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Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Labor brokers would have to turn over info on immigrants working in Alabama under proposed bill
Rep. Ben Robbins, R-Sylacauga, works on a computer in the Alabama House of Representatives on April 9, 2024 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. He introduced legislation to create a registry that tracks foreign nationals living in Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) A House committee approved legislation Wednesday that requires the state to maintain a registry of foreign nationals who work in Alabama. The House Judiciary Committee approved HB 302, sponsored by Rep. Ben Robbins, R-Sylacauga, that would require labor brokers to register with the Alabama Department of Workforce each year, and provide the department with the names of foreign nationals who are working in the state. 'We want to try and capture those individuals who are bringing labor into the state, and getting kickbacks, maybe from an employer, maybe from a staffing agency,' Robbins said when he introduced his proposal. Those who violate the law could face fines between $500 and $5,000 — more if the state takes someone to court. Brokers could face criminal investigations and Class C felony charges, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $15,000. The bill also authorizes the Secretary of State's Office to revoke the license of the labor broker or a charitable organization for violating the provisions in the legislation. HB 302 states that a 'significant' number of immigrants are settling in the state to work in different types of businesses, such as manufacturing plants, or performing seasonal work in agriculture, and that 'labor brokers' provide financial support for them. Transparency is needed, according to the bill, around foreign nationals residing in the state. Labor brokers would have to determine the work status of each immigrant they recruit. They would provide the state with details about the businesses they contract with, as well as the workers placed with those businesses, plus info about the people sponsoring the workers. The bill also imposes measures proponents say will ensure immigrants who receive social service benefits are eligible for them, and allows the state to fine and penalize those who don't follow the rules. Advocacy groups expressed concerns about how the bill misrepresents immigrants and immigration systems, especially in making the assumption that people without proper work authorization are receiving public benefits, such as Medicaid. A separate section of the legislation states that immigrants who apply for social services, from food stamps to unemployment benefits, must then be checked against the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to verify their status and determine eligibility for public assistance. Immigrants who apply for public benefits would provide a 'U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' (USCIS) number or Alien Registration Number, along with info about their sponsors under the measure. 'Someone stated that undocumented immigrants were using USCIS numbers to sign up for Medicaid, which is completely false,' said Allison Hamilton, executive director of the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice, after Wednesday's meeting. 'There is no such thing as a USCIS number, and undocumented immigrants are not eligible for Medicaid.' The bill could discourage organizations — staffing agencies or charitable groups — from assisting immigrants who have recently settled in the state. Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa voted against the legislation, saying the bill targets organizations or vulnerable populations. 'Any time people are required to identify themselves in various ways,' he said, 'it sometimes brings a target on them because there are some people who do not want them here.' HB 302 will be passed on to the full House of Representatives for a vote. The legislation is part of a suite of bills circulating in the Legislature that targets immigrants in the state. A House committee also passed a measure to endow local law enforcement with the authority to enforce the country's immigration laws earlier this month. Two weeks ago, the Senate approved legislation that requires local law enforcement to collect DNA and fingerprints for detained immigrants, a bill that prohibits transporting immigrants without status to the state, and a measure barring Alabama from accepting immigrants' driver's licenses issued from two states.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alabama House committee OKs bill allowing Medicaid to sue parents over health insurance
Rep. Ben Robbins, R-Sylacauga, speaks to a colleague on the floor of the Alabama House of Representatives on Feb. 12, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. HB 177, sponsored by Robbins, would allow Medicaid to sue some parents who fail to enroll their children in available employer-sponsored health insurance.(Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) An Alabama House committee Wednesday approved a bill that would allow Medicaid to sue some parents who don't enroll their children in employer-provided health insurance when available. HB 177, sponsored by Rep. Ben Robbins, R-Sylacauga, would require some parents to place their children on employer-provided health insurance and would mandate that custodial parents with access to employer-sponsored health insurance enroll their Medicaid-eligible children in those plans. It would also give judges discretion to order noncustodial parents paying child support to do the same. If a parent fails to comply, Medicaid would have the authority to seek reimbursement through a civil lawsuit. 'If you are a parent that has employer provided insurance, you need to put your child on your insurance and not have more Medicaid,' Robbins said to committee members. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The bill passed with an amendment by Rep. Kerry Underwood, R-Tuscumbia, requiring attempts by Medicaid to seek reimbursement to comply with state and federal law. The amendment also removed a provision that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) would have a lien on any amount recovered through a court order. Robyn Hyden, executive director of Alabama Arise, a policy advocacy group focused on poverty issues, raised concerns about affordability, arguing that low-income parents may struggle to pay for employer-sponsored coverage. Hyden said that insurance costs can consume a significant portion of a low-wage worker's income. 'One example I would use is a friend I know who works at Advance Auto Parts. Her take-home pay is $600 a week, or $32,000 a year, so she could opt in to pay for health insurance through her employer, [but] it would take more than one-third of her paycheck,' Hyden said. But Robbins said the bill is a cost-saving measure, saying it ensures parents who have the means to provide health insurance for their children do so. 'That's the ultimate goal of the bill, to incentivize noncustodial parents that can afford it, to take the responsibility they should take, and have the state have the mechanism to get their money back,' Robbins said. Other opponents worried about unintended consequences, particularly the financial burden on parents who already struggle to make ends meet. Apreill Hartsfield, policy and data analyst with VOICES for Alabama Children, said that there are about 200,000 adults in Alabama who can't afford health insurance through their employer but don't make enough to qualify for Medicaid. 'If they can't afford the insurance anyway, we just want that recognized by the legislation and to make sure that those aren't some of those unintended consequences,' Hartsfield said. Dr. Marsha Raulerson, a pediatrician representing the Medical Association of the State of Alabama on Medicaid Agency's Medical Care Advisory Committee, questioned after the committee meeting whether judges always act in the best interest of children or the mother, saying that she lost count on how many mothers have legal issues with fathers and 'they never get anything right from the court.' 'Why should anything that has to do with the child's health care be something that's at the discretion of a judge?' Raulerson asked. Committee members questioned how the bill would be enforced and who would oversee compliance. Robbins responded that while Medicaid would monitor cases, enforcement would largely happen in court. 'If you go in front of a judge, and the judge enters an order, and you don't follow it, then you're in contempt of court,' Robbins said. 'That could mean you go to jail.' The bill now moves to the House. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
