State lawmakers are seeking to expand the reach of Georgia’s sweeping immigration laws through legislation that passed the House of Representatives Monday.
Under House Bill 125, dozens of small cities would no longer be exempt from a key part of the laws aimed at blocking government contractors from hiring illegal immigrants.
The legislation — sponsored by Republican state Rep. Dustin Hightower of Carrollton — says all city, county and state government agencies must require their contractors to use a free online work authorization program. The federal E-Verify program helps employers ensure their newly hired employees are eligible to work in the U.S.
Government agencies with fewer than two employees are now exempt from this requirement. Dozens of cities across Georgia have one or no employees. Some operate with the help of volunteers and contractors.
The bill also includes other changes aimed at blocking illegal immigrants from receiving public benefits. For example, the legislation says people must show certain forms of “secure and verifiable” identification to receive state driver licenses, homestead tax exemptions, assisted housing, tax credits, grants and retirement benefits. Additionally, the bill prohibits people from using foreign passports to obtain such public benefits, unless those passports include records indicating they are legally in the country.
The bill is also aimed at preventing massive backlogs in state license renewals for thousands of nurses, insurance salesman and other professionals. HB 125 would tweak Georgia’s immigration laws so that people who have presented identification proving U.S. citizenship would not have to do so again when reapplying for such licenses and other public benefits.
Officials in the Secretary of State and Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner offices say one of Georgia’s immigration laws been bogging down the processes they use to issue licenses.
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