Reference Citation

TITLE IV-ENFORCEMENT OF RESTRICTIONS AGAINST EMPLOYMENT

SUBTITLE A-PILOT PROGRAMS FOR EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY CONFIRMATION

Public Law 104-208

SEC. 401. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAMS.

(a) IN GENERAL.-The Attorney General shall conduct 3 pilot programs of employment eligibility confirmation under this subtitle.

(b) IMPLEMENTATION DEADLINE; TERMINATION.-The Attorney General shall implement the pilot programs in a manner that permits persons and other entities to have elections under section 402 of this division made and in effect no later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act. Unless the Congress otherwise provides, the Attorney General shall terminate a pilot program at the end of the 4-year period beginning on the first day the pilot program is in effect.

(c) SCOPE OF OPERATION OF PILOT PROGRAMS.-The Attorney General shall provide for the operation-

(1) of the basic pilot program (described in section 403(a) of this division) in, at a minimum, 5 of the 7 States with the highest estimated population of aliens who are not lawfully present in the United States;

(2) of the citizen attestation pilot program (described in section 403(b) of this division) in at least 5 States (or, if fewer, all of the States) that meet the condition described in section 403(b)(2)(A) of this division; and

(3) of the machine-readable-document pilot program (described in section 403(c) of this division) in at least 5 States (or, if fewer, all of the States) that meet the condition described in section 403(c)(2) of this division.

(d) REFERENCES IN SUBTITLE.-In this subtitle-

(1) PILOT PROGRAM REFERENCES.-The terms "program" or "pilot program" refer to any of the 3 pilot programs provided for under this subtitle.

(2) CONFIRMATION SYSTEM.-The term "confirmation system" means the confirmation system established under section 404 of this division.

(3) REFERENCES TO SECTION 274A.-Any reference in this subtitle to section 274A (or a subdivision of such section) is deemed a reference to such section (or subdivision thereof) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

(4) I-9 OR SIMILAR FORM.-The term "I-9 or similar form" means the form used for purposes of section 274A(b)(1)(A) or such other form as the Attorney General determines to be appropriate.

(5) LIMITED APPLICATION TO RECRUITERS AND REFERRERS.-Any reference to recruitment or referral (or a recruiter or referrer) in relation to employment is deemed a reference only to such recruitment or referral (or recruiter or referrer) that is subject to section 274A(a)(1)(B)(ii).

(6) UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP.-The term "United States citizenship" includes United States nationality.

(7) STATE.-The term "State" has the meaning given such term in section 101(a)(36) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

SEC. 402. VOLUNTARY ELECTION TO PARTICIPATE IN A PILOT PROGRAM.

(a) VOLUNTARY ELECTION.-Subject to subsection (c)(3)(B), any person or other entity that conducts any hiring (or recruitment or referral) in a State in which a pilot program is operating may elect to participate in that pilot program. Except as specifically provided in subsection (e), the Attorney General may not require any person or other entity to participate in a pilot program.

(b) BENEFIT OF REBUTTABLE PRESUMPTION.-

(1) IN GENERAL.-If a person or other entity is participating in a pilot program and obtains confirmation of identity and employment eligibility in compliance with the terms and conditions of the program with respect to the hiring (or recruitment or referral) of an individual for employment in the United States, the person or entity has established a rebuttable presumption that the person or entity has not violated section 274A(a)(1)(A) with respect to such hiring (or such recruitment or referral).

(2) CONSTRUCTION.-Paragraph (1) shall not be construed as preventing a person or other entity that has an election in effect under subsection (a) from establishing an affirmative defense under section 274A(a)(3) if the person or entity complies with the requirements of section 274A(a)(1)(B) but fails to obtain confirmation under paragraph (1).

c) GENERAL TERMS OF ELECTIONS.-

(1) IN GENERAL.-An election under subsection (a) shall be in such form and manner, under such terms and conditions, and shall take effect, as the Attorney General shall specify. The Attorney General may not impose any fee as a condition of making an election or participating in a pilot program.

