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                    MINUTES OF THE HOUSE
                WORKFORCE SERVICES AND COMMUNITY
AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STANDING COMMITTEE
Room W025, West Office Building, State Capitol Complex

February 12, 2008

MEMBERS PRESENT:        Rep. Steven R. Mascaro, Chair
                    Rep. Julie Fisher, Vice Chair         
                    
Rep. Bradley M. Daw
                    Rep. Jack R. Draxler
                    Rep. Janice Fisher
                    Rep. Christopher Herrod                
                    
MEMBERS ABSENT:        Rep. Brad King                
                    Rep. Karen W. Morgan
                                             
STAFF PRESENT:            Arthur L. Hunsaker, Policy Analyst
                    Linda Error, Committee Secretary
                    
Note:     A list of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with the committee minutes.

Rep. Mascaro called the meeting to order at 9:04 a.m.

MOTION:    Rep. Daw moved to approve the minutes of the February 7, 2008 meeting. The motion passed unanimously.

H.B. 257    Employee Verification (Rep. C. Herrod)

MOTION:    Rep. Julie Fisher moved to amend the bill as follows:

1.    Page 1, Lines 9 through 11 :    

             9          This bill modifies provisions related to state affairs in general by conditioning
{   certain

             10      economic incentives and  
}
procurement agreements on employer participation in a federal
             11      employee eligibility verification program.

2.    Page 1, Lines 15 through 17 :    

             15      verification program of a newly hired employee's employment eligibility as a
             16      condition for receiving
{   certain economic incentives and   } procurement contracts

             17      including:

3.    Page 1, Lines 26 through 27 :    



             26      ENACTS:
             27          
{   63-38f-206, Utah Code Annotated 1953   }


4.    Page 2, Line 30 through Page 3, Line 76 :    

             30      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             31
{  
         Section 1. Section 63-38f-206 is enacted to read:
             32          63-38f-206. Employment eligibility verification as a requirement for receiving
             33      economic development incentives.
             34          (1) As used in this section:
             35          (a) "Economic development incentive" means one or more of the following:
             36          (i) a loan, grant, or other financial assistance described in Part 9, Industrial Assistance
             37      Fund;
             38          (ii) a partial tax rebate described in Part 13, Aerospace and Aviation Zone;
             39          (iii) a partial tax rebate described in Part 17, Economic Development Incentives Act;
             40          (iv) an incentive described in Part 18, Motion Picture Incentive Fund;
             41          (v) monies distributed under Part 19, Economic Development on Military Installations;
             42      or
             43          (vi) monies or other incentives distributed under Part 21, Economic Development -
             44      Government Procurement Contracts.
             45          (b) "Employee" means an individual performing or applying for work or service of any
             46      kind or character for hire.
             47          (c) "Employer" means a person employing or seeking to employ an individual for hire.
             48          (d) "Employment" means:
             49          (i) the act of employing; or
             50          (ii) the state of being employed, engaged, or hired.
             51          (e) "Federal employment verification program" means a program to electronically
             52      verify employment eligibility that is:


             53          (i) operated by the United States Department of Homeland Security to verify
             54      information of employees pursuant to the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant
             55      Responsibility Act of 1996, P.L. 104-128, 110 Stat. 3009, Title IV, Subtitle A, (as amended
             56      2002, 2003); or
             57          (ii) a similar program operated by the United States Department of Homeland Security.
             58          (2) The office shall require as a condition for receipt of an economic development
             59      incentive that an employer certify that the employer:
             60          (a) participates in a federal employment verification program referred to in Subsection
             61      (1)(e); and
             62          (b) has not been found to violate the requirements of the federal employment
             63      verification program by:
             64          (i) the United States Department of Homeland Security; or
             65          (ii) the office.
             66          (3) (a) If the office learns that an employer does not participate in the federal
             67      employment verification program or is found by the United States Department of Homeland
             68      Security to violate the requirements of the federal employment verification program within one
             69      year after the day on which the employer receives or otherwise claims an economic
             70      development incentive, the office may require the employer to repay to the state up to the full
             71      value of the economic development incentive as of the day on which the employer receives or
             72      otherwise claims the economic development incentive.
             73          (b) If an employer described in this Subsection (3) receives or claims an economic
             74      development incentive, the employer shall notify the office of a finding described in

Subsection
             75      (3)(a) within five business days of the day on which the finding described in Subsection (3)(a)
             76      is final.  
}


5.    Page 3, Line 77 :    

             77          Section

{   2   }        1       . Section 63-56-427 is enacted to read:


The motion to amend passed, with Rep. Daw voting in opposition.

Rep. Herrod explained the bill to the committee.

Spoke to the bill:        Doug Richins, Director, Division of Purchasing

Spoke for the bill:        Rundussa Eshete, owner, Design, Build, Operate Services
                Nellie Morgan, Utah Minutemen Project

Spoke against the bill:    Dave Davis, Utah Food Industry
                Robin Riggs, Vice President, Salt Lake Chamber

MOTION:    Rep. Daw moved to pass the bill out favorably as amended.

SUBSTITUTE
MOTION:    Rep. Janice Fisher moved to send H.B. 257 to Interim Study. The motion failed with Rep. Janice Fisher voting in favor.

The original motion to pass the bill out favorably passed, with Rep. Janice Fisher voting in opposition.

MOTION:    Rep. Daw moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed unanimously.

Rep. Mascaro adjourned the meeting at 9:55 a.m.



                            ______________________________
                             Rep. Steven Mascaro, Chair