A state law aimed at blocking illegal immigrants from taking jobs from U.S. citizens in Georgia exempts scores of small cities from its requirements. But lawmakers may have made the exemption broader than they meant to.
The law requires city, county and state government agencies to use a federal work authorization program called E-Verify to ensure that their newly hired employees are eligible to work in the U.S. The law also requires their public works contractors to use E-Verify.
As the bill was debated, lawmakers inserted an exemption that essentially says government employers with fewer than two employees don’t have to comply with those requirements — an exemption that, as the law is written, appears to cover those cities’ contractors as well.
More than 80 cities across Georgia have one or no employees, according to the Georgia Municipal Association, which pushed lawmakers to exempt these cities. Some operate with the help of volunteers and contractors. Officials from the association said they did not intend for lawmakers to exempt such contractors from the E-Verify requirement.
“This exact language was probably broader than we anticipated,” said Rusi Patel, the municipal association’s associate general counsel.
State Rep. Matt Ramsey, R-Peachtree City, who authored the legislation, said in an email that his bill went through numerous drafts in both the House and Senate last year. He indicated that more tweaks could be on the way.
“I believe all contractors doing work on government projects in Georgia should be using E-Verify,” Ramsey said. “To the extent the law is being interpreted to the contrary, we will seek to make legislative revisions to ensure that intention is carried out in Georgia law.”
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