(2) SCOPE OF ELECTION.-

(A) IN GENERAL.-Subject to paragraph (3), any electing person or other entity may provide that the election under subsection (a) shall apply (during the period in which the election is in effect)-

(i) to all its hiring (and all recruitment or referral) in the State (or States) in which the pilot program is operating, or

(ii) to its hiring (or recruitment or referral) in one or more pilot program States or one or more places of hiring (or recruitment or referral, as the case may be) in the pilot program States.

(B) APPLICATION OF PROGRAMS IN NON-PILOT PROGRAM STATES.-In addition, the Attorney General may permit a person or entity electing-

(i) the basic pilot program (described in section 403(a) of this division) to provide that the election applies to its hiring (or recruitment or referral) in one or more States or places of hiring (or recruitment or referral) in which the pilot program is not otherwise operating, or

(ii) the citizen attestation pilot program (described in 403(b) of this division) or the machine-readable-document pilot program (described in section 403(c) of this division) to provide that the election applies to its hiring (or recruitment or referral) in one or more States or places of hiring (or recruitment or referral) in which the pilot program is not otherwise operating but only if such States meet the requirements of 403(b)(2)(A) and 403(c)(2) of this division, respectively.

(3) ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION OF ELECTIONS.-

(A) IN GENERAL.-Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the Attorney General shall accept all elections made under subsection (a).

(B) REJECTION OF ELECTIONS.-The Attorney General may reject an election by a person or other entity under this section or limit its applicability to certain States or places of hiring (or recruitment or referral) if the Attorney General has determined that there are insufficient resources to provide appropriate services under a pilot program for the person's or entity's hiring (or recruitment or referral) in any or all States or places of hiring.

(4) TERMINATION OF ELECTIONS.-The Attorney General may terminate an election by a person or other entity under this section because the person or entity has substantially failed to comply with its obligations under the pilot program. A person or other entity may terminate an election in such form and manner as the Attorney General shall specify.

(d) CONSULTATION, EDUCATION, AND PUBLICITY.-

(1) CONSULTATION.-The Attorney General shall closely consult with representatives of employers (and recruiters and referrers) in the development and implementation of the pilot programs, including the education of employers (and recruiters and referrers) about such programs.

(2) PUBLICITY.-The Attorney General shall widely publicize the election process and pilot programs, including the voluntary nature of the pilot programs and the advantages to employers (and recruiters and referrers) of making an election under this section.

(3) ASSISTANCE THROUGH DISTRICT OFFICES.-The Attorney General shall designate one or more individuals in each District office of the Immigration and Naturalization Service for a Service District in which a pilot program is being implemented-

(A) to inform persons and other entities that seek information about pilot programs of the voluntary nature of such programs, and

(B) to assist persons and other entities in electing and participating in any pilot programs in effect in the District, in complying with the requirements of section 274A, and in facilitating confirmation of the identity and employment eligibility of individuals consistent with such section.

(e) SELECT ENTITIES REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN A PILOT PROGRAM.-

(1) FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.-

(A) EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS.-

(i) IN GENERAL.-Each Department of the Federal Government shall elect to participate in a pilot program and shall comply with the terms and conditions of such an election.

(ii) ELECTION.-Subject to clause (iii), the Secretary of each such Department-

(I) shall elect the pilot program (or programs) in which the Department shall participate, and (II) may limit the election to hiring occurring in certain States (or geographic areas) covered by the program (or programs) and in specified divisions within the Department, so long as all hiring by such divisions and in such locations is covered.

(iii) ROLE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL.-The Attorney General shall assist and coordinate elections under this subparagraph in such manner as assures that-

(I) a significant portion of the total hiring within each Department within States covered by a pilot program is covered under such a program, and

(II) there is significant participation by the Federal Executive branch in each of the pilot programs.

(B) LEGISLATIVE BRANCH.-Each Member of Congress, each officer of Congress, and the head of each agency of the legislative branch, that conducts hiring in a State in which a pilot program is operating shall elect to participate in a pilot program, may specify which pilot program or programs (if there is more than one) in which the Member, officer, or agency will participate, and shall comply with the terms and conditions of such an election.

(2) APPLICATION TO CERTAIN VIOLATORS.-An order under section 274A(e)(4) or section 274B(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act may require the subject of the order to participate in, and comply with the terms of, a pilot program with respect to the subject's hiring (or recruitment or referral) of individuals in a State covered by such a program.

