PHOENIX — Frustrated by what they see as a lack of aggressiveness on the federal government's part, lawmakers in several states want to start doing something that has long been Washington's job: cracking down on employers who hire illegal immigrants.

Legislators in at least nine states — Arizona, Missouri, Montana, Virginia, South Carolina, West Virginia, Kansas, Mississippi and Oklahoma — have considered various ideas, including fining businesses and suspending their licenses, prohibiting violators from obtaining state contracts, and requiring employers to sign affidavits saying they do not knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

A few states passed laws in 2006 to confront the problem as well.

A 20-year-old federal law prohibits businesses from knowingly employing illegal immigrants. And the federal government has launched several employer crackdowns over the past year. But some state legislators say Washington is not doing enough.

"The feds are so woefully behind," said Republican state Sen. Chris Koster of Missouri, sponsor of a proposal that would require many employers to electronically verify the eligibility of their workers. "To sit around and wait for federal action on this is like waiting for Santa Claus."

Opponents of illegal immigration complain that businesses' use of illicit labor is encouraging people to sneak across the border.

Critics of some of these proposals say that states are ill-equipped to enforce immigration laws and are intruding on the federal government's constitutional powers.

Nevertheless, a bill in Missouri would set fines of $10,000 to $200,000 for three-time violators, while the proposed penalties in Montana would be $300 for each illegal hiring.