TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Rep. Berny Jacques filed sweeping legislation Thursday aimed at tightening restrictions on illegal aliens and sharply increasing penalties for employers who hire them, building on a broader Republican effort to eliminate what state leaders describe as incentives for illegal immigration.
Jacques’ proposal, HB 1307, was filed a day after a companion measure was filed in the Senate and comes amid a broader push led by Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia to reform the state’s workers’ compensation laws. Ingoglia has argued that current statutes improperly allow illegal aliens to receive benefits. Together, the measures reflect an intensified effort by Florida Republicans to use financial and employment policies to deter illegal immigration.
“We must remove the magnets for illegal migration and hold those who provide those magnets accountable,” Jacques said in a statement urging lawmakers to support the bill.
A companion measure, SB 1380, was filed on Wednesday by Sen. Jonathan Martin. Martin’s proposal mirrors many of the restrictions in Jacques’ bill, including limits on state benefits and expanded liability for employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens.
Financial and licensing restrictions
HB 1307 would restrict illegal aliens’ access to financial services and state-issued credentials. The bill would:
- Prohibit the Department of Financial Services from issuing licenses to illegal aliens.
- Bar illegal aliens from receiving loans or homeownership assistance
- Prevents them from opening bank accounts in Florida
- Ban illegal aliens from sending remittances from within the state
Employer penalties and verification
The bill also increases penalties for employers who knowingly hire unauthorized workers and requires employers to use the federal E-Verify system before submitting workers’ compensation claims.
Under the proposal, employers would face escalating penalties:
- First violation: One-year suspension of all business licenses and a $10,000 fine per worker who is in the country illegally
- Second violation: Five-year license suspension and fines of up to $100,000 per violation
- Third violation: Permanent license revocation and fines of up to $250,000 per violation
Employers who hire 50 or more unauthorized workers would face a third-degree felony charge and permanent revocation of all licenses.
Workers’ compensation and liability
The legislation mirrors elements of Ingoglia’s workers’ compensation proposal by shifting liability to employers. Under HB 1307, businesses would be personally and fully liable for injuries sustained by unauthorized workers they unlawfully employ, including reimbursement of public funds used for medical care.
Ingoglia has argued that the current workers’ compensation system enables companies to profit from cheap, unauthorized labor while shifting costs onto taxpayers.
“It’s really weird, but our workers comp statute in the state of Florida basically says that the people that are eligible for workers comp include illegal immigrants that are here illegally,” Ingoglia said during a December interview on Florida’s Voice Radio .
Auto insurance and public safety
HB 1307 also introduces a new insurance presumption for traffic accidents. Illegal aliens involved in motor vehicle crashes would automatically be deemed at fault for insurance purposes, unless clear and convincing evidence proves otherwise.
Ingoglia has said similar provisions are needed to close what his office views as loopholes that allow illegal aliens insured in other states to drive on Florida roads.
What’s next
Jacques said HB 1307 represents a “massive leap forward” in curbing illegal immigration, while Ingoglia said his office is conducting a comprehensive review of state statutes to remove policies that may incentivize illegal immigration.
Neither bill has yet been assigned to a committee.