On May 13, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R) signed legislation expanding the state�s requirement for the use of the federal E-Verify system when hiring workers, closes a loophole for project worker identification and imposes severe penalties for violations.
The new law builds upon previous state regulations that required public owners and public works contractors to use E-Verify, and expands the mandate to all businesses with more than 10 employees. The law goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2012, for employers with 500 or more full-time employees, and on July 1, 2012, for firms with between 100 and 499 workers. On July 1, 2013, employers with between 11 and 99 full-time workers will need to comply.