PHOENIX ÷ Future UA employees are going to have to promise not to use weapons of mass destruction or act like terrorists, under a proposal state lawmakers gave a nod to yesterday.

A measure that received preliminary approval in the state House yesterday would change the state oath that UA employees are required to take when they're hired, adding provisions for terrorism. Future employees would have to vow that they wouldn't try to harm branches of the government to influence policy decisions, or try to attack the government and interrupt services like communication and public transportation.

The Senate voted to pass the new state oath in February, and the measure must be approved once more by the House before it can go to Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano for her consideration.

The proposal from six Democratic lawmakers is a response to the Sept. 11 attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, and UA workers who are not U.S. citizens would not have to take the oath.

The UA employs about 18,000 student employees, staff, appointed personnel and faculty members who had to sign the state oath before they received their first paycheck, said Allison Vaillancourt, executive director of Human Resources.

The new measure would also repeal some of the old language in the oath that currently says UA employees cannot be members of the Communist Party.