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Committee converts immigration enforcement bill into study, then issues do-not-pass recommendation
Summary
The committee amended House Bill 1291 to replace enforcement language with a legislative-management study on unauthorized employment, but then issued a do-not-pass recommendation on the amended bill.
The Senate Workforce Development Committee amended House Bill 1291 to change its enforcement provisions into a legislative management study on unauthorized employment, then issued a committee recommendation of "do not pass" on the amended bill.
Senator Bosche introduced the background of House Bill 12 91, saying the sponsor proposed a prohibition on the employment of unauthorized workers with penalties. Committee members raised concerns that immigration enforcement is primarily a federal responsibility and that practical enforcement tools are limited at the state level. Following the testimony, Senator Bosche moved an amendment (25.0654.02001) converting the bill to a legislative management study; the amendment passed on a roll call.
Committee discussion then turned to whether the proposed study duplicated existing state workforce efforts and the governor’s workforce council. Several committee members said the state already funds multiple workforce studies and expressed a preference to prioritize studies focused on workforce attraction and retention rather than investigations into employer compliance on immigration matters. Senator Larson noted opposition testimony and said that few supporters appeared at the hearing; others pointed to testimony from Sue Swanson emphasizing the federal role in immigration enforcement.
After debate about the study’s scope and its relationship to existing entities, Senator Bosche moved a do-not-pass recommendation on House Bill 12 91 as amended. The clerk recorded a 5–0 roll call in favor of the do-not-pass recommendation.
Committee members emphasized that voting "do not pass" on the amended bill did not necessarily mean they oppose compliance with federal law; rather, members cited overlap with existing statewide workforce and legal resources and questioned the necessity of a separate legislative study on the issue.
The committee’s action sends the amended bill forward with a do-not-pass recommendation to the full Senate, per committee procedure.
