Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 2 OF 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed Senate

Passed House

Conference

To President

Became Law

Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed Senate
Passed House
Conference
To President
Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

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This bill matters to voters because it represents a significant shift in how the U.S. government regulates employment and immigration. If it becomes law, it would fundamentally change the hiring process for nearly every business in the country, potentially affecting labor markets, wages, and the overall economy. For some, it addresses concerns about unauthorized immigration and aims to ensure that jobs are filled by legal workers, potentially protecting American jobs and improving national security by tracking who is employed in critical sectors.

On the other hand, it could impose new burdens and costs on businesses, particularly small ones, and introduce potential for errors in the E-Verify system that might delay or deny employment to legal workers. The bill's passage would mean a much stricter enforcement environment for employers, with substantially increased penalties for non-compliance, aiming to deter the hiring of unauthorized immigrants nationwide. If it doesn't pass, E-Verify would continue to operate under its current, often voluntary, structure, potentially requiring future reauthorization, and the current, lower penalties for hiring violations would remain in place.

KEY PROVISIONS

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Makes the E-Verify program permanent by removing its expiration date, ensuring it doesn't need to be renewed by Congress in the future.

This provision establishes E-Verify as a permanent fixture in U.S. employment verification, signaling a long-term commitment to the system.

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Requires all federal government departments, agencies, federal contractors, and designated 'critical employers' to use E-Verify immediately, and mandates all other employers nationwide to use it for new hires within one year.

This dramatically expands E-Verify's reach, making it a universal requirement for nearly every employer in the U.S. and significantly changing hiring practices.

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Increases fines for employers who hire or continue to employ unauthorized immigrants, with first-time offenses seeing a jump from $250-$2,000 to $2,500-$5,000 per employee, and repeat offenses up to $10,000-$25,000.

The increased penalties aim to provide a much stronger deterrent against unauthorized employment, making non-compliance significantly more costly for businesses.

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Stipulates that an employer's failure to use E-Verify as required will be treated as a violation of hiring unauthorized immigrants and creates a strong legal assumption that the employer knowingly hired an unauthorized individual.

This provision strengthens the legal consequences for not complying with E-Verify, making it harder for employers to claim ignorance or avoid penalties for unauthorized hiring.

DEADLINES & DATES

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Not later than 7 days after the date of enactment

Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct assessment and designate 'critical employers' list

Not later than 30 days after the Secretary makes such designation

Designated 'critical employers' must participate in E-Verify

On or after the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment

All employers in the United States must participate in E-Verify for all new employees

Not later than 14 days before an employer or class of employers is required to begin participating

Secretary of Homeland Security must provide written notification and training materials for interim mandatory E-Verify participation

PENALTIES & ENFORCEMENT

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TYPE	AMOUNT	WHO
civil	Not less than $2,500 and not more than $5,000 per unauthorized employee for a first offense of hiring or continuing to employ unauthorized immigrants	Employers
civil	Not less than $5,000 and not more than $10,000 per unauthorized employee for a second offense of hiring or continuing to employ unauthorized immigrants	Employers
civil	Not less than $10,000 and not more than $25,000 per unauthorized employee for a third or subsequent offense of hiring or continuing to employ unauthorized immigrants	Employers
civil	Not less than $1,000 and not more than $25,000 for paperwork violations related to employment eligibility verification (e.g., Form I-9 errors)	Employers
administrative	Failure to participate in E-Verify is treated as a violation of continuing to employ unauthorized individuals, and creates a rebuttable presumption of knowingly hiring an unauthorized individual	Employers

GLOSSARY

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E-Verify: An internet-based system operated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that allows employers to electronically confirm the employment eligibility of their employees by comparing information from an employee's Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) against U.S. government records.
Form I-9: A U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services form that all employers in the United States must have employees complete to verify their identity and employment authorization. This form helps to document that an employee is legally authorized to work in the country.
Unauthorized Immigrant: A person who is not a U.S. citizen and does not have legal authorization to reside or work in the United States.
Rebuttable Presumption: A legal assumption made by a court that is considered true unless proven otherwise by evidence. In this context, it means that if an employer fails to use E-Verify, it will be assumed they knowingly hired an unauthorized individual, unless they can provide evidence to the contrary.
Federal Contractor: An individual or company that has entered into an agreement to provide goods or services to the U.S. federal government.
Critical Employers: Employers specifically identified by the Secretary of Homeland Security as being important to the homeland security or national security needs of the United States, who would then be required to use E-Verify.

ACTION TIMELINE

2 EVENTS

MAR 26, 25

Introduced in Senate

INTROREFERRAL

MAR 26, 25

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

INTROREFERRAL

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Judiciary CommitteeReferred

Mar 26, 2025

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Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

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Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

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Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

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Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

DEADLINES & DATES

PENALTIES & ENFORCEMENT

GLOSSARY

ACTION TIMELINE

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