A proposal to require every private employer in Florida to use the federal E-Verify system cleared its final House committee on Thursday, positioning the measure for a floor vote when lawmakers convene in January.
House Bill 197, which would expand Florida’s existing employment verification law to cover all private businesses, passed the House Commerce Committee on a party-line vote. The measure, if adopted, would amend existing Florida law, which requires E-Verify use by public employers and larger private firms, and remove the current exemption for those with fewer than 25 employees
Under the proposal, every employer in Florida would be required to confirm a worker’s authorization to work in the United States through the E-Verify database operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. The expanded mandate would take effect July 1, 2026.
Employers must annually certify compliance when filing reemployment tax reports with the Florida Department of Commerce. Those found to have repeatedly failed to use E-Verify could face fines of up to $1,000 per day and suspension of state-issued business licenses until compliance is achieved.
Florida first enacted broad E-Verify requirements in 2023. That measure required the system’s use by all public employers and private employers with 25 or more employees. A similar bill passed the House in 2025 but did not advance in the Senate.
If approved, the latest proposal would make Florida one of the few states to require universal E-Verify participation among private employers, extending the verification mandate to all new hires statewide beginning in mid-2026.
