Dive Brief:
- Democrats and Republicans submitted two important HR-related bills in the U.S. Senate this week.
- Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) introduced the Protecting America’s Workers Act, which proposes significant amendments to the 45-year-old Occupational Safety and Health law.
- Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced legislation that would permanently authorize and require all employers to use the E-Verify program to check that new hires are eligible to work in the United States.
Dive Insight:
According to SHRM, on the worker safety front, the bill from Democrats would, among other things, expand OSH Act coverage to public-sector workers; increase penalties, including making felony charges available for certain repeat or willful violations; amend the general duty clause to include all workers on a worksite, including contractors; and guarantee workers and families the right to meet with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigators.
The GOP bill would make E-Verify mandatory for all employers within one year, require use on current employees within three years, and allow for use on prospective workers.
The E-Verify program is currently voluntary for most employers, except in some states and for federal contractors. The online system compares workers’ Form I-9 information to Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security data to make sure they have U.S. work authorization.
The E-Verify program is due to expire on Sept. 30, 2015.
