BILL ANALYSIS
By: Zedler
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
In recent months, illegal immigration and immigration related issues have swarmed to the forefront of state and national policy debates. States have passed sweeping reforms attempting to more completely and effectively comply with both the letter and the spirit of federal immigration policies.
State level initiatives have focused primarily on reducing incentives for illegal behavior and ensuring that public funds, state agencies, state programs, and political subdivisions take every possible step to protect our borders and encourage full application of federal immigration law.
C.S.H.B. 904 prohibits a political subdivision from using public funds to construct and operate day labor centers used to facilitate the knowing employment of illegal aliens or undocumented workers.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 904 adds Chapter 247 to the Local Government Code and defines day laborer and day labor center. The bill prohibits a municipality, county, or other local governmental entity from using public money to construct or operate a day labor center for the purpose of facilitating the knowing employment of any person who is not a United States citizen; a legal permanent resident of the United States; or a qualified alien or nonimmigrant under the Immigration and Nationality Act who is lawfully present in the United States.
EFFECTIVE DATE
Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
The substitute modifies the original by changing "used in any part to facilitate" to "used for the purpose of facilitating" in Subsection (b).