Florida Senate - 2026                                    SB 1278
       
       
        
       By Senator Martin
       
       
       
       
       
       33-00741-26                                           20261278__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to employment eligibility; amending s.
    3         448.095, F.S.; requiring that all private employers,
    4         rather than only those employing more than a specified
    5         number of employees, use the E-Verify system to verify
    6         a new employee’s employment eligibility beginning on a
    7         specified date; conforming provisions to changes made
    8         by the act; providing an effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section
   13  448.095, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   14         448.095 Employment eligibility.—
   15         (2) EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION.—
   16         (b)1. A public agency shall use the E-Verify system to
   17  verify a new employee’s employment eligibility as required under
   18  paragraph (a).
   19         2. Beginning on July 1, 2026 2023, a private employer with
   20  25 or more employees shall use the E-Verify system to verify a
   21  new employee’s employment eligibility as required under
   22  paragraph (a).
   23         3. Each employer required to use the E-Verify system under
   24  this paragraph must certify on its first return each calendar
   25  year to the tax service provider that it is in compliance with
   26  this section when making contributions to or reimbursing the
   27  state’s unemployment compensation or reemployment assistance
   28  system. An employer that voluntarily uses the E-Verify system
   29  may also make such a certification on its first return each
   30  calendar year in order to document such use.
   31         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.