January 8, 2026 Wide-ranging legislation addresses E-Verify, car accidents, and overseas remittances. Florida businesses that purposely ignore whether employees are legally in the United States could face hefty fines or even criminal charges if they hire more than 50 undocumented immigrants, according to a sweeping new immigration package. Filed Wednesday by Republican Sen. Jonathan Martin, the 34-page bill would presume certain non-citizens are at fault in car accidents, severely restrict...

December 11, 2025 A Florida bill demanding all businesses use a federal database to check employees’ immigration status cleared its final House committee Thursday, despite silence from the Senate. HB 197, co-sponsored by Republican Reps. Berny Jacques and Kiyan Michael, is one of the few bills the House has fast-tracked without a Senate companion. It would expand a 2023 law championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to require all employers — not just public businesses and larger private ones — to use...

October 16, 2025 Rep. Berny Jacques is trying again to pass his bill expanding E-Verify compliance to all private employers. A Florida Republican on Thursday re-filed a bill from last year requiring all private employers to use a federal database verifying whether new hires are legally in the country. Rep. Berny Jacques, a Seminole Republican, issued HB 197 to mandate all private businesses use E-Verify, a federally operated system allowing employers to electronically verify whether new...