Is your state considering an Arizona copycat law?

More than a dozen states are considering following in the footsteps of Arizona and requiring local police officers to check the immigration status of people they suspect may be in the country illegally. Mississippi could soon become the first to do so.

The state Senate handily passed a slightly modified version of Arizona's SB 1070 on Tuesday, but it's unclear whether the measure will pass the House, which has a large Democratic majority. The Senate is almost evenly split.

Republican Gov. Haley Barbour, pictured here, has not said whether he would sign the bill, but he has said before that he thinks Arizona's law makes sense. Yet he has also previously conceded that illegal immigrants helped the state rebuild after Hurricane Katrina.

Though the courts are still weighing the fate of Arizona's law, an immigrant-rights group predicted that as many as 25 states could pass copycat legislation this year. Last year, six legislatures introduced copycat laws but did not pass any of them. In general, the volume of immigration-related bills considered by states has skyrocketed over the past few years, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The bills generally seek to empower local police to inquire, during the course of a lawful stop, about the immigration status of anyone they suspect might be in the country illegally. The measures also require immigrants to carry their papers with them. Arizona residents can sue agencies that they believe are not enforcing immigration law.

Based on our research here at The Lookout, at least 13 other states have also introduced, or are preparing to introduce, an Arizona-style immigration bill in at least one chamber of their legislatures:

Kentucky: The Senate passed a bill this week making it a state crime to be an illegal immigrant.The House is majority Democratic; it's unclear whether lawmakers there will also approve the bill.

Colorado: Republicans have introduced a slightly more permissive version of SB 1070. It would allow but not require police officers to arrest a person who proved to be in the country illegally. Its chance of passage are slim, as the Senate is Democratic-controlled and the Democratic governor has also expressed reservations about the Arizona-like bill, according to the Denver ABC affiliate.

Virginia: The state's attorney general has written that he thinks state law already allows police to question suspects about their immigration status -- but some lawmakers want to introduce a bill to make that practice mandatory. Another bill seeks to check the immigration status of every child in public school.

Nebraska: The Senate will consider an Arizona copycat law as well as a bill requiring all employers to use the federal E-Verify system when hiring employees.

Florida: Even though the state has a conservative new governor as well as a GOP-controlled House and Senate, the state's Arizona-like bill is not gaining a ton of support so far, according to the Orlando Sentinel. That's not entirely surprising, given that the Cuban exile community is a significant GOP constituency in Florida. The state representative who backs the bill may amend it so that police ask about immigration status only during a criminal investigation rather than any "lawful stop" (which could include a traffic stop).

Texas: A whopping 40 bills related to immigration have been introduced in the Legislature, including an Arizona copycat bill. GOP Rep. Debbie Riddle camped outside the statehouse for 36 hours to introduce her anti-illegal immigration bills first.

Utah: Ahead of the Legislature convening for the year on Monday, both sides of the immigration question will hold a public debate, the Associated Press writes. One lawmaker wants to enact a state version of comprehensive immigration reform allowing illegal immigrants to "register" with the state. Another group wants to follow in Arizona's footsteps and introduce other bills designed to discourage illegal immigrants from living in the state.

Tennessee: A group of lawmakers has vowed to introduce its own version of SB 1070. The state has a GOP-controlled House and Senate and a Republican governor.

South Carolina: An Arizona-style bill is moving through subcommittees in the Legislature, suggesting it may be come up for a floor vote soon.

Pennsylvania: State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe is backing both an Arizona-type law and a law redefining birthright citizenship to exclude children of illegal immigrants. And when the new GOP governor was attorney general, he filed a brief in support of SB 1070.

Oklahoma: Legislators say they will introduce several anti-illegal immigration laws this session. The state Chamber of Commerce is putting up some opposition.

Kansas: The new secretary of state, Kris Kobach, is urging the Legislature to pass a near-identical version of SB 1070. Kobach helped write Arizona's law.

Indiana: A state senator has introduced a slightly modified version of Arizona's law, according to the Indianapolis Star. The bill would also bar the use of any language other than English in government buildings.

(Photo of Barbour: AP)