Legislation would improve construction’s use of e-verify system

The state Senate Appropriations Committee recently advanced legislation that would improve enforcement of the construction industry’s use of the federal E-Verify system.

The E-Verify system is used to determine the eligibility of employees to work in the United States. All public construction contractors and subcontractors are required to use the system to verify new hires under the Public Works Employment Verification Act. Despite this, some employers hire unauthorized workers.

Senate Bill 1147 would improve compliance by increasing the financial penalties from $250-$1,000 to $2,500-$25,000. The bill also would require construction contractors to be enrolled in E-Verify and makes it a punishable offense if they are not.

State Sens. The bill was sponsored by Chris Gebhard (R-Lebanon County) and Devlin Robinson (R-Allegheny/Washington).

“Hiring unauthorized workers and paying them lower wages has given those construction companies an unfair advantage resulting in lower bids,” Gebhard said. “Companies that are doing the right thing and following the law are losing business as a result. Our bill is about more effectively penalizing the bad actors to level the playing field.”

Gebhard also sponsored a bill that would give the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs the authority to determine how to use the former Lieutenant Governor’s Mansion and property.