| Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Neutral | Neutral | Positive | Neutral | Neutral |
Relating to requiring
state agencies to participate in the federal electronic verification of
employment authorization program, or E-verify.
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
HB 183 would add a new chapter to the Government Code.
Specifically, this new chapter would require all state agencies to participate
in the E-verify program. The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) would be responsible
for implementing this new chapter.
The E-verify program is an electronic verification program
for employers, which is operated by the federal government. This system allows employers to determine
whether their employees are eligible to work in the United States. The main purpose of this program is to
prevent illegal immigrants from working in this country.
This legislation would require all state agencies in Texas
to use the E-verify program to verify the information of all new employees.
We support HB 183 because people who enter the United States illegally should not receive
employment over a legal citizen of this country and state. Additionally, from a
security point of view, E-verify will protect an agency and its information
resources from hiring a person who may not be allowed to work in this country
for criminal reasons. This bill is in accordance with our personal responsibility
principle because it requires state agencies to verify the people they hire.