New Ga Immigration compliance act

Today Gov. Perdue signed into law the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act (SB529). The bill was sponsored by State Sen. Chip Rogers in the Senate and carried in the House by Rep. John Lunsford.

“This bill makes it clear that Georgia is a welcoming state that wants to treat our guests with Southern hospitality,” said Gov. Perdue. “But we cannot tolerate activity that distracts us from our ability to embrace those who come here legally.”

SB529 requires citizenship verification for individuals using Georgia’s public services to ensure they are legally eligible to receive those services. It also requires citizenship verification of state employees and employers with state contracts and subcontracts. The bill requires that businesses compensating undocumented employees more than $600 a year may not claim wages as an allowable business expense, and requires a six percent state withholding tax for all nonresident aliens. The bill gives law enforcement agencies the tools they need to work more closely with federal officials to enforce immigration laws in Georgia. Georgia’s new immigration law will help ensure Georgia’s public safety by giving law enforcement the authority to crack down on human trafficking and check the legal status of anyone charged with a felony or DUI.

“We recognize that immigration is ultimately a national issue that needs a national solution,” said Gov. Perdue. “Because we need to know who is living here in Georgia, and for that matter, who is living in our country.”

Fact Sheet: Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act

Verification of Residence
Requires that entities verify legal U.S. residence for local, state or federal benefits administered by a state agency or a political subdivision of the state where residence is a requirement and where the individual requesting benefits is older than age 18.

Exempts prenatal and emergency care (same exemptions as federal exemptions for residence verification)

Requires that all individuals receiving state benefits sign one of two affidavits, either stating the individual is a U.S. citizen or a legal alien.

All “legal alien” affidavits must be checked in the federal SAVE program database to verify lawful eligibility for public benefits.

Provision is effective July 1, 2007.

State Contracts
Requires contracts for state agencies, departments and instrumentalities of the state and contracts and subcontracts thereof to use the federal BASIC Pilot program for newly hired employees to verify lawful employment in the United States.

Employer must perform employment check post-hiring;

Effective July 1, 2007 for employers with 500+ employees, effective July 1, 2008 for employers with 100+ employees and July 1, 2009 for employers with less than 100 employees.

Prohibit tax benefits
Specifies that undocumented employee compensation over $600 a year may not be used as an allowable business expense.

Allows Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) to promulgate rules and regulations;

Applies only to those hired after January 1, 2008;

Provision is effective January 1, 2008.

Withholding Tax Requirement
Requires six percent state withholding tax for all nonresident aliens.

Requires six percent state withholding tax for 1099 employees who cannot provide a taxpayer ID number, who provide an incorrect taxpayer ID number or who provide a nonresident taxpayer ID number.

State requirement is similar to federal requirement;

Provision effective July 1, 2007.

Law Enforcement Training
Authorizes the Department of Public Safety (DPS) Commissioner to enter into an MOU with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) concerning the enforcement of immigration laws.

Directs the DPS Commissioner to coordinate with law enforcement entities to choose
appropriate peace officers for training;

States that state law enforcement training is contingent on funding by federal government;

Authorizes the trained law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration and customs laws while performing their authorized duties;

Provision is effective July 1, 2007.

Human Trafficking
Creates the offense of human trafficking and contributing to human trafficking.

Penalty: 1-20 years; 10-20 years if the victim is under age18;

Georgia human trafficking language is similar to federal language;

Provision is effective July 1, 2007.

Legal status verification for those charged with felony or DUI
Requires that jail personnel check the legal status of those who are charged with a felony or DUI and notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if the individual is not legally in the United States.

Practice already occurring in Georgia state prison system;

Provision effective July 1, 2007.

Immigration Assistance Regulation
Limits what services a for-profit immigration assistance company can provide and criminalizes certain actions.

Requires that such businesses post signs stating they are not lawyers and cannot provide legal advice.

Restricts these individuals/businesses from using the terms notary, lawyer or attorney in advertising (may use term “notary public” if certified)

Misdemeanor for first offense of non-compliance; high and aggravated misdemeanor for second and subsequent offenses within 5 years.

