Testimony in Support of HB 246 before the Ohio House Commerce & Labor Committee

Summary

Written testimony dated May 14, 2025 from the executive director of the Affiliated Construction Trades Ohio Foundation (ACT Ohio) to Chairman Mark Johnson and the Ohio House Commerce & Labor Committee in support of HB 246. It describes ACT Ohio as a 501(c)(5) organization with 145 local affiliates representing more than 98,000 building trades members. The testimony describes E-Verify as a free internet-based system administered by the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration to confirm a new hire's eligibility to work. It states that HB 246 narrows last GA's HB 327, which passed the House 85-6, to focus on the construction industry. It argues that labor brokers paying sub-standard wages disadvantage Ohio contractors, and says the trades invest in excess of $65 million per year in apprenticeship training.

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Full text

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Affiliated Construction Trades Ohio Foundation
Matthew Szollosi, Executive Director

mszollosi@actohio.org
(614) 228-5446

May 14, 2025

Chairman Mark Johnson

Ohio House Commerce & Labor Committee
41 S. High Street

Columbus, OH 43215

Chairman Johnson, Vice Chair Lear, Ranking Member McNally, and members of the House
Commerce & Labor Committee:

Please be advised that the Affiliated Construction Trades Ohio Foundation ("ACT Ohio") is a
501(c)(5) organization created to help foster economic and industrial development opportunities,
and to promote industry-best practices for Ohio's public and private construction. ACT Ohio
currently has 145 local affiliates across the state, who in the aggregate represent more than
98,000 building trades members. On behalf of our organization, I am here to testify in favor of

HB 246.

E-Verify is an internet-based system that is jointly administered by the United States Department
of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration under 8 U.S.C. Section 1324(a) to
determine a newly-hired employee’s employment eligibility.

It is free.
E-Verify is extremely accurate.

The response time is typically 3 to 5S seconds.

It is proven to work.

As reported at a recent NCSL forum in Arlington, Virginia, states that have implemented
mandatory E-Verify for all employers have seen the presence of undocumented migrants illegally
seeking jobs without authorization to work reduced up to 83%

E-Verify utilizes the same form employers are already required by federal law to fill out when
hiring a new employee — the federal I-9 form. Here’s the difference: under the Immigration
Reform and Control Act of 1986 (“IRCA ”), employers are required to fill out and maintain the I-
9 form for 3 three years — it is not submitted anywhere. Under E-Verify, employers are required
to fill out and submit the I-9 form for an instantaneous response from the federal government on
an employee’s employment eligibility status. This is not a check on citizenship or immigration
status, but merely a confirmation of the employee’s eligibility to work in the United States.

Affiliated Construction Trades Ohio Foundation
41 South High Street, Suite #2325
Columbus, 0H 43215
ACTOhio.org Queen
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According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Dept., “E-Verify is currently the
best means available for employers to verify electronically the employment eligibility of their
newly hired employees. E-Verify protects jobs for authorized workers and helps employers
maintain a legal workforce.” (emphasis added)

The scope of HB 246 has been narrowed from last GA’s HB 327, which passed the House 85-6,
with the focus now specifically on curbing abuses in the construction industry.

From our perspective its straightforward. The Building Trades and our partner contractors invest
in excess of $65 million dollars per year on apprenticeship training — not one penny of which is
taxpayer money. When labor brokers smuggle workers into the United States, pay sub-standard
wages, offer no benefits, and kick them to the curb if they get hurt on the jobsite, its hurts Ohio.
This abusive cycle puts Ohio-based contractors in a competitive disadvantage, compromises our
ability to place apprentices on jobsites, displaces Ohio construction workers (union and non-
union), and undercuts Ohio’s state and local tax base. Is this what we want to continue to

perpetuate?

On behalf of our almost 100,000 working men and women in Ohio, I encourage you to pass HB
246,

Thank you very much for the opportunity to present to your committee — I’d be happy to take
any questions.

With Allies

Matt Szollosi
Executive Director
ACT Ohio

Affiliated Construction Trades Ohio Foundation
4l South High Street, Suite #2325
Columbus, OH 43215
ACTOhio.org

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