With spring comes wildflowers, wild weather, legislation & SSA letters

By Darren Turley
TAD Executive Director

April is upon us. The year seams to be flying by with the signs of spring showing up across the state.  With lots of stunning bluebonnets blossoming everywhere you look, it is evident that winter is fading. It is time to plant summer forage and harvest winter foliage between spring showers.

The legislative session is passing quickly as well. When you read this there will be less than 40 days before the Legislature adjourns May 27. April is always a hectic time for legislators trying to pass bills and get them to the governor’s desk before adjournment. Both committee meetings and floor debates are running long hours, and soon committees will hear their final bills.

Spring in Texas not only brings wildflowers, but wild weather. A recent tornado in East Texas hit Dominy Dairy, near Alto, causing significant damage. This farm family has been producing milk for many, many years; now they suddenly have nowhere to milk their animals.  The cattle were moved to neighboring farms a to be milked and fed for now, but the devastation is significant.

It makes you think how fast things can change in our lives. We all stay very immersed in our day-to-day lives. Please take spend time with your family this Easter and make some memories. Our lives are very busy.

The legislative session is not the only activity TAD is now involved in. Remember the Social Security Administration (SSA) Employer Correction Notices, commonly known as “no-match” letters? These letters were sent to an employer (and third-party payroll company) if a submitted Form W-2 contained a name and Social Security Number (SSN) combination that did not match the agency’s records. The Social Security Administration stopped sending these letters in 2012, but recently resumed the practice.

If you receive a “no-match” letter, please carefully review and respond to the request. Also, please let TAD know so we can track the SSA activity in Texas. If the SSA receives no response, it might be assumed that the employer knowingly hired an illegal employee. Also, as the letter warns, do not discriminate against, fire, suspend or lay off the employee in question; this violates federal law. The “no-match” could be the result of an input error by the SSA, a reporting error by employer or employee, identify theft or other issue that is not connected with whether an employee is undocumented. If no discrepancies are found in the information the employee submits to you, then tell the employee to contact the SSA to address the issues.

If you have any questions, you should consult an experienced attorney or advisor.