Smith’s E-Verify bill advances in House

The House Judiciary Committee approved a bill on Wednesday introduced by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) that would ensure jobs are only made available to those legally authorized to work in the United States.

The proposed bill would require employers to check the work eligibility of all future hires through the E-Verify system.

“The E-Verify system is quick and effective, confirming 99.7 percent of work-eligible employees,” Smith said. “The nationwide use of E-Verify will help address the flow of illegal immigration by ensuring that employers hire legal workers.”

E-Verify was created in 1996. It is a web-based system that checks the Social Security numbers or alien identification numbers of new hires against Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security records to eliminate fraudulent numbers and help ensure that new hires are genuinely eligible to work in the United States.

At least 450,000 employers in the United States currently volunteer to use E-Verify.

Additional provisions in Smith’s proposed bill include the repeal of the current paper-based I-9 system and replaces it with a completely electronic work eligibility check. It would also allow individuals to lock their Social Security number so it cannot be used by another person to get a job.

The proposed legislation would, in addition, grant employers a safe harbor from prosecution if they use the E-Verify program in good faith and receive an incorrect eligibility confirmation.