No. SB 1542
Filed under Criminal Justice.
Immigration; Revising the duties and responsibilities of the Office of Economic Accountability and Transparency within the Department of Commerce; revising penalties, including suspension and revocation of certain licenses and the imposition of fines, for violating provisions related to employing unauthorized aliens; requiring that such fines be deposited into a specified trust fund; requiring that all private employers, rather than only those employing a specified number or more of employees, use the E-Verify system to verify a new employee’s employment eligibility, etc.
Plain English Summary
AI-GENERATEDAll private employers, regardless of size, must use E-Verify to verify new employees' work eligibility starting July 1, 2026.
Employers who hire unauthorized workers face escalating license suspensions and fines, with third-time offenders facing permanent license revocation.
The definition of "employee" expands to include 1099 workers and occasional labor exceeding 40 hours, broadening E-Verify requirements.
Fines for violations are redirected to the Highway Safety Operating Trust Fund instead of the department's general fund.
AIExpands the E-Verify requirement from employers with 25 or more employees to all private employers, effective July 1, 2026.
AIBroadens the definition of employee to include individuals receiving Form 1099 and those performing occasional labor exceeding 40 person-hours, subjecting them to E-Verify and employment authorization requirements.
AIReplaces probation and tiered license suspensions with mandatory license suspensions or revocations and fines for first, second, and third violations of unauthorized employment laws.
AIMandates permanent revocation of all chapter 120 licenses and a fine up to $250,000 for a third violation of unauthorized employment laws.
AIImposes 5-year license suspension and $100,000 fine if an unauthorized worker causes injury, and permanent revocation and $500,000 fine if an unauthorized worker causes death.
AIExtends the debarment period for contractors terminated for unauthorized employment violations from 1 year to a permanent ban on future public contracts.
AIAdds license suspension as a penalty for continued failure to use E-Verify, in addition to existing daily fines.
AIProhibits entities from restricting law enforcement agencies from using E-Verify to investigate the immigration status of detained persons.