Bill > HF259

This bill establishes new regulations regarding the employment of unauthorized individuals in Minnesota, creating a comprehensive framework to prevent employers from knowingly hiring workers who do not have legal authorization to work in the United States. The bill defines key terms such as "employee," "employer," and "unauthorized individual," and mandates that employers cannot knowingly employ individuals without legal work authorization. The Minnesota commissioner of labor and industry is empowered to investigate potential violations and enforce the law through significant penalties, which include ordering employers to terminate employment of unauthorized individuals and suspending the employer's business licenses for up to 14 business days. Employers can be fined between $1,000 and $10,000 per violation, with the specific penalty amount determined by factors like prior misconduct, duration of the violation, and number of unauthorized workers employed. The bill provides a legal defense mechanism where employers who use the e-verify program to verify employment authorization can create a rebuttable presumption that they did not knowingly employ unauthorized workers, thus offering a potential safe harbor for compliant employers.

Labor and Employment

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF0259&ssn=0&y=2025