Relating to: the employment eligibility verification program and granting rule-making authority. (FE)
AB 281 requires state agencies and contractors to verify employees' work eligibility through the federal E-Verify program before hiring or awarding government contracts. It prohibits contracts with employers not enrolled in E-Verify or who knowingly hire workers flagged as ineligible by the program. Contracts must include written verification statements, and violations require immediate termination without liability for uncompleted work. The law applies to state procurement, construction, and local government hiring, but stops if the federal E-Verify program ends.
Bill status
vetoed
4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
May 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2026
Assembly Passage
Jan 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
Vetoed
Apr 2026
Introduced May 30, 2025
Vetoed Apr 3, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Bill Text
→
Text as Enrolled
·
5 edits
MODERATE
This bill enacts laws requiring state agencies and local governments to use the federal E-Verify system to confirm the work eligibility of new employees. It also mandates that the state cannot award contracts for goods, services, or construction projects to employers who do not participate in E-Verify or who knowingly hire ineligible individuals. The changes expand the scope of the program to include local governments and add specific definitions and verification requirements to existing statutes.
Scope change
The bill expands the scope of E-Verify requirements from just state agencies to include local governmental units and applies the rules to all state procurement contracts, including construction projects.
REQUIREMENT
Requires local governmental units to verify employee identity using E-Verify before hiring.
Prohibits state agencies from contracting with employers not enrolled in E-Verify or those knowingly hiring ineligible workers.
Amends construction contracting rules to include E-Verify compliance as a condition for awarding contracts.
DEFINITION
Creates new statutory definitions for 'federal employment eligibility verification program' and 'local governmental unit'.
ENFORCEMENT
Mandates that contracts violating E-Verify rules be terminated without liability for the uncompleted portion.
Floor votes · Assembly Jan 13, 2026
How they voted
This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
35
Key actions
5
Committee
5
Apr 3, 2026
Vetoed
Report vetoed by the Governor on 4-3-2026
lower
Mar 17, 2026
Upper · Passed
Read a third time and concurred in
upper
Mar 16, 2026
Upper · Passed
Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2
upper
Mar 16, 2026
Committee
Withdrawn from committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development and rereferred to committee on Senate Organization pursuant to Senate Rule 46(2)(c)
upper
Jan 13, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read a third time and passed, Ayes 54, Noes 45
lower
Jan 8, 2026
Lower · Passed
Placed on calendar 1-13-2026 by Committee on Rules
lower
Oct 8, 2025
Committee
Referred to committee on Rules
lower
Oct 8, 2025
Lower · Passed
Report passage recommended by Committee on Commerce, Ayes 4, Noes 2
lower
May 30, 2025
Introduced
Introduced by Representatives Piwowarczyk, Brill, Brooks, Dittrich, Goeben, Knodl, Kreibich, Maxey, Melotik, Murphy, Mursau, Steffen and Wichgers;
cosponsored by Senators Wimberger, Jagler, Nass and Tomczyk
lower
13 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Barbara Dittrich
RRepublican
P
Chuck Wichgers
RRepublican
P
Dan Knodl
RRepublican
P
Dave Maxey
RRepublican
P
Dave Murphy
RRepublican
P
David Steffen
RRepublican
P
Jeff Mursau
RRepublican
P
Jim Piwowarczyk
RRepublican
P
Joy Goeben
RRepublican
P
Lindee Brill
RRepublican
P
Paul Melotik
RRepublican
P
Rob Brooks
RRepublican
P
Rob Kreibich
RRepublican
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