Provision is effective July 1, 2007.

_________________
Chattanooga bonding co.
Chattanooga,Tn.
GABB#GA060335
423-421-2897

Gee why doesn't the INS just do their job? You ever try and call the INS on the phone hell no one ever answers or calls you back. The United States is hugely being over populated because there is nothing being done with illegals hell in 3 years we will be minorities. Hell this will be a Spanish speaking country soon. Now I would like to add I'm not in anyway racist I believe if a person comes over to the us and applies for citizenship that's great welcome but when the illegals come here and I have to pay taxes for my kids to go to school and they don't or we pay for their medical or worse college come on something is not right with this picture.
Also how many American protesters did we see out in the streets with Mexico's flag upside down none but I seen a lot of American flags upside down by illegals or them waving Mexico's flag proudly
oh well welcome to America.

_________________
Robert Graff
Pro-Tec Recovery Agency
(402)208-0044
Omaha, Nebraska.

I AGREE TO A POINT WITH YOU MR. GRAFF IF SOMEONE COMES OVER AND APPLIES FOR CITIZENSHIP MORE POWER TO THEM, WELCOME TO THE USA, BUT(YOU KNEW THERE WAS A BUT) THE WAY THE GOVERMENT IS AT THIS POINT WHY BOTHER WITH PAPERS(VISA) IT WILL TAKE ATLEAST 15 YEARS TO GET ALL THAT. WHEN YOU DO FILL OUT THE PROPER PAPERWORK THE SORRY A** INS PERSONEL TEARS IT UP AND SAY "IT'S NOT DONE RIGHT, DO IT OVER" NO WONDER PEOPLE DONT TRY TO GET "LEGAL" IN THIS COUNTRY,AS FOR ALL THE MORONS WAVING THE MEXICAN FLAG IT IS DISRESPECTFUL TO THE U.S. & ALL AMERICANS, YET THEY CRY FREEDOM, RIGHTS,AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE. WELL GET LEGAL AND FIGHT FOR JUST THAT... FREEDOM..HELL WE GOT ,BOYS OVER SEAS WHO NEED TO COME HOME ,THEY WANT THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE GO TO IRAQ AND FIGHT FOR THE USA FOR ABOUT 2-3 YEARS THEN COME BACK AND GET ACCEPTED AS A FELLOW AMERICAN WITH OPEN ARMS TIL THEN STAY THE HELL OUT OF MY COUNTRY WITH ALL THAT CRAP THEY ARE CRYING ABOUT.....THIS IS JUST MY OPINION , I COULD BE WRONG.

WE NEED TO TIGHTEN UP OUR LAWS AND OUR PERSONEL THAT HANDLE THESE TASK..INS NEEDS AN UPGRADE (THEIR WINDOWS 98 AND TODAYS SOCIETY IS WINDOWS XP)


POLICE THE GOVERMENT ,THEN WORRY ABOUT THE INFRINGERS

My wife is from Colombia. She was legal when she entered the US on a 2 year VISA. At the end of the 2 years she had to fill out her permanent VISA papers. Not a problem. We called INS and spoke to an INS officer in Texas who told us exactly how to fill out the paperwork completely. SOOOO, when we go to the Atlanta INS office and turned everything in, the INS -SOB- officer tore up the paperwork and said it was wrong. BUT, he did tell us which "FORM" to fill out. (key word, form) We go to an immigration lawer and discover that the correct "FORM" does not exist!!!!!

MORAL of the story? There really isn't one. But it does piss me off that if you jump the fence to get here, you have more rights than the one's who try to do it the way the government wants you to.

_________________
Jay Shell
Covering North East AL.
AAA / Eagle Bail Bonds, LLC
Anniston, AL
256.235.2437

WELL HE SAID IT.. BUT THATS WHY I PUT THE RESPONSE IN THE FORUM IS FOR YOUR BENEFIT JAY...ONLY BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE FACING...

I GOT YOUR BACK, DOGG.......