(3) CONSEQUENCE OF FAILURE TO PARTICIPATE.-If a person or other entity is required under this subsection to participate in a pilot program and fails to comply with the requirements of such program with respect to an individual-

(A) such failure shall be treated as a violation of section 274A(a)(1)(B) with respect to that individual, and

(B) a rebuttable presumption is created that the person or entity has violated section 274A(a)(1)(A).

Subparagraph (B) shall not apply in any prosecution under section 274A(f)(1).

(f) CONSTRUCTION.-This subtitle shall not affect the authority of the Attorney General under any other law (including section 274A(d)(4)) to conduct demonstration projects in relation to section 274A.

SEC. 403. PROCEDURES FOR PARTICIPANTS IN PILOT PROGRAMS.

(a) BASIC PILOT PROGRAM.-A person or other entity that elects to participate in the basic pilot program described in this subsection agrees to conform to the following procedures in the case of the hiring (or recruitment or referral) for employment in the United States of each individual covered by the election:

(1) PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.-The person or entity shall obtain from the individual (and the individual shall provide) and shall record on the I-9 or similar form-

(A) the individual's social security account number, if the individual has been issued such a number, and

(B) if the individual does not attest to United States citizenship under section 274A(b)(2), such identification or authorization number established by the Immigration and Naturalization Service for the alien as the Attorney General shall specify, and shall retain the original form and make it available for inspection for the period and in the manner required of I-9 forms under section 274A(b)(3).

(2) PRESENTATION OF DOCUMENTATION.-

(A) IN GENERAL.-The person or other entity, and the individual whose identity and employment eligibility are being confirmed, shall, subject to subparagraph (B), fulfill the requirements of section 274A(b) with the following modifications:

(i) A document referred to in section 274A(b)(1)(B)(ii) (as redesignated by section 412(a) of this division) must be designated by the Attorney General as suitable for the purpose of identification in a pilot program.

(ii) A document referred to in section 274A(b)(1)(D) must contain a photograph of the individual.

(iii) The person or other entity has complied with the requirements of section 274A(b)(1) with respect to examination of a document if the document reasonably appears on its face to be genuine and it reasonably appears to pertain to the individual whose identity and work eligibility is being confirmed.

(B) LIMITATION OF REQUIREMENT TO EXAMINE DOCUMENTATION.-If the Attorney General finds that a pilot program would reliably determine with respect to an individual whether-

(i) the person with the identity claimed by the individual is authorized to work in the United States, and

(ii) the individual is claiming the identity of another person, if a person or entity could fulfill the requirement to examine documentation contained in subparagraph (A) of section 274A(b)(1) by examining a document specified in either subparagraph (B) or (D) of such section, the Attorney General may provide that, for purposes of such requirement, only such a document need be examined. In such case, any reference in section 274A(b)(1)(A) to a verification that an individual is not an unauthorized alien shall be deemed to be a verification of the individual's identity.

(3) SEEKING CONFIRMATION.-

(A) IN GENERAL.-The person or other entity shall make an inquiry, as provided in section 404(a)(1) of this division, using the confirmation system to seek confirmation of the identity and employment eligibility of an individual, by not later than the end of 3 working days (as specified by the Attorney General) after the date of the hiring (or recruitment or referral, as the case may be).

(B) EXTENSION OF TIME PERIOD.-If the person or other entity in good faith attempts to make an inquiry during such 3 working days and the confirmation system has registered that not all inquiries were received during such time, the person or entity can make an inquiry in the first subsequent working day in which the confirmation system registers that it has received all inquiries. If the confirmation system cannot receive inquiries at all times during a day, the person or entity merely has to assert that the entity attempted to make the inquiry on that day for the previous sentence to apply to such an inquiry, and does not have to provide any additional proof concerning such inquiry.

(4) CONFIRMATION OR NONCONFIRMATION.-

(A) CONFIRMATION UPON INITIAL INQUIRY.-If the person or other entity receives an appropriate confirmation of an individual's identity and work eligibility under the confirmation system within the time period specified under section 404(b) of this division, the person or entity shall record on the I-9 or similar form an appropriate code that is provided under the system and that indicates a final confirmation of such identity and work eligibility of the individual.

