The Utah Senate introduced a 20-page immigration reform bill Jan. 31, combining proposals from several pieces of legislation already moving through the House and Senate.
Senate Bill 81, sponsored by Sen. Bill Hickman, R-Washington County, would repeal in-state tuition for undocumented college students who register after April 30, 2010. Students who register before May 1, 2010 would be allowed to pay in-state tuition until they graduate.
This repeal mirrors House Bill 241, which is expected to move to the House of Representatives floor for a vote this week.
Hickman’s bill also would empower state and local law enforcement officers to act as U.S. immigration agents through a negotiation between the attorney general and U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The State of Utah Office of the Attorney General would establish a Fraudulent Documents Identification Unit.
Public employers and contractors would have to use a federal online system to authenticate the immigration status of each employee.
The legislation would also make it a Class A misdemeanor to transport, conceal, harbor or shelter undocumented immigrants.