Committee holds public hearing on HB 302 to register labor brokers, require SAVES checks and sponsor reimbursement

Representative Ben Robbins presented House Bill 302 at a Senate committee public hearing, saying the bill would register "labor brokers," require government agencies to use the SAVES system to check immigrants' eligibility for state benefits, and give the state authority to seek reimbursement from sponsors who fail to provide contracted support; the committee held a public hearing and postponed a vote to next week.

The bill, Robbins said, is intended to protect immigrants from exploitation, protect state tax dollars and ensure that taxes owed to Alabama are paid. "They're gonna have to now e verify and prove that they have legal immigrants when they bring them into the state of Alabama," Robbins said, describing a requirement that labor brokers register and that employers supply a USCIS number when a Social Security number is not available.

The proposal would: require registration of labor brokers; mandate that state agencies use the SAVES program to confirm benefit eligibility before issuing benefits; require applicants to identify their sponsor; permit the attorney general to seek reimbursement from a sponsor when the sponsor signed a federal affidavit of support but failed to provide promised housing or other supports; and add sanctions tied to state tax abatements for employers found to hire unauthorized workers.

Supporters and Robbins framed the measure as a tool to target labor trafficking and to ensure agencies know who is receiving state-funded benefits. Robbins told the committee the bill targets sponsors tied to asylum-seeking, humanitarian and parole visas, and does not apply to work- or education-based visas. "We're talking about those that come into the country that have no nexus of where they're going to work or be," he said.

Public commenters and advocacy groups urged caution. Allison Hamilton, a Birmingham resident who said she works on labor-rights issues, said she supports protecting immigrant workers from exploitation but opposed the bill as drafted. "That is not going to help immigrant workers feel more safe," Hamilton said, arguing that a registry or state reporting that could be shared with immigration enforcement would discourage victims from reporting abuse.

Carol Gunlock, senior policy analyst at Alabama Arise, told the committee the bill's language is unclear about which federally funded safety-net programs it would affect and warned of potential duplication with existing federal requirements for programs such as Medicaid and SNAP. "Right now, Medicaid and SNAP are means tested entitlement programs that are already required to participate in the SAVES program by federal law," Gunlock said. She asked the committee to clarify whether other federally touched programs or food pantries would be covered.

Robbins and committee members discussed implementation details during the hearing. Robbins said employers already report new hires to the state within five days and that the bill would only require, where applicable, a USCIS number rather than create a new reporting duty. He told the panel, "All we're saying is we want to know if you are a sponsor because you are promising to provide certain... benefits to an individual. We just need to know that and then we want to know if you follow through with it."

Committee members also raised concerns about potential unintended consequences for nonprofits and asked staff to try to refine definitions and language. Senator Sessions questioned whether H-2A and H-2B seasonal-worker programs would be affected; Robbins said those visas are excluded. A senator asked whether the measure would create any new state positions; Robbins said it would not.

Outcome and next steps: The committee opened the bill for a public hearing but did not vote on HB 302 at this meeting; the sponsor and committee members indicated they expect additional amendments and plan to return for a vote next week.

Ending: Committee members said they would continue drafting adjustments and meet again before voting. The committee adjourned after completing the scheduled public hearing on HB 302.