HCSHB2489--EMPLOYMENTPRACTICES
SPONSOR: Murphy
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheSpecial
CommitteeonInnovationandTechnologybyavoteof5to2.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
2489.
Thisbillmodifiesprovisionsrelatingtoemploymentandcreates
newrequirementsrelatingtotheverificationoftheimmigration
statusofcertainpersons.
Theprovisionsrelatingtomunicipalsanctuarypoliciesunder
Section67.307,RSModonotapplytoqualifiedimmigrantworkers
registeredintheMissouriDepartmentofLaborandIndustrial
Relations(DOLIR)databaseestablishedbythisbill.
Currently,publicemployersmustenrollandactivelyparticipatein
aFederalworkauthorizationprogram,thisbilladdsprivate
employersandbusinessentities. BeginningJanuary1,2025,an
employerorbusinessentityisrequiredtoverifytheemployment
eligibilityofeveryemployeewhoishiredaftertheemployeror
businessentityenrollsintheprogram. Iftheprivateemployer
orbusinessentityfailstocomply,itmustprovideanaffidavitas
specifiedinthebill.Ifageneralcontractororsubcontractorof
anytierknowsitsdirectsubcontractorhasknowinglyemployedan
unauthorizedalien,suchcontractororsubcontractormustreportto
DOLIR.Ifthecontractororsubcontractorfailstoreportto
DOLIR,itwillbesubjecttothesamepenaltyfortheviolationas
thedirectsubcontractor(Section285.530).
Currently,uponacourt'sfindingthatabusinessentityhas
knowinglyviolatedSubsection1ofSection285.530,thecourtmust
directtheapplicablecountyormunicipalgoverningbodytosuspend
theentity'sbusinesslicenseandotherapplicablelicensesand
exemptionsfor14days.Thebillraisesthelengthofthe
suspensionto120days.Asecondorsubsequentviolationisa
classDfelony,asisasecondorsubsequentviolationbya
businessentityawardedaStatecontractorreceivingaState-
administeredtaxcredit,taxabatement,orloanfromtheState
(Section285.535).
Thisbillestablishesthe"ImmigrantEmploymentRegistrationand
TaxationProtectionAct".Thebilldefines,amongotherterms,
"alien"and"parolee",andprovidesthata"qualifiedimmigrant
worker"isapersonwho: (1)Isaparoleeoralien,butnotanunauthorizedalien,legally
authorizedunderFederallawtoacceptemployment;
(2)Hasobtainedavalidworkpermitorconditionalworkpermit
butwhosecurrentimmigrationstatusisinasuspendedquasi-legal
status;and
(3)IsanewhireoremployedinthestateofMissouri.
TheDepartmentisrequiredtomaintainadatabaseorregistryof
qualifiedimmigrantworkers,andmustprovideemployerswitha
mechanismtoverifyregistrationofanyqualifiedimmigrantworker.
Individualswhohavecertaindocumentationverifyingtheirlegal
statusareexemptfromregisteringwiththeDepartment. A
qualifiedimmigrantworkerisrequiredtosignanaffidavitof
understandingdetailingtheconditionsunderwhichtheworkermay
beemployed. Further,uponreceivingdocumentationfroma
qualifiedimmigrantworker,theemployerisrequiredtoprovidethe
documentationtoDOLIRasspecifiedinthebill,andDOLIRmust
providewrittenconfirmationoftheworker'sregistration. The
AttorneyGeneral(AG)shallenforcetheAct.Anenforcementaction
isinitiatedthroughasigned,writtencomplainttotheAGbyany
Stateofficial,businessentity,orStateresident. Thebill
detailsthecourseofactiontakenbytheAGuponreceiptofa
validcomplaint. ThebillauthorizestheAGtoinformand
cooperatewiththeDepartmentofRevenueforinvestigationand
enforcementofanyadditionalcriminalliabilitiesunderChapter
143.Aqualifiedimmigrantworkerwhofailstoprovidethe
employer-requesteddocumentationrequiredtoverifywork
authorizationstatusisguiltyofaclassDfelony.Nothinginthe
sectionshallbeconstruedtoimplythestateofMissouriisan
advocateforalegalimmigrationstatusrelatingtoaqualified
immigrantworkerorworker(Section285.545).
Currently,anyStateorlocalagencyadministeringoneormore
Federalpublicbenefitprogramsisexemptfromtherequirementsof
subsections1and3ofSection650.475,whichprohibitagovernment
entity,orofficialfromrestrictingagovernmententityor
officialfromcommunicatingorprovidinginformationwithrespect
totheimmigrationstatus,lawfulorunlawful,ofanyindividual.
AqualifiedimmigrantworkerregisteredintheDOLIRdatabaseis
addedtotheexemption(Section650.475).
Thisbillhasadelayedeffectivedate.
ThisbillissimilartoHB1515(2024);andHCSHB188(2023). Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthisbilladdressesacurrent
deficiencyinMissourilawconcerningillegalorunclassified
workers. Thereiscurrentlyalargenumberofunclassifiedaliens
livingandworkingintheUnitedStates,aswellasMissouri. The
firststeptoaddressingthisproblemistoshinealightonthe
illegalandoftenabusiveemploymentofthesealiens.Itis
importanttoregistertheemploymentofthesealienswiththe
State,andtakestepstomakeemployersaccountable. Thisbill
givestheStatethetoolsnecessarytoaddressthisproblem.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Murphy;and
HeritageActionForAmerica.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythatthisisan
additionalburdensomerequirementonsmallbusinesses. Further,
therearequestionsastothefeasibilityofhavingunclassified
aliensparticipateinasystemofsigningupforaStatedatabase
andthebilllacksdueprocessforthosewhoaredenied
registration.
TestifyinginpersonagainstthebillwereNFIB(National
FederationOfIndependentBusiness);MissouriChamberofCommerce
andIndustry;andtheAmericanCivilLibertiesUnionofMissouri.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.