THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY GALLOWAY, METCALFE, BELFANTI, GERGELY, BOYLE, BEYER, BRENNAN, CARROLL, D. COSTA, FABRIZIO, FRANKEL, GOODMAN, HARKINS, HORNAMAN, W. KELLER, LONGIETTI, MARSHALL, MENSCH, MOUL, MURT, M. O'BRIEN, RAPP, READSHAW, SABATINA, SIPTROTH, M. SMITH, SOLOBAY, VULAKOVICH, WAGNER, WANSACZ, WATSON, WHITE, YUDICHAK AND OBERLANDER, JUNE 2, 2009

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LABOR RELATIONS, JUNE 2, 2009  

AN ACT

Requiring construction industry employers to verify the Social

Security numbers of all employees for purposes of wage

reporting and employment eligibility; providing for the

powers and duties of the Department of Labor and Industry;

prescribing sanctions; and establishing good faith immunity

under certain circumstances.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Short title.

This act shall be known and may be cited as the Construction

Industry Employment Verification Act.

Section 2.  Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this act shall

have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly states otherwise:

"Construction."  Erection, reconstruction, demolition,

alteration, modification, custom fabrication, building,

assembling, site preparation and repair work or maintenance work

done on any real property or premises under contract, whether or

not the work is for a public body or paid for from public funds.

"Construction industry employer."  An individual,

partnership, association, joint stock company, corporation,

business trust or any other business entity, person or groups of

persons:

(1)  that acts directly or indirectly to employ persons

to provide or perform services in the construction industry

for remuneration; and

(2)  whose aggregate remuneration for providing

construction services to others in a calendar year exceeds

$25,000.

"Employee."  An individual for whom a construction industry

employer is required by law to file a Form W-2 with the Internal

Revenue Service.

"EVP."  The E-Verify Program operated by the Department of

Homeland Security.

"IRCA."  The Immigration and Nationality Act (66 Stat. 163, 8

U.S.C. § 1101 et seq.).

"NVS."  The Social Security Number Verification Service

operated by the Social Security Administration.

"Secretary."  The Secretary of Labor and Industry of the

Commonwealth.

"Willful."  Action or conduct undertaken intentionally or

with reckless disregard for or deliberate ignorance of the

requirements and obligations established by this act.

Section 3.  Verification.

(a)  Duty of construction industry employers.--A construction

industry employer shall participate in NVS and EVP and shall do

the following, subject to the requirements of Federal law

governing the use of NVS and EVP:

(1)  within 30 days following the effective date of this

section, use NVS to verify for wage reporting purposes the

Social Security numbers of its employees in existence on the

effective date of this section; and

(2)  prior to the commencement of work by a new employee,

use EVP to verify for employment eligibility purposes the

Social Security number of the new employee.

(b)    Verification statements.--A construction industry

employer shall submit a verification statement annually to the

Department of Revenue with its State income tax return. The

statement shall be on a form prescribed by the Department of

Revenue and shall comply with the following requirements:

(1)  The statement shall represent that the construction

industry employer has verified the Social Security numbers of

its employees through NVS or EVP, as appropriate.

(2)  The statement shall include a certification that the

information in the statement is true and correct and that the

person signing the statement understands that the submission

of false or misleading information in connection with the

verification shall subject the person and the construction

industry employer to sanctions provided by law.

(3)  The statement shall be signed by a representative of

the construction industry employer who has sufficient

knowledge and authority to make the representation and

certifications contained in the statement.

(c)    Discrimination prohibited.--In conducting the Social

Security number verification required by this section, a

construction industry employer shall not discriminate against an

employee on the basis of race, ethnicity, color or national

origin.

Section 4.  Violations.

It is a violation of this act for a construction industry

employer to:

(1)  Employ an employee whose Social Security number has

not been verified by NVS or EVP as required by this act.

(2)  Make a false statement or misrepresentation in a

verification statement required by this act.

Section 5.  Enforcement and sanctions.

(a)    General rule.--The secretary shall enforce the

provisions of this act.

(b)    Investigation of complaints.--The secretary shall

accept, review and investigate in a timely manner any credible

complaint that a construction industry employer has violated a

provision of this act.

(c)    Audits.--To ensure compliance with the requirements of

this act, the secretary shall conduct complaint-based and random

audits of construction industry employers in this Commonwealth.

In conducting such audits, the secretary shall utilize NVS and

EVP to verify the Social Security numbers for wage reporting

purposes and employment eligibility of employees in accordance

with Federal law governing the use of those systems.

(d)    Sanctions.--The following sanctions shall apply to a

violation of section 724A of IRCA or of this act:

(1)  A construction industry employer that violates

section 724A of IRCA or engages in the violation described in

section 4(1) may be required, at the discretion of the

secretary, to forfeit all licenses or certifications issued

by the Commonwealth that authorize the construction industry

employer to conduct business in this Commonwealth, including

corporate articles and franchises for a period of up to three

years.

(2)  A construction industry employer that willfully

violates section 724A of IRCA or willfully engages in the

violation described in section 4(1) shall be required to

forfeit all licenses or certifications issued by the

Commonwealth that authorize the construction industry

employer to conduct business in this Commonwealth, including

corporate articles and franchises, for a period of 3 years.

(3)  The Office of Attorney General shall have the same

authority to revoke corporate articles and franchises under

this act as it has under 15 Pa.C.S. § 503 (relating to

actions to revoke corporate franchises).

Section 6.  Protection from retaliation.

(a)    General Rule.--It shall be unlawful for a construction

industry employer to discharge, threaten or otherwise retaliate

or discriminate against an employee regarding compensation or

other terms or conditions of employment because the employee: 

(1)  participates in an investigation, hearing or inquiry

held by the secretary or any other governmental authority

under this act; or

(2)  reports or makes a complaint regarding the violation

of this act to a construction industry employer or

governmental authority.

(b)    Actions.--

(1)  An employee who suffers retaliation or

discrimination in violation of this section may bring an

action in a court of common pleas in accordance with

established civil procedures of this Commonwealth.

(2)  The action must be brought within three years from

the date the employee knew of the retaliation or

discrimination.

(c)    Relief.--If an employee prevails in an action commenced

under this section, the employee shall be entitled to the

following relief:

(1)  Reinstatement of the employee, if applicable.

(2)  Restitution equal to three times the amount of the

employee's wages and fringe benefits calculated from the date

of the retaliation or discrimination.

(3)  Reasonable attorney fees and costs of the action.

(4)  Any other legal and equitable relief as the court

deems appropriate.

Section 7.  Good faith immunity.

A construction industry employer that relies in good faith on

NVS and EVP procedures to verify the Social Security number of

employees shall be immune from the sanctions authorized under

section 5 in the event that incorrect information has been

provided to the construction industry employer.

Section 8.  Effective date.

This act shall take effect in 60 days.