Thread: PA Senate passes E-Verify plan for contractors

PA Senate passes E-Verify plan for contractors

Posted: Tuesday, May 24, 2011 5:02 pm
By Gary Weckselblatt Staff Writer | 0 comments

The Pennsylvania Senate approved legislation today that would require contractors and subcontractors to verify legal employment status for all employees working on public building projects.

Senate Bill 637, which passed 47-7, makes use of the federal E-Verify system mandatory to confirm that all employees are eligible to work in the U.S.

Employers would be required to submit employment verification statements to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry prior to beginning work on any public contract.

"Requiring employers to verify legal employment status will help level the playing field for honest contractors and their employees," said state Sen. Chuck McIlhinney, R-10, a co-sponsor of the legislation. "It is unconscionable to allow illegal workers and their employers to benefit from taxpayer-funded building projects while so many hardworking Pennsylvanians are still struggling to find a job."

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security reports that more than 238,000 employers are enrolled in the E-Verify system, and more than 16 million queries were run through the system in 2010.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/t ... 0b085.html

GO PENNSYLVANIA! GO REPUBLICANS! GO STATES!!

Good for you PA