Legislators and Business Leaders to Review Impact of Employer Sanctions Law

State Capitol, Phoenix - House Speaker Jim Weiers announced Wednesday the formation of a group designed to review the new employer sanctions law. Speaker Weiers created the Ad Hoc Committee on Arizona Businesses and Illegal Immigration. The committee is composed of Arizona business owners, human resource personnel and law enforcement officers. "The Fair and Legal Employment Act punishes businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants," Weiers said. "This committee gives Arizona businesses a public forum to discuss their concerns about the law and make recommendations to better implement the law. I firmly believe the law is constitutional and fair and I am opposed to any attempt to weaken the law." Weiers also announced that he will be setting up public hearings around the state to take comment in on the new employer sanctions law. Any legislator interested in sitting on the group is welcome, Weiers said. "This law will do more to impact illegal immigration than any action taken to date and I want to make sure it does not negatively impact law-abiding businesses," Weiers said. The new law takes effect Jan. 1 and requires all employers to sign up for the Basic Pilot Program and run all new employees through the federal database that checks the eligibility of people to work in the country. The bipartisan law, passed in June, puts businesses on notice that they cannot knowingly hire illegal immigrants. Businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants face a suspension of a business license for a first offense and a loss of the license for a repeat offense. A schedule of meetings and committee membership will be released later this month.