Labor; creating the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act; requiring the use of E-Verify by employers. Effective date.
Summary
SB 655 creates the “Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act” and requires most employers in Oklahoma to use the federal E-Verify system when hiring new workers. Employers would have to register for an E-Verify account, provisionally employ new hires until work authorization is confirmed, refuse to keep workers who receive a failed verification notice, and retain verification records for at least three years or for the duration of employment, whichever is longer. The bill exempts employees hired before the effective date and employers not required by federal law to verify work authorization.
The bill also directs the Oklahoma Attorney General to create a complaint system and investigate alleged violations, including anonymous complaints at the Attorney General’s discretion. If a violation is found, the Attorney General would issue a warning for a first violation or a single unauthorized worker, but could impose fines of $2,500 per violation for a second violation or two or more unauthorized workers, and $5,000 per violation for a third or subsequent violation. Repeat violators could also face proceedings to suspend or revoke state-issued licenses, and employers assessed fines would be placed in a database that temporarily bars them from bidding on state contracts.
Impact
SB 655 would add new provisions to Title 40 of the Oklahoma Statutes governing employer hiring practices and immigration-related employment verification. It would expand state-level enforcement of work authorization rules by requiring E-Verify use, creating an Attorney General complaint and investigation process, establishing penalties and appeal procedures, and restricting state contracting eligibility for employers found in violation. It also preempts local governments from adopting ordinances or policies that would limit enforcement of the act.
Sentiment
The available legislative record shows no committee transcript or recorded vote on the bill, so there is no direct evidence of floor or committee debate. Based on the bill’s structure and caption, the measure appears to be framed as an enforcement and immigration-compliance bill, which typically draws support from lawmakers favoring stricter hiring verification and opposition from those concerned about employer burden, administrative costs, and potential impacts on workers and businesses. The bill was referred from second reading to the Economic Development, Workforce and Tourism Committee and then to Appropriations, indicating it was still in the early committee stage.
Contention
The main points of contention are likely to be the mandatory E-Verify requirement, the Attorney General’s enforcement authority, and the penalties for noncompliance. Employers may object to the administrative burden of registering, verifying every new hire, and maintaining records, while critics may also question the complaint-driven enforcement system and the ability to use anonymous complaints. Another likely issue is the bill’s preemption of local ordinances and its restrictions on state contracting for penalized employers, which could be seen as strong enforcement tools. Supporters would likely emphasize preventing unauthorized employment and ensuring compliance with federal immigration law.
Income tax credit; requiring the Department of Human Services and the Oklahoma Health Care Authority verify certain claims by certain applicants; requiring certain entities submit documentation to tax commission for verification of income for parental choice tax credit. Effective date.