Rep. Berny Jacques is seeking to revive his legislation to expand E-Verify to all businesses after his similar bill last Session died in the Senate.

Jacques’ new measure ( HB 197 ) took a step forward as the House Commerce Committee advanced it with a 16-5 vote. That was the final committee stop in the House, but no Senate companion bill has been filed so far.

Under a 2023 law, large businesses with at least 25 employees or more are already required to use E-Verify to confirm their employees’ immigration statuses. But efforts to expand the law to cover smaller businesses haven’t gotten the political will to clear the full Legislature.

Last Session, the House passed Jacques’ bill in April before it stalled in the upper chamber.

Jacques, a Seminole Republican, argue

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