Florida House Bill 1307 was introduced, proposing several changes to state policy, including provisions that could affect eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits in certain situations involving immigration status.

According to the bill, if an employer does not verify an employee’s work authorization through an E-Verify system before submitting a workers’ comp claim then such a claim may not be covered by an insurer, requiring the employer to be financially liable for care. The bill also includes additional provisions that establish penalties for employers who do not comply with the verification and documentation requirements.

Meanwhile, New Jersey Senate Bill 1521 was introduced, which would exclude undocumented immigrants from receiving workers’ comp and temporary disability benefits if injured on the job. According to the bill, only those “they were lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time the employment was performed, were lawfully present for the purpose of performing the employment, or otherwise were permanently residing in the United States under color of law at the time the employment was performed” would be eligible for benefits.