Number:104-12
Date: November 7, 1995

On October 24, 1995, the House Committee on the Judiciary completed markup of H.R. 2202 (Immigration in the National Interest Act). This bill would revise the nation's immigration laws, including limiting legal immigration, deterring illegal immigration. improving the verification of work authorization, and reducing benefits of illegal immigrants. Further House action is not expected until next year. Several Social Security-related provisions arc described below.

Employment Authorization

• Requires the Attorney General, in consultation with the Commissioner of Social Security. to test an employment eligibility confirmat ion process under which most employers in 5 of the 7 States with the highest population of unauthorized aliens would verify the identity, Social Security number (SSN), and work eligibility of a newly hired employee.
  
  
  
  • Pilot projects would terminate no later than October 1, 1999. Nationwide expansion of these pilot projects would require congressional approval.
  
  
  • The confirmation process would include a toll-free telephone line or other electronic media to confirm whether an individual is authorized to be employed and a record of each confirmation attempt.
  
  
  • The Commissioner of Social Security would have to establish a reliable, secure method which verifies the SSN and name match and indicates whether the SSN is valid for employment.

• Provides that a Social Security card (Other than a card which specifies that the card does not authorize employment) is the only document that would verify employment authorization.


• Requires SSA to report annually to the Congress the number of SSNs issued to persons not authorized to work to which earnings have been repon ed to SSA. Also, requires SSA to provide the Attorney General with the name and address of such person, the name and address of the employer reponing the earnings, and the amount of the earnings.

Prohibition of Eligibility

• Generally prohibits any noncitizen who is not "lawfully present" in the United States from being eligible for, or serving as a representative payee for, Federal assistance benefits, including SSI.

Sponsor-To-Alien Deeming

• With certain limited exceptions, all of the sponsor's (and sponsor's spouse's) income and resources would be deemed to the alien -- regardless of his or her disability status -- for certain speci fied periods depending on the sponsor's relationship to the alien.

Affidavitt of Support

• Requires an affidavit to include the sponsor's agreement to support the alien until the alien has acquired 40 quarters of coverage in the United States.

Miscellaneous

• Requires HHS to conduct a pilot program of an electronic network linking vital statistics records for 3 of the 5 States with the largest number of undocumented aliens. The network would provide for the matching of deaths and births and allow access to such information by any Federal or State agency.