(B) NONCONFIRMATION UPON INITIAL INQUIRY AND SECONDARY VERIFICATION.-

(i) NONCONFIRMATION.-If the person or other entity receives a tentative nonconfirmation of an individual's identity or work eligibility under the confirmation system within the time period specified under 404(b) of this division, the person or entity shall so inform the individual for whom the confirmation is sought.

(ii) NO CONTEST.-If the individual does not contest the nonconfirmation within the time period specified in section 404(c) of this division, the nonconfirmation shall be considered final. The person or entity shall then record on the I-9 or similar form an appropriate code which has been provided under the system to indicate a tentative nonconfirmation.

(iii) CONTEST.-If the individual does contest the nonconfirmation, the individual shall utilize the process for secondary verification provided under section 404(c) of this division. The nonconfirmation will remain tentative until a final confirmation or nonconfirmation is provided by the confirmation system within the time period specified in such section. In no case shall an employer terminate employment of an individual because of a failure of the individual to have identity and work eligibility confirmed under this section until a nonconfirmation becomes final. Nothing in this clause shall apply to a termination of employment for any reason other than because of such a failure.

(iv) RECORDING OF CONCLUSION ON FORM.-If a final confirmation or nonconfirmation is provided by the confirmation system under section 404(c) of this division regarding an individual, the person or entity shall record on the I-9 or similar form an appropriate code that is provided under the system and that indicates a confirmation or nonconfirmation of identity and work eligibility of the individual.

(C) CONSEQUENCES OF NONCONFIRMATION.-

(i) TERMINATION OR NOTIFICATION OF CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT.-If the person or other entity has received a final nonconfirmation regarding an individual under subparagraph (B), the person or entity may terminate employment (or recruitment or referral) of the individual. If the person or entity does not terminate employment (or recruitment or referral) of the individual, the person or entity shall notify the Attorney General of such fact through the confirmation system or in such other manner as the Attorney General may specify.

(ii) FAILURE TO NOTIFY.-If the person or entity fails to provide notice with respect to an individual as required under clause (i), the failure is deemed to constitute a violation of section 274A(a)(1)(B) with respect to that individual and the applicable civil monetary penalty under section 274A(e)(5) shall be (notwithstanding the amounts specified in such section) no less than $500 and no more than $1,000 for each individual with respect to whom such violation occurred.

(iii) CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT AFTER FINAL NONCONFIRMATION.-If the person or other entity continues to employ (or to recruit or refer) an individual after receiving final nonconfirmation, a rebuttable presumption is created that the person or entity has violated section 274A(a)(1)(A). The previous sentence shall not apply in any prosecution under section 274A(f)(1).

(b) CITIZEN ATTESTATION PILOT PROGRAM.-

(1) IN GENERAL.-Except as provided in paragraphs (3) through (5), the procedures applicable under the citizen attestation pilot program under this subsection shall be the same procedures as those under the basic pilot program under subsection (a).

(2) RESTRICTIONS.-

(A) STATE DOCUMENT REQUIREMENT TO PARTICIPATE IN PILOT PROGRAM.-The Attorney General may not provide for the operation of the citizen attestation pilot program in a State unless each driver's license or similar identification document described in section 274A(b)(1)(D)(i) issued by the State-

(i) contains a photograph of the individual involved, and

(ii) has been determined by the Attorney General to have security features, and to have been issued through application and issuance procedures, which make such document sufficiently resistant to counterfeiting, tampering, and fraudulent use that it is a reliable means of identification for purposes of this section.

(B) AUTHORIZATION TO LIMIT EMPLOYER PARTICIPATION.-The Attorney General may restrict the number of persons or other entities that may elect to participate in the citizen attestation pilot program under this subsection as the Attorney General determines to be necessary to produce a representative sample of employers and to reduce the potential impact of fraud.

