TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) – Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture is supporting efforts to close a loophole by requiring all employers in the state to use E-Verify to ensure workers are in the country legally.
Lawmakers are considering requiring all employers in Florida to use E-Verify, a national program that verifies someone is allowed to work in the U.S. Businesses with 25 or more employees have been required to use E-Verify since 2023.
During a news conference in Jackson County this week, Commissioner Wilton Simpson said there are federal programs to help employers get the legal workers they need.
“We need to make sure we are protecting our farmers in this state. That’s what we do at the Department of Agriculture,” Simpson said. “Anything we can assist our farmers on, especially through the federal government with the H2A program to bring in the labor they need to do these jobs. That’s what we need to do. Legal labor for these jobs.”
The bill passed its first committee in the House last week. The Senate is not currently considering the expansion, though that could change as more bills are filed for the upcoming legislative session.
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