Florida lawmakers on Thursday filed a sweeping bill aimed at tightening immigration enforcement across state programs, including a provision that could reshape how workers compensation claims are handled for “unauthorized” workers.
H.B. 1307 would create a statutory definition of “unauthorized alien” and add new compliance requirements for employers and insurers under the state’s workers compensation system. The measure, part of a broader package addressing employment eligibility and verification, would require employers to verify an employee’s work authorization through an “E-Verify” system before submitting a workers comp claim, a mandate that embeds immigration status checks into the insurance claims process.
Under the bill, an employer who hires or employs an unauthorized worker would be personally liable for any medical and treatment costs resulting from an injury to that worker, with no ability to shift those costs to an insurer or another insurer.