(3) NO CONFIRMATION REQUIRED FOR CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS ATTESTING TO U.S. CITIZENSHIP.-In the case of a person or other entity hiring (or recruiting or referring) an individual under the citizen attestation pilot program, if the individual attests to United States citizenship (under penalty of perjury on an I-9 or similar form which form states on its face the criminal and other penalties provided under law for a false representation of United States citizenship)-

(A) the person or entity may fulfill the requirement to examine documentation contained in subparagraph (A) of section 274A(b)(1) by examining a document specified in either subparagraph (B)(i) or (D) of such section; and

(B) the person or other entity is not required to comply with respect to such individual with the procedures described in paragraphs (3) and (4) of subsection (a), but only if the person or entity retains the form and makes it available for inspection in the same manner as in the case of an I-9 form under section 274A(b)(3).

(4) WAIVER OF DOCUMENT PRESENTATION REQUIREMENT IN CERTAIN CASES.-

(A) IN GENERAL.-In the case of a person or entity that elects, in a manner specified by the Attorney General consistent with subparagraph (B), to participate in the pilot program under this paragraph, if an individual being hired (or recruited or referred) attests (in the manner described in paragraph (3)) to United States citizenship and the person or entity retains the form on which the attestation is made and makes it available for inspection in the same manner as in the case of an I-9 form under section 274A(b)(3), the person or entity is not required to comply with the procedures described in section 274A(b).

(B) RESTRICTION.-The Attorney General shall restrict the election under this paragraph to no more than 1,000 employers and, to the extent practicable, shall select among employers seeking to make such election in a manner that provides for such an election by a representative sample of employers.

(5) NONREVIEWABLE DETERMINATIONS.-The determinations of the Attorney General under paragraphs (2) and (4) are within the discretion of the Attorney General and are not subject to judicial or administrative review.

(c) MACHINE-READABLE-DOCUMENT PILOT PROGRAM.-

(1) IN GENERAL.-Except as provided in paragraph (3), the procedures applicable under the machine-readable-document pilot program under this subsection shall be the same procedures as those under the basic pilot program under subsection (a).

(2) STATE DOCUMENT REQUIREMENT TO PARTICIPATE IN PILOT PROGRAM.-The Attorney General may not provide for the operation of the machine-readable-document pilot program in a State unless driver's licenses and similar identification documents described in section 274A(b)(1)(D)(i) issued by the State include a machine-readable social security account number.

(3) USE OF MACHINE-READABLE DOCUMENTS.-If the individual whose identity and employment eligibility must be confirmed presents to the person or entity hiring (or recruiting or referring) the individual a license or other document described in paragraph (2) that includes a machine-readable social security account number, the person or entity must make an inquiry through the confirmation system by using a machine-readable feature of such document. If the individual does not attest to United States citizenship under section 274A(b)(2), the individual's identification or authorization number described in subsection (a)(1)(B) shall be provided as part of the inquiry.

(d) PROTECTION FROM LIABILITY FOR ACTIONS TAKEN ON THE BASIS OF INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE CONFIRMATION SYSTEM.-No person or entity participating in a pilot program shall be civilly or criminally liable under any law for any action taken in good faith reliance on information provided through the confirmation system.

SEC. 404. EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY CONFIRMATION SYSTEM.

(a) IN GENERAL.-The Attorney General shall establish a pilot program confirmation system through which the Attorney General (or a designee of the Attorney General, which may be a nongovernmental entity)-

(1) responds to inquiries made by electing persons and other entities (including those made by the transmittal of data from machine-readable documents under the machine-readable pilot program) at any time through a toll- free telephone line or other toll-free electronic media concerning an individual's identity and whether the individual is authorized to be employed, and

(2) maintains records of the inquiries that were made, of confirmations provided (or not provided), and of the codes provided to inquirers as evidence of their compliance with their obligations under the pilot programs. To the extent practicable, the Attorney General shall seek to establish such a system using one or more nongovernmental entities.

(b) INITIAL RESPONSE.-The confirmation system shall provide confirmation or a tentative nonconfirmation of an individual's identity and employment eligibility within 3 working days of the initial inquiry. If providing confirmation or tentative nonconfirmation, the confirmation system shall provide an appropriate code indicating such confirmation or such nonconfirmation.

