Indiana & Alabama Legislatures Approve E-Verify Legislation
The Indiana House and both chambers of the Alabama legislature have approved legislation that would require businesses in the state to use E-Verify. The bill approved in Indiana is the tougher of the two, requiring most employers to check new hires through E-Verify, while the Alabama bill requires limited use of E-Verify.
In Indiana, the House passed version includes a verification check for individuals applying for welfare benefits, but it stripped out Senate-passed language that authorized local police officers to check the immigration status of individuals they suspected of being in the country illegally.
In Alabama, both the House and Senate passed bills that would allow police officers to check immigration status, but the provisions on E-Verify have a significant difference. The House-passed bill requires businesses with at least 25 employees to use E-Verify, but the Senate-passed bill only requires businesses that contract with the state or receive grants from the state to use E-Verify.