84R6923 TSR-D
By: Shaheen H.B. No. 1553
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to requiring political subdivisions to participate in the
federal electronic verification of employment authorization
program or E-verify.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 5, Local Government Code, is
amended by adding Chapter 179 to read as follows:
CHAPTER 179. VERIFICATION OF EMPLOYEE INFORMATION
Sec. 179.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "E-verify program" means the electronic
verification of employment authorization program of the federal
Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996
(Pub. L. No. 104-208, reprinted in note, 8 U.S.C. Section 1324a),
operated by the United States Department of Homeland Security, or a
successor employment authorization program designated by the
United States Department of Homeland Security or other federal
agency authorized to verify the employment authorization status of
newly hired employees under the federal Immigration Reform and
Control Act of 1986 (8 U.S.C. Section 1101 et seq.).
(2) "Political subdivision" means a county,
municipality, school district, junior college district, other
special district, or other subdivision of state government.
Sec. 179.002. VERIFICATION. A political subdivision shall
register and participate in the E-verify program to verify
information of all new employees.
Sec. 179.003. STATE FUNDING PROHIBITED FOR FAILURE TO
PARTICIPATE IN E-VERIFY. Beginning the state fiscal year following
the effective date of this Act, a political subdivision may not
receive state funds if the political subdivision fails to register
and participate in the E-verify program as required by Section
179.002. A political subdivision denied state funds under this
section may receive state funds beginning the state fiscal year
following the year in which the political subdivision registers and
participates in the E-verify program as required by Section
179.002. The Governor's Office of Budget, Planning, and Policy
shall adopt rules to implement this section uniformly among state
agencies from which state funds are distributed to a political
subdivision.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.