Higher Ed immigration bill dead this session

May 5, 2009 11:25 AM ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Legislation that would require Tennessee's public colleges and universities to more carefully screen out illegal immigrants is dead for the session.

The House Higher Education Subcommittee on Tuesday delayed the measure sponsored by Republican Rep. Stacey Campfield of Knoxville until January 2010. The companion bill has been withdrawn from consideration in the Senate Education Committee.

Campfield says officials aren't doing enough to determine whether students are U.S. citizens.

Higher education officials currently rely on students to accurately fill out forms that ask for their Social Security numbers, home addresses and which high school they graduated from.

However, with higher education facing deep budget cuts and layoffs, officials have said it would be tough financially to more aggressively vet students' immigration status.


Read HB0808 at: http://www.capitol.tn.gov


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