# Plain Language Summary: Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act

This bill makes E-Verify—a federal system that checks whether workers are legally allowed to work in the United States—mandatory for virtually all employers. Right now, E-Verify is voluntary for most businesses, but this bill would require every employer in the country to use it when hiring new employees, starting one year after the law passes. The only exceptions would be for very small employers, though the bill doesn't specify exactly how small is "too small." Federal contractors and companies deemed critical to national security would have to start using E-Verify even sooner, within 30 days of being designated.

The bill significantly increases penalties for employers who don't comply or who knowingly hire workers without proper authorization. Currently, fines for hiring unauthorized workers range from $250 to $10,000 per violation, but this bill would raise them to $2,500 to $25,000 per violation. Employers who repeatedly violate these rules could be banned from receiving federal contracts and grants for five years. The bill also creates a legal shield for employers—if they fire someone based on E-Verify results and act in good faith, they can't be sued for wrongful termination, even if the E-Verify information turns out to be wrong.

For workers, this means every job application will involve an E-Verify check. If there's an error in the system—like identity theft or a data mix-up—workers could face delays in getting hired or could be fired. The bill requires employers to re-verify workers periodically, though it doesn't specify how often. States and local governments are prohibited from stopping employers from using E-Verify, and the bill protects employers from liability if they terminate someone based on E-Verify information, which could leave workers with limited recourse if they're wrongly terminated due to system errors.

Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act

Brooks, Mo

Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act This bill expands the E-Verify program by requiring all employers to use it and permanently reauthorizes the program. Currently, E-Verify use is voluntary for most employers, although some states mandate its use. All employers shall use E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all recruited, referred, or hired individuals, including current employees who were never verified under the program. Failure to use E-Verify shall create a rebuttable presumption that the employer is violating immigration law. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services shall generate weekly reports about individuals who have received a final nonconfirmation of employment eligibility. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall use the report to enforce immigration laws. DHS shall establish a program to help certain small businesses verify employee eligibility. DHS shall also update E-Verify's design to help prevent and detect fraud and identity theft. The bill increases civil and criminal penalties for hiring unauthorized aliens. DHS shall debar repeat offenders and those criminally convicted from holding federal contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements. The Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury, and DHS shall jointly establish a program to share information to help identify unauthorized aliens. The bill establishes the Employer Compliance Inspection Center within Homeland Security Investigations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The center's duties include processing I-9 employment eligibility verification forms and ensuring compliance with employment eligibility laws. DHS shall report to Congress on ways to simplify procedures relating to I-9 forms and on whether the I-9 process should be eliminated.