House Passes Bill Reauthorizing E-Verify System
By a vote of 407-2, the House has passed HR 6633, a measure that includes a five-year extension of E-Verify, a voluntary online system through which employers check the legal status of new workers. Otherwise known as the "basic pilot program," E-Verify is scheduled to expire later this year. The measure, introduced in July, recognizes that the federal government must develop a mandatory system of employee identification within five years or less that operates uniformly across all 50 states.
Many business groups prefer a three-year extension, while another bill (HR 5596) would provide for a 10-year extension. The measure keeps E-Verify voluntary, although some states have adopted it as mandatory.
The measure now goes to the Senate.