# 119-hr-251: Legal Workforce Act

119-hr-251, Legal Workforce Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-41] (R-CA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-30).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-251
- As of: 2026-10-30
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-251
- Congress: 119
- Title: Legal Workforce Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-01-09
- Sponsor: Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-41] (R-CA)
- Cosponsors: 45
- Policy area: Immigration
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-30

## Summary

**Mandatory national E‑Verify for all U.S. hiring.** This bill would create a permanent, nationwide Employment Eligibility Verification process that employers must use for hiring, recruitment, and referrals, with phased deadlines by employer size and rules for document checks and recordkeeping. - Employers: Must use a DHS‑designated attestation form, examine and record approved identity and work‑authorization documents, retain verification records, and follow procedures for tentative and final nonconfirmations; phased deadlines range from 6 months for the largest employers to 24 months for smallest employers (with special rules for agricultural work). - Workers and families: Certain previously hired groups (federal, state, and local government employees, some cleared personnel, and some federal contractors) must be verified within 6 months; the bill adds reverification rules, allows parent/guardian attestations for minors, and creates programs to block or suspend misuse of Social Security numbers. - Government and oversight: It raises civil penalties (including minimums starting at $2,500 and maximums up to $25,000), authorizes contractor debarment, requires SSA and DHS funding agreements, mandates at least 2 identity‑authentication pilots within 24 months, and orders SSA Inspector General audits within 1 year. *Would require the federal government to fund the Social Security Administration's full costs for verification operations and provide an interim funding mechanism, creating an ongoing federal spending obligation.*

## Cosponsors (45)

- Rep. McClintock, Tom [R-CA-5] (R-CA), 2025-01-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1] (D-HI), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5] (R-AZ), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wagner, Ann [R-MO-2] (R-MO), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Biggs, Sheri [R-SC-3] (R-SC), 2025-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gill, Brandon [R-TX-26] (R-TX), 2025-02-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] (R-NJ), 2025-03-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Boebert, Lauren [R-CO-4] (R-CO), 2025-05-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Collins, Mike [R-GA-10] (R-GA), 2025-05-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-11] (R-PA), 2025-07-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Nehls, Troy E. [R-TX-22] (R-TX), 2025-08-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fry, Russell [R-SC-7] (R-SC), 2025-08-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Roy, Chip [R-TX-21] (R-TX), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Davidson, Warren [R-OH-8] (R-OH), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Barr, Andy [R-KY-6] (R-KY), 2025-10-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hunt, Wesley [R-TX-38] (R-TX), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cloud, Michael [R-TX-27] (R-TX), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Rulli, Michael A. [R-OH-6] (R-OH), 2026-10-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fine, Randy [R-FL-6] (R-FL), 2025-10-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wied, Tony [R-WI-8] (R-WI), 2025-11-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Donalds, Byron [R-FL-19] (R-FL), 2025-11-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Brecheen, Josh [R-OK-2] (R-OK), 2025-11-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. DesJarlais, Scott [R-TN-4] (R-TN), 2025-11-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Self, Keith [R-TX-3] (R-TX), 2025-12-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Miller, Mary E. [R-IL-15] (R-IL), 2025-12-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jack, Brian [R-GA-3] (R-GA), 2025-12-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17] (R-FL), 2026-01-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moore, Riley M. [R-WV-2] (R-WV), 2026-01-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cline, Ben [R-VA-6] (R-VA), 2026-02-02T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Strong, Dale W. [R-AL-5] (R-AL), 2026-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McDowell, Addison P. [R-NC-6] (R-NC), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Van Epps, Matt [R-TN-7] (R-TN), 2026-02-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ogles, Andrew [R-TN-5] (R-TN), 2026-02-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Patronis, Jimmy [R-FL-1] (R-FL), 2026-03-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Babin, Brian [R-TX-36] (R-TX), 2026-03-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Perry, Scott [R-PA-10] (R-PA), 2026-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12] (R-FL), 2026-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Letlow, Julia [R-LA-5] (R-LA), 2026-04-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Norman, Ralph [R-SC-5] (R-SC), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moore, Barry [R-AL-1] (R-AL), 2026-04-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Downing, Troy [R-MT-2] (R-MT), 2026-05-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Baumgartner, Michael [R-WA-5] (R-WA), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Van Duyne, Beth [R-TX-24] (R-TX), 2026-07-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McCormick, Richard [R-GA-7] (R-GA), 2026-08-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wilson, Joe [R-SC-2] (R-SC), 2026-09-04T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Stronger protections against SSN and document fraud: benefit, medium. People could block or limit use of a Social Security number in the work‑check system, especially if it looks misused. Victims could suspend their SSN, and parents could suspend a minor’s SSN; some parts may start as pilots. The SSA Inspector General would audit, within 1 year, reports of SSN misuse…
- Higher fines and new protections for employers: mixed, high. Civil penalties for hiring‑verification violations would rise to tiers of $2,500–$5,000, $5,000–$10,000, and $10,000–$25,000 per violation. Paperwork fines could be $1,000 or $25,000, and criminal penalties could reach up to $5,000 per unauthorized worker and up to 18 months in prison. Not using th…
- Nationwide work-eligibility checks and funding: mixed, high. The government would set up a national system to check if new hires can work. Employers could call or use free electronic tools and would get a confirmation or a tentative nonconfirmation within 3 working days. The system would keep inquiry codes and build in privacy and anti-discrimination safegua…
- State enforcement and recruiter rules for hiring: mixed, medium. Federal rules would override state and local laws on hiring and work‑status checks. States could enforce the federal scheme only if they adopt federal regulations, use federal penalty levels, and pay their own costs. An employer could not face both federal and state enforcement for the same violati…
- Clearer list of work and ID documents: mixed, low. The bill would spell out which documents prove both identity and the right to work. Examples include an unexpired U.S. passport, a green card with a photo, an employment authorization card with a photo, and certain foreign passports with a current I‑94. Any new documents allowed by DHS would need a…
- Pilot programs to test worker ID: mixed, low. DHS would launch at least two pilot programs using different identity technologies within 24 months of enactment. Employers could join a pilot and leave after one year without penalty. DHS would report its findings and the chosen technologies to Congress within 12 months after the pilots start.

## Related bills

- 119-hr-425: Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act
- 119-hr-38: Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1628: 761st Tank Battalion Congressional Gold Medal Act
- 119-hr-7651: Chloe Cole Act of 2026
- 119-hr-569: Birthright Citizenship Act of 2025
- 119-hr-987: Fair Access to Banking Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-251 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/251)

## Related
- [119-hr-425: Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-425)
- [119-hr-38: Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-38)
- [119-hr-1628: 761st Tank Battalion Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1628)
- [119-hr-7651: Chloe Cole Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7651)
- [119-hr-569: Birthright Citizenship Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-569)
- [119-hr-987: Fair Access to Banking Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-987)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-251 (as of 2026-10-30).