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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. John Galloway
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Galloway quizzes Pennsylvania Labor and Industry secretary on his E-Verify bills
Questions lack of support for bills designed to save jobs
HARRISBURG, Feb. 17 – During a House Appropriations Committee hearing Tuesday, state Rep. John Galloway, D-Bucks, questioned Pennsylvania Labor and Industry Secretary Sandi Vito on his bills that would require construction companies to verify the employment eligibility of their workers.
Vito said that the administration opposed both bills.
Galloway responded by noting both H.B.s 1502 and 1503 were reported unanimously out of the House Labor Relations Committee, and that issues with the legislation, such as the dependability of the E-Verify system, had been resolved. He also noted that 14 other states have passed similar legislation.
"These are the largest jobs bills that have the most impact of any jobs bill we'll take up this entire session. We need something more than opposition, we need engagement," Galloway said at the hearing.
House Bill 1502 would require state contractors and subcontractors who work on public projects to verify the employment eligibility of their employees, and H.B. 1503 would require all contractors in the construction industry to verify the employment eligibility of their employees. Both bills would require use of the Social Security Number Verification Service to verify existing employees, and the E-Verify Program for newly hired employees. Contractors who would violate these rules could be debarred from state projects or, in the case of private construction work, face forfeiture of state licenses or certifications.
E-Verify works by matching the names, birthdates and Social Security numbers of individuals via the Social Security Administration or Department of Homeland Security. Galloway noted the federal government is taking steps to simplify the language used in E-Verify instructions, post manuals online, and enhance education and outreach efforts to reach the small-business community to help reduce the number of false non-confirmation reports.
"These bills would protect jobs because they would make it much harder for employers to intentionally hire illegal aliens," Galloway said after the hearing. "Because illegal aliens are willing to work for less pay, this practice pushes hard-working Pennsylvanians off of payrolls, and gives unscrupulous contractors who engage in this practice an unfair advantage over those companies that do not."
Galloway is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and secretary of the House Labor Relations Committee.