Did you file your I-9 forms with the federal government on all your employees?
Good. That should be the end of it. But not in Colorado.
“It is common knowledge that government agencies love redundancy and duplication, and sometimes this redundancy is totally unnecessary,” reports The Colorado Statesman on the March 22 passage of House Bill 1114, which sailed out of the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee with bipartisan unanimity.
“Should it finish its route through the legislative process — [HB 1114] will require one less form to be filled out during the employee hiring process,” reports the newspaper.
Right now, the Colorado Division of Labor and Employment requires employers in the state to file an Affirmation of Legal Work Status form, after completing and filing an I-9 form with the federal government. All the form does is tell the state that you filed the required form with the feds.
“This requirement was never intended to become part of the state’s labor law,” said NFIB/Colorado State Director Tony Gagliardi. “It was implemented by Department of Labor staff several years ago, and is an absolute waste of time for all parties involved.”
Added DelGrosso, “The state form asks the exact same employee verification questions required by the federal I-9 form, requiring business owners to devote valuable time to an unnecessary and burdensome process. Employee verification is a top priority, but business owners don’t need a form to confirm they already completed a comprehensive employee verification form, and I am pleased the committee unanimously approved this legislation.”
Gagliardi thanked DelGrosso, the House minority leader, for sponsoring and shepherding the legislation. A small-business owner, DelGrosso operates a chain of Domino’s pizza restaurants in Northern Colorado. “No one knows small-business issues better than small-business owners,” said Gagliardi. “That’s why having elected officials drawn from the small-business ranks, such as Representative DelGrosso, is very beneficial to our state’s job growth and economic health.”
The Colorado Farm Bureau, Colorado Competitive Council, and several chambers of commerce are also supporting HB 1114, which has no opposition from any industry groups.
