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FAIR Legislative Update


September 30, 2003

House Judiciary Committee Approves Bill to Extend and Expand the Basic Pilot Employment Verification Program

The House Judiciary Committee voted on Wednesday to extend and expand a pilot program to help employers avoid hiring illegal aliens. The bill, H.R. 2359, by Representative Ken Calvert (R-CA), would extend the program through 2008. It was set to expire Nov. 30. The measure was approved 18-8, with Steve Chabot (R-OH) voting with committee Democrats against the bill.

Immigration Subcommittee Chairman John Hostettler (R-IN) succeeded in amending the bill to expand the voluntary program from five states to nationwide.

The Basic Pilot Verification Program was created by a 1996 law to help companies comply with U.S. laws that bar them from knowingly hiring illegal aliens. Employers participating in the free program receive computer software that allows them to access federal databases to screen all new hires to determine if they are eligible to work.

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U.S. Treasury Department Gives Green Light to Unregulated Acceptance of Foreign Identification Documents

On September 25, the U.S. Treasury Department gave banks the green light to unregulated acceptance of foreign identification documents, such as the highly controversial and easily counterfeited Mexican matricula consular card. In an unprecedented move, Treasury had reopened the public comment period for regulations it had already finalized in May allowing banks to accept foreign government-issued consular cards. Unfortunately, after reviewing more than 34,000 comments, Treasury recommended no changes to the rules. Treasury rejected the idea of developing an official blacklist of foreign documents that financial institutions could not accept when opening new accounts for non-U.S. citizens. Treasury also rejected recommendations to require financial institutions to retain photocopies of identification documents used to verify customers’ identities.