(c) SECONDARY VERIFICATION PROCESS IN CASE OF TENTATIVE NONCONFIRMATION.-In cases of tentative nonconfirmation, the Attorney General shall specify, in consultation with the Commissioner of Social Security and the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, an available secondary verification process to confirm the validity of information provided and to provide a final confirmation or nonconfirmation within 10 working days after the date of the tentative nonconfirmation. When final confirmation or nonconfirmation is provided, the confirmation system shall provide an appropriate code indicating such confirmation or nonconfirmation.

(d) DESIGN AND OPERATION OF SYSTEM.-The confirmation system shall be designed and operated-

(1) to maximize its reliability and ease of use by persons and other entities making elections under section 402(a) of this division consistent with insulating and protecting the privacy and security of the underlying information;

(2) to respond to all inquiries made by such persons and entities on whether individuals are authorized to be employed and to register all times when such inquiries are not received;

(3) with appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to prevent unauthorized disclosure of personal information; and

(4) to have reasonable safeguards against the system's resulting in unlawful discriminatory practices based on national origin or citizenship status, including-

(A) the selective or unauthorized use of the system to verify eligibility;

(B) the use of the system prior to an offer of employment; or

(C) the exclusion of certain individuals from consideration for employment as a result of a perceived likelihood that additional verification will be required, beyond what is required for most job applicants.

(e) RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SECURITY.-As part of the confirmation system, the Commissioner of Social Security, in consultation with the entity responsible for administration of the system, shall establish a reliable, secure method, which, within the time periods specified under subsections (b) and (c), compares the name and social security account number provided in an inquiry against such information maintained by the Commissioner in order to confirm (or not confirm) the validity of the information provided regarding an individual whose identity and employment eligibility must be confirmed, the correspondence of the name and number, and whether the individual has presented a social security account number that is not valid for employment. The Commissioner shall not disclose or release social security information (other than such confirmation or nonconfirmation).

(f) RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COMMISSIONER OF THE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE.-As part of the confirmation system, the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, in consultation with the entity responsible for administration of the system, shall establish a reliable, secure method, which, within the time periods specified under subsections (b) and (c), compares the name and alien identification or authorization number described in section 403(a)(1)(B) of this division which are provided in an inquiry against such information maintained by the Commissioner in order to confirm (or not confirm) the validity of the information provided, the correspondence of the name and number, and whether the alien is authorized to be employed in the United States.

(g) UPDATING INFORMATION.-The Commissioners of Social Security and the Immigration and Naturalization Service shall update their information in a manner that promotes the maximum accuracy and shall provide a process for the prompt correction of erroneous information, including instances in which it is brought to their attention in the secondary verification process described in subsection (c).

(h) LIMITATION ON USE OF THE CONFIRMATION SYSTEM AND ANY RELATED SYSTEMS.-

(1) IN GENERAL.-Notwithstanding any other provision of law, nothing in this subtitle shall be construed to permit or allow any department, bureau, or other agency of the United States Government to utilize any information, data base, or other records assembled under this subtitle for any other purpose other than as provided for under a pilot program.

(2) NO NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION CARD.-Nothing in this subtitle shall be construed to authorize, directly or indirectly, the issuance or use of national identification cards or the establishment of a national identification card.

SEC. 405. REPORTS.

The Attorney General shall submit to the Committees on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and of the Senate reports on the pilot programs within 3 months after the end of the third and fourth years in which the programs are in effect. Such reports shall-

(1) assess the degree of fraudulent attesting of United States citizenship,

(2) include recommendations on whether or not the pilot programs should be continued or modified, and

(3) assess the benefits of the pilot programs to employers and the degree to which they assist in the enforcement of section 274A.

SUBTITLE B-OTHER PROVISIONS RELATING TO EMPLOYER SANCTIONS

SEC. 411. LIMITING LIABILITY FOR CERTAIN TECHNICAL VIOLATIONS OF PAPERWORK REQUIREMENTS.

(a) IN GENERAL.-Section 274A(b) (8 U.S.C. 1324a(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

"(6) GOOD FAITH COMPLIANCE.-

"(A) IN GENERAL.-Except as provided in subparagraphs (B) and (C), a person or entity is considered to have complied with a requirement of this subsection notwithstanding a technical or procedural failure to meet such requirement if there was a good faith attempt to comply with the requirement.

