{"id":117261,"date":"2026-01-14T03:07:25","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T03:07:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/117261\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T03:07:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T03:07:25","slug":"immigration-bills-to-watch-during-floridas-2026-session","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/117261\/","title":{"rendered":"Immigration bills to watch during Florida’s 2026 session"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Protests against President Trump\u2019s immigration policies (Orlando, Feb. 8) Credit: Photo by Mauricio Murillo<\/p>\n

Heading into the Florida Legislature\u2019s 2026 session, quashing illegal immigration remains a headlining agenda item for Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-dominated state House and Senate.<\/p>\n

Here are some of the bills to keep an eye on.<\/p>\n

SB 1380\/HB 1307<\/p>\n

Sponsored by Sen. Jonathan Martin and Rep. Berny Jacques, these bills represent the\u00a0largest immigration package<\/a>\u00a0filed so far for this session.<\/p>\n

The provisions include:<\/p>\n

Fines for employers who ignore their workers\u2019 documentation status.
\nCriminal charges for hiring more than 50 undocumented immigrants.
\nRebuttable presumption that undocumented out-of-state drivers are at-fault in car accidents.
\nDenying undocumented immigrants bank loans.
\nRequires law enforcement investigating car accidents to verify whether the parties are legally in the country.
\nBans translators or interpreters in licensing procedures.
\nCreates penalties for failing to use E-Verify ahead of submitting worker compensation claims.<\/p>\n

SB 1542<\/p>\n

Very similar to Martin\u2019s \u00a0and Jacques\u2019 legislation, this bill was\u00a0filed<\/a>\u00a0Friday by Sen. Jason Pizzo, an independent. His bill would create fines for employers who fail to use E-Verify at all \u2014 not just those who don\u2019t do so in filing workers\u2019 compensation claims.<\/p>\n

It would also require law enforcement to use E-Verify to investigate a detained person\u2019s immigration status, and bans businesses that have violated the bill from ever receiving any public contract in the future with any public agency in this state.<\/p>\n

SB 1052<\/p>\n

Filed by Sen. Erin Grall, this bill instructs public colleges and universities to\u00a0exclusively admit<\/a>\u00a0students who are \u201ccitizen[s] of the United States\u201d or \u201clawfully present therein.\u201d<\/p>\n

It would prevent migrants illegally in the country from participating in state-funded adult general education programs, which include classes for GED and English as a second language that help \u201cadult learners gain the knowledge and skills they need to enter and succeed in postsecondary education.\u201d<\/p>\n

HB 197\/SB 1278<\/p>\n

Proposed by Rep. Berny Jacques and Sen. Jonathan Martin, these bills require every business to use\u00a0E-Verify<\/a>, a federal database verifying a worker\u2019s immigration status.<\/p>\n

This expands a 2023 law that mandated E-Verify for public employers and businesses with at least 25 employees. Now, all businesses regardless of private\/public status or number of employees must use the database, the bill says.<\/p>\n

HB 991<\/p>\n

Sponsored by Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka and Rep. Dana Trabulsy, this bill would\u00a0require<\/a>\u00a0new Florida voters to show proof of U.S. citizenship.<\/p>\n

The measure also:<\/p>\n

Requires documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.
\nMandates that the Florida Department of State review existing voter registrations for citizenship status and forward names to supervisors of elections to request proof of eligibility from voters.
\nRequires driver\u2019s licenses and state ID cards to display citizenship status.
\nExpands information-sharing on citizenship status between the Department of State, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV), and jury coordinators.
\nCreates a new post-election audit process.
\nMakes changes to the recount process.
\nMakes new restrictions on campaign contributions from foreign nationals<\/p>\n

HB 985<\/p>\n

Filed by Rep. Berny Jacques, this bill is very similar to Persons-Mulicka\u2019s bill.<\/p>\n

The measure:<\/p>\n

Requires election supervisors to verify citizenship status by using the Systemic Alien Verification for Entitlements or \u201cSAVE\u201d program administered by the\u00a0U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services<\/a>.
\nMandates election supervisors \u201cwho have determined that false affirmations have been made on a voter registration application\u201d to refer the application to the Florida Office of Election Crimes and Security.
\nInformation received by the DHSMV indicating that a registered voter has received a driver\u2019s license in another state \u201cshall be considered a written request from the voter to have his or her name removed from the statewide voter registration system.\u201d
\nNarrows the list of IDs that can be used at the polls.
\nAdds new requirements for voters who registered using a Florida ID.
\nExpands the use of provisional ballots for voters whose citizenship can\u2019t be verified.
\nCreates additional steps for vote-by-mail requests.
\nFlorida IDs and driver licenses issued to non-citizens must be marked \u201cNC\u201d on the front.<\/p>\n

Florida Phoenix<\/a>\u00a0is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Contact Michael Moline for questions:\u00a0info@floridaphoenix.com<\/a>. Follow Florida Phoenix on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Subscribe to Orlando Weekly newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n

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