A committee in the Kansas House expects to debate proposals next week for cracking down on illegal immigration.

Chairman Steve Brunk, a Bel Aire Republican, says the Federal and State Affairs Committee will take up immigration issues Monday.

Brunk said the panel will start with a proposal to require government contractors to check the immigration status of their workers using the federal E-Verify database.

Also before the committee are bills making it a crime to knowingly harbor an illegal immigrant; requiring applicants for government assistance to prove they’re in the U.S. legally; and directing law enforcement officers to check the status of some people they stop.

Meanwhile, business groups are promoting a bill to create a program for placing illegal immigrants in hard-to-fill jobs.