"(B) EXCEPTION IF FAILURE TO CORRECT AFTER NOTICE.-Subparagraph (A) shall not apply if-

"(i) the Service (or another enforcement agency) has explained to the person or entity the basis for the failure,

"(ii) the person or entity has been provided a period of not less than 10 business days (beginning after the date of the explanation) within which to correct the failure, and

"(iii) the person or entity has not corrected the failure voluntarily within such period.

"(C) EXCEPTION FOR PATTERN OR PRACTICE VIOLATORS.-Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to a person or entity that has or is engaging in a pattern or practice of violations of subsection (a)(1)(A) or (a)(2).".

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.-The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply to failures occurring on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 412. PAPERWORK AND OTHER CHANGES IN THE EMPLOYER SANCTIONS PROGRAM.

(a) REDUCING THE NUMBER OF DOCUMENTS ACCEPTED FOR EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION.- Section 274A(b)(1) (8 U.S.C. 1324a(b)(1)) is amended-

(1) in subparagraph (B)-

(A) by striking clauses (ii) through (iv),

(B) in clause (v), by striking "or other alien registration card, if the card" and inserting ", alien registration card, or other document designated by the Attorney General, if the document" and redesignating such clause as clause (ii), and

(C) in clause (ii), as so redesignated-

(i) in subclause (I), by striking "or" before "such other personal identifying information" and inserting "and",

(ii) by striking "and" at the end of subclause (I),

(iii) by striking the period at the end of subclause (II) and inserting ", and", and

(iv) by adding at the end the following new subclause:

"(III) contains security features to make it resistant to tampering, counterfeiting, and fraudulent use.";

(2) in subparagraph (C)-

(A) by adding "or" at the end of clause (i),

(B) by striking clause (ii), and

(C) by redesignating clause (iii) as clause (ii); and

(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

"(E) AUTHORITY TO PROHIBIT USE OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS.-If the Attorney General finds, by regulation, that any document described in subparagraph (B), (C), or (D) as establishing employment authorization or identity does not reliably establish such authorization or identity or is being used fraudulently to an unacceptable degree, the Attorney General may prohibit or place conditions on its use for purposes of this subsection.".

(b) REDUCTION OF PAPERWORK FOR CERTAIN EMPLOYEES.-Section 274A(a) (8 U.S.C. 1324a(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

"(6) TREATMENT OF DOCUMENTATION FOR CERTAIN EMPLOYEES.-

"(A) IN GENERAL.-For purposes of this section, if-

"(i) an individual is a member of a collective-bargaining unit and is employed, under a collective bargaining agreement entered into between one or more employee organizations and an association of two or more employers, by an employer that is a member of such association, and

"(ii) within the period specified in subparagraph (B), another employer that is a member of the association (or an agent of such association on behalf of the employer) has complied with the requirements of subsection (b) with respect to the employment of the individual, the subsequent employer shall be deemed to have complied with the requirements of subsection (b) with respect to the hiring of the employee and shall not be liable for civil penalties described in subsection (e)(5).

"(B) PERIOD.-The period described in this subparagraph is 3 years, or, if less, the period of time that the individual is authorized to be employed in the United States.

"(C) LIABILITY.-

"(i) IN GENERAL.-If any employer that is a member of an association hires for employment in the United States an individual and relies upon the provisions of subparagraph (A) to comply with the requirements of subsection (b) and the individual is an alien not authorized to work in the United States, then for the purposes of paragraph (1)(A), subject to clause (ii), the employer shall be presumed to have known at the time of hiring or afterward that the individual was an alien not authorized to work in the United States.

"(ii) REBUTTAL OF PRESUMPTION.-The presumption established by clause (i) may be rebutted by the employer only through the presentation of clear and convincing evidence that the employer did not know (and could not reasonably have known) that the individual at the time of hiring or afterward was an alien not authorized to work in the United States.

"(iii) EXCEPTION.-Clause (i) shall not apply in any prosecution under subsection (f)(1).".

(c) ELIMINATION OF DATED PROVISIONS.-Section 274A (8 U.S.C. 1324a) is amended by striking subsections (i) through (n).

