Bill Sponsor
House Bill 1399
116th Congress(2019-2020)
Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act
Introduced
Introduced
Introduced in House on Feb 27, 2019
Overview
Text
Sponsor
Introduced
Feb 27, 2019
Latest Action
Apr 8, 2019
Origin Chamber
House
Type
Bill
Bill
The primary form of legislative measure used to propose law. Depending on the chamber of origin, bills begin with a designation of either H.R. or S. Joint resolution is another form of legislative measure used to propose law.
Bill Number
1399
Congress
116
Policy Area
Immigration
Immigration
Primary focus of measure is administration of immigration and naturalization matters; immigration enforcement procedures; refugees and asylum policies; travel and residence documentation; foreign labor; benefits for immigrants. Measures concerning smuggling and trafficking of persons may fall under Crime and Law Enforcement policy area. Measures concerning refugees may fall under International Affairs policy area.
Sponsorship by Party
Republican
Alabama
Republican
Arizona
Republican
California
Republican
California
Republican
California
Republican
Florida
Republican
Florida
Republican
Maryland
Republican
Mississippi
Republican
North Carolina
Republican
Pennsylvania
Republican
South Carolina
Republican
South Carolina
House Votes (0)
Senate Votes (0)
No House votes have been held for this bill.
Summary

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 (USCIS) shall generate weekly reports about individuals who have received a final non-confirmation 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 (ICE). 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.

Text (1)
February 27, 2019
Actions (3)
04/08/2019
Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.
02/27/2019
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
02/27/2019
Introduced in House
Public Record
Record Updated
Nov 1, 2022 4:47:41 PM