Legal Workforce Act

This bill would require all U.S. employers to use one national online system to check if new hires are allowed to work. It is modeled on E‑Verify and would replace it. Employers must collect a new hire’s Social Security or U.S. passport number, review allowed ID documents, and run the check during hiring. The system gives an initial answer in about three business days and has a set process to fix any mismatches. If an employer uses the photo tool, they must match the ID photo and the worker’s face. The system cannot be used as a national ID card and must protect privacy.

It rolls out in steps by employer size, with more time for farm jobs. Workers with time‑limited permission must be rechecked shortly after their work papers expire. Some current workers in government or at sensitive sites must be checked within six months. To fight identity theft, Social Security will alert people if their number is used in unusual ways and can lock numbers that are misused; parents can also lock a child’s number. Employers who follow the rules in good faith get legal protection, but there are tougher civil fines and a criminal penalty for repeat violations. The bill sets one national rule and blocks conflicting state or local rules. It also requires audits to spot identity misuse.

• Who is affected

  • All employers and recruiters, and workers they hire or refer.
  • Parents and guardians who want to protect a child’s Social Security number.
  • Farm employers and workers, with special timing rules.
  • States and cities (they must follow the national rule, but can use business licensing to penalize noncompliance).

• What changes

  • Mandatory use of a national verification system for new hires, with acceptable ID lists and photo matching.
  • Rechecks after a worker’s authorization expires; targeted checks of some current workers.
  • Identity‑theft protections: alerts and the ability to lock misused Social Security numbers (including for minors).
  • Good‑faith protections for employers; tougher fines and a criminal penalty for patterns of illegal hiring.

• When

  • New‑hire checks start on this schedule: 6 months (10,000+ employees), 12 months (500–9,999), 18 months (20–499), 24 months (1–19). Farm jobs have 30 months.
  • Rechecks for workers with time‑limited permission follow a similar schedule and must happen within three business days after their work papers expire.
  • Certain current government and sensitive‑site workers must be checked within six months.