The Senate Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development Committee on Wednesday approved a substantially different version of legislation that requires verification of Alabama employers’ use of the federal E-Verify system.

Legislation by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, initially would have required businesses to sign a standardized affidavit stating they use the federal program for screening new employees before they could receive a local business license or permit from a county or municipality.

The substitute version of SB107 requires employers to certify they are using the E-Verify program as part of their business privilege tax return. The certification would be necessary for the taxpayer to comply with their business privilege tax filing obligations.

Orr’s motivation for proposing the legislation is to increase the percentage of Alabama employers screening their new hires through the federal program as is already required by state law, he told lawmakers in 2019, when he first proposed the idea.

Under current law, all Alabama employers with one or more employees must enroll in the E-Verify program. Sole proprietors with no employees are the only exception. Every new employee in Alabama, no matter their nationality or place of birth, must be deemed employable under that U.S. Department of Homeland Security program. Alabama’s law has been in place since April of 2012.

>> Visit E-Verify page at alabamaretail.org

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