House adopts conference committee report adding e-Verify, voter-check provisions in employment and registration bill

The Iowa House adopted a conference committee report on Senate File 2218, a measure that would expand use of e-Verify for certain state and local hires, provide appeal rights, and permit review of registered voters through the SAVE system. Representative Bowden summarized the conference agreement and said it includes a severability clause to preserve the bill if a provision is struck down.

Bowden told members that the conference report will require e-Verify checks for state and local hires, including public and private schools and regent universities, and said the measure provides an appeals process and a SAVE-system review of registered voters. "E-Verify will be used now for state and legislative county local hires including public and private schools including regent universities," Bowden said.

Representative Thompson Floyd raised concerns about the severability clause and warned that the bill’s breadth will invite litigation. Thompson Floyd said the clause is meant to preserve the remainder of the law if a court finds a provision unenforceable and told members to expect legal challenges.

Representative Matson (who said she did not sign the conference report) criticized additions made in conference, arguing the bill expanded beyond the original committee language and that the majority may have broken House rules by adding new material in conference. "Based on years of precedence and the clear language offered in the rules ... I believe the majority party broke those rules," the lawmaker said, and added she opposed the conference report primarily over procedural and substantive concerns.

The House adopted the conference committee report, and later on final reading the bill passed the House on a roll-call (71–20; 9 absent). Representative Bowden moved that the bill be read for the last time and placed for passage; the clerk read the bill and the House recorded the final vote.