Title 38. Public Contracts, Works and Improvements

Chapter 10. Public Contracts

Part II. Letting Contracts

38:2212.10       Verification of employees involved in contracts for public works

A. (1) The legislature finds that when illegal immigrants are living in this state and are encouraged to reside here through the benefit of employment without verification of immigration status, the result is that the enforcement of federal immigration law is impeded and obstructed, the security of the nation’s borders is undermined, and the privileges and immunities of the citizens of Louisiana are impermissibly restricted.

(2) The legislature further finds that it is a compelling public interest of this state to discourage illegal immigration by requiring employers who do business with the state of Louisiana to cooperate fully with federal immigration authorities in the enforcement of federal immigration law.

B. For the purposes of this Section, the following terms shall mean:

(1) “Legal alien” is a person who is or was lawfully present or permanently residing legally in the United States and allowed to work at the time of employment and remains so throughout the duration of that employment.

(2) “Status verification system” means the electronic verification of work authorization program of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, 8 U.S.C. 1324(a), and operated by the United States Department of Homeland Security, known as the “E-Verify” program.

C. A private employer shall not bid on or otherwise contract with a public entity for the physical performance of services within the state of Louisiana unless the private employer verifies in a sworn affidavit attesting to both of the following:

(1) The private employer is registered and participates in a status verification system to verify that all new employees in the state of Louisiana are legal citizens of the United States or are legal aliens.

(2) The private employer shall continue, during the term of the contract, to utilize a status verification system to verify the legal status of all new employees in the state of Louisiana.

(3) The private employer shall require all subcontractors to submit to the employer a sworn affidavit verifying compliance with Paragraphs (1) and (2) of this Subsection.

D. (1) Any private employer violating the provisions of this Section may be subject to cancellation of any public contract, resulting in ineligibility for any public contract for a period of not more than three years from the date the violation is discovered.

(2) Any private employer shall be liable for any additional costs incurred by a public entity, occasioned by the cancellation of a contract or loss of any license or permit to do business in the state, as provided in this Subsection.

(3) Any private employer penalized in accordance with this Section shall have the right to appeal to the appropriate agency, department, or other public entity sanctioning the employer or to a court of competent jurisdiction.

(4) Any person, contractor, or employer who complies with the provisions of this Section shall not be civilly or criminally liable under state law for either hiring or retaining in its employ an unauthorized alien, as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324a(h)(3), if the information obtained in accordance with the status verification system indicated that the employee’s federal legal status allowed the employer to hire that employee.

(5) Any person, contractor, or employer who complies with the provisions of this Section shall not be civilly or criminally liable under state law for a refusal to either hire or retain an individual in its employ if the information obtained in accordance with the status verification system indicated that the individual’s federal legal status was that of an unauthorized alien, as defined in 8 U.S.C. § 1324a(h)(3).

(6) No person, contractor, or employer shall be penalized under the provisions of this Section for the actions of a subcontractor unless such person, contractor, or employer had actual knowledge of such subcontractor’s failure to comply with the provisions of this Section.

E. The provisions of this Section shall apply only to contracts entered into or bids offered on or after January 1, 2012.

F. The provisions of this Section shall apply only to contracts for public works. For purposes of this Section, “public works” means the erection, construction, alteration, improvement, or repair of any public facility or immovable property owned, used, or leased by a public entity.

G. In the event the status verification system expires and extensions are not approved by the federal government, the provisions of this Section shall no longer apply. The executive director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission shall provide written notification to the Louisiana State Law Institute if the status verification system expires and extensions are not approved by the federal government.

Added by Acts 2011, No. 376, § 1. Amended by Acts 2012, No. 142, § 1; Acts 2014, No. 759, § 1.