Grassley's bill would extend the current pilot program for an additional five years. Currently the program operates in six states. The bill would require the program to be expanded to the 50 states by Dec. 1, 2004. Grassley said the expansion is needed so all businesses, including those in Iowa, could take advantage of the program.
Grassley's bill would also require a study that would provide recommendations on how to resolve any problems associated with the current system. The report is to be completed before June 1, 2004 by the Department of Homeland Security.
"The availability and ease to which counterfeit documents can be made has made a joke of our immigration laws and makes this legislation even more important," Grassley said. "We need to make a system available to employers so those who want to provide work to legal aliens can do so without causing potential harm to their business. The program will encourage a legal workforce and benefit Iowa's employers."
The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 made it unlawful for employers to knowingly hire or employ aliens not eligible to work. It also required employers to check the identity and work eligibility documents of all new employees.
In 1996, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act instituted the pilot program for interested employers to confirm employee eligibility. Under the voluntary program, social security and alien identification numbers given by new employees would be checked against Social Security Administration and Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly Immigration and Naturalization Services) records. This would weed out fraudulent numbers and help ensure that new hires are legally eligible to work.