A proposal to mandate the use of the federal E-Verify system for all private employers in Florida advanced Tuesday in the House, receiving approval from the Industries and Professional Activities Subcommittee on a party-line vote.

House Bill 955, sponsored by Rep. Berny Jacques, would expand current employment verification requirements to apply to all private businesses, regardless of size, beginning July 1, 2025. State law currently requires public employers and private employers with 25 or more employees to use E-Verify when hiring new workers.

The legislation also removes a provision that currently allows employers who use E-Verify voluntarily to certify that use on their annual unemployment tax filings. Employers covered by the law would continue to be required to certify their compliance when making contributions to Florida’s reemployment assistance program.

Under the state’s existing enforcement framework, the Florida Department of Commerce is authorized to oversee compliance with employment eligibility verification requirements. If an employer fails to use E-Verify as required, the department must notify the employer and provide 30 days to remedy the violation. If an employer is found noncompliant on three separate occasions within a 24-month period, the department is required to impose a fine of $1,000 for each day the violation continues. The employer may also face suspension of all state-issued business licenses until proof of compliance is provided. These enforcement provisions remain unchanged under the bill.

E-Verify is an internet-based program administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Social Security Administration. Employers use the system to confirm the work authorization status of newly hired employees by submitting information collected on federal Form I-9. The system checks submitted data against federal databases and returns a determination regarding the employee’s eligibility to work in the United States.