HCS HB 1549, 1771, 1395 & 2366 -- ILLEGAL ALIENS AND
IMMIGRATION STATUS VERIFICATION (Onder)

COMMITTEE OF ORIGIN:  Special Committee on Immigration

This substitute changes the laws regarding illegal aliens and
immigration status verification.  In its main provisions, the
substitute:

(1)  Requires the Superintendent of the State Highway Patrol,
subject to appropriations, to designate some or all members of
the patrol to be trained in accordance with a memorandum of
understanding between Missouri and the United States Department
of Homeland Security concerning the enforcement of federal
immigration laws during the course of their normal duties in
Missouri;

(2)  Prohibits a county, city, town, or village, effective
January 1, 2009, from enacting a sanctuary policy and specifies
that any municipality that enacts a sanctuary policy will be
ineligible for money provided through grants administered by any
state agency or department until the policy is repealed or is no
longer in effect.  Members of the General Assembly are authorized
to request the state agency or department administering grants to
verify that a municipality receiving grant money does not have a
sanctuary policy.  County and municipal law enforcement officers
must be notified in writing of their duty to cooperate with state
and federal agents and officials regarding matters of
immigration;

(3)  Requires the commercial driver's license written test to
only be given in English.  Translators will not be allowed for
applicants taking the test;

(4)  Requires the arresting agency to verify within 48 hours
through the United States Department of Homeland Security the
lawful immigration status of a person charged with a crime and
held in confinement if verification cannot be made from documents
in the possession of the prisoner or after a reasonable effort by
the arresting agency.  Upon verification that the prisoner is an
illegal alien, the arresting agency must notify the federal
department; and

(5)  Creates penalties for driver's license fraud.  Any person
who knowingly or in reckless disregard of the truth is prohibited
from:

(a)  Assisting any person in committing fraud or deception during
a driver's license, nondriver's license, or instruction permit
examination process;

(b)  Assisting any person in applying for a driver's license,
instruction permit, or nondriver's license that contains or is
substantiated with false or fraudulent information or
documentation, conceals a material fact, or is fraudulent; or

(c)  Engaging in a conspiracy to commit any of the preceding acts
or aids or abets the commission of any of the acts.

Any person who violates one of the driver's license fraud
provisions will be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on state funds in FY 2009, FY 2010, and
FY 2011.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated October 15, 2008 at 3:10 pm