to check the work eligability of new hires.

The Public Utilities and Technology Committee voted 10-1 to send HB98 to the House floor, after a hearing in which sponsor Rep. Glenn Donnelson, R-North Ogden, portrayed the issue as one of identity theft, without mentioning the illegal immigration issue. Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck was the only dissenting vote.

Donnelson mentioned examples such as deadbeat parents trying to avoid paying child support and sexual predators as examples of the type of people who would be caught by the federal internet-based E-Verify program. He didn't mention illegal immigration, which has been attributed for much work-related identity theft. Employers who use the program check a new hire's name, Social Security number and birth date using the system.

The bill was the first of several dealing with illegal immigration — including at least two others dealing with employment verification — that lawmakers will debate in the current legislative session. However, following the meeting, Donnelson declined to call the favorable vote for other bills dealing with illegal immigration that he's sponsoring.

"I crafted this one for identity theft," Donnelson said. "We have to get a hold of this as a state."