(d) CLARIFICATION OF APPLICATION TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.-Section 274A(a) (8 U.S.C. 1324a(a)), as amended by subsection (b), is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

"(7) APPLICATION TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.-For purposes of this section, the term 'entity' includes an entity in any branch of the Federal Government.".

(e) EFFECTIVE DATES.-

(1) The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to hiring (or recruitment or referral) occurring on or after such date (not later than 12 months after the date of the enactment of this Act) as the Attorney General shall designate.

(2) The amendment made by subsection (b) shall apply to individuals hired on or after 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(3) The amendment made by subsection (c) shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.

(4) The amendment made by subsection (d) applies to hiring occurring before, on, or after the date of the enactment of this Act, but no penalty shall be imposed under subsection (e) or (f) of section 274A of the Immigration and Nationality Act for such hiring occurring before such date.

SEC. 413. REPORT ON ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY OR RESOURCES NEEDED FOR ENFORCEMENT OF EMPLOYER SANCTIONS PROVISIONS.

(a) IN GENERAL.-Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall submit to the Committees on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and of the Senate a report on any additional authority or resources needed-

(1) by the Immigration and Naturalization Service in order to enforce section 274A of the Immigration and Nationality Act, or

(2) by Federal agencies in order to carry out the Executive Order of February 13, 1996 (entitled "Economy and Efficiency in Government Procurement Through Compliance with Certain Immigration and Naturalization Act Provisions") and to expand the restrictions in such order to cover agricultural subsidies, grants, job training programs, and other Federally subsidized assistance programs.

(b) REFERENCE TO INCREASED AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.-For provision increasing the authorization of appropriations for investigators for violations of sections 274 and 274A of the Immigration and Nationality Act, see section 131 of this division.

SEC. 414. REPORTS ON EARNINGS OF ALIENS NOT AUTHORIZED TO WORK.

(a) IN GENERAL.-Subsection (c) of section 290 (8 U.S.C. 1360) is amended to read as follows:

"(c)(1) Not later than 3 months after the end of each fiscal year (beginning with fiscal year 1996), the Commissioner of Social Security shall report to the Committees on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Senate on the aggregate quantity of social security account numbers issued to aliens not authorized to be employed, with respect to which, in such fiscal year, earnings were reported to the Social Security Administration.

"(2) If earnings are reported on or after January 1, 1997, to the Social Security Administration on a social security account number issued to an alien not authorized to work in the United States, the Commissioner of Social Security shall provide the Attorney General with information regarding the name and address of the alien, the name and address of the person reporting the earnings, and the amount of the earnings. The information shall be provided in an electronic form agreed upon by the Commissioner and the Attorney General.".

(b) REPORT ON FRAUDULENT USE OF SOCIAL SECURITY ACCOUNT NUMBERS.-The Commissioner of Social Security shall transmit to the Attorney General, by not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, a report on the extent to which social security account numbers and cards are used by aliens for fraudulent purposes.

SEC. 415. AUTHORIZING MAINTENANCE OF CERTAIN INFORMATION ON ALIENS.

Section 264 (8 U.S.C. 1304) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

"(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Attorney General is authorized to require any alien to provide the alien's social security account number for purposes of inclusion in any record of the alien maintained by the Attorney General or the Service.".

SEC. 416. SUBPOENA AUTHORITY.

Section 274A(e)(2) (8 U.S.C. 1324a(e)(2)) is amended-

(1) by striking "and" at the end of subparagraph (A);

(2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (B) and inserting ", and"; and

(3) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:

"(C) immigration officers designated by the Commissioner may compel by subpoena the attendance of witnesses and the production of evidence at any designated place prior to the filing of a complaint in a case under paragraph (2).".

SUBTITLE C-UNFAIR IMMIGRATION-RELATED EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES

SEC. 421. TREATMENT OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTARY PRACTICES AS UNFAIR IMMIGRATION- RELATED EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES.

(a) IN GENERAL.-Section 274B(a)(6) (8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(6)) is amended-

(1) by striking "For purposes of paragraph (1), a" and inserting "A"; and

(2) by striking "relating to the hiring of individuals" and inserting the following: "if made for the purpose or with the intent of discriminating against an individual in violation of paragraph (1)".

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.-The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply to requests made on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.