Compliance with Federal Immigration Laws and Mississippi Employment Protection

Compliance with Federal Immigration Laws and Mississippi Employment Protection Act. The company is required to ensure compliance with the Mississippi Employment Protection Act (“MEPA”), Miss. Code. Ann. § 71-11-3 et seq., and must ensure that the entity registers and participates in the status verification system for all newly hired employees. Under MEPA, the term "employee” means any person that is hired to perform work within the State of Mississippi. As used in MEPA, "status verification system" means the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act of 1996 that is operated by the United States Department of Homeland Security, also known as the E-Verify Program, or any other successor electronic verification system replacing the E-Verify Program. The company must maintain records of such compliance and, upon request of the State of Mississippi and approval of the Social Security Administration or Department of Homeland Security, where required, to provide a copy of each such verification to the State. Any person assigned to perform services must meet the employment eligibility requirements of all federal and state immigration laws. Any breach may subject the company to the following: (a) termination of the Agreement and ineligibility for any assistance, grant or state or public contract in Mississippi for up to three (3) years, with notice of such cancellation/termination being made public, or (b) the loss of any license, permit, certification or other document granted to the company by an agency, department or governmental entity for the right to do business in Mississippi for up to one (1) year, or (c) both. In the event of such termination/cancellation, the Company is also liable for any additional costs incurred by the State.