Rep. Lamar Smith reintroduced the Legal Workforce Act, H.R. 3711, a bill that would require all employers to use E-Verify within two years. Smith believes that by expanding the E-Verify system, jobs will only go to legal workers. The Legal Workforce Act repeals the current paper-based I-9 system and phases in mandatory E-Verify participation for new hires in six-month increments. It also requires that employees performing “agricultural labor of services” are only subject to the check within 30 months of the date of enactment. The bill preempts duplicative state laws mandating E-Verify use but retains the ability of states and localities to condition business licenses. It also protects against identity theft by allowing individuals to lock their social security number.
