Bill > SB1922

This bill mandates that starting July 1, 2026, all state and local government employers in Tennessee must use the federal E-Verify program to confirm the work authorization status of every new hire, with a grace period for those already using a third-party vendor until January 1, 2027. E-Verify is a system operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that checks employment eligibility. Employers will be required to keep records of these verifications. The bill also empowers the Tennessee Attorney General and Reporter to investigate any local government or Local Education Agency (LEA) that fails to comply with this requirement and, in the case of local governments, to seek the withholding of all state funds, including state-shared taxes, allocated to them as a penalty for non-compliance.