Comptroller Huffines Requires E-Verify for Every Entity Receiving State Grant Money
(AUSTIN) — Texas Comptroller Don Huffines today took an unprecedented step to require all recipients of state grant funds to use the federal E-Verify system and comply fully with U.S. immigration law throughout the duration of their agreements. The rules ensure taxpayer dollars do not subsidize the hiring of unauthorized workers or support organizations that ignore federal immigration law.
During the performance review of the Comptroller's office that Huffines launched in August, it was discovered that no previous Comptroller had ensured that the agency's contractors and grant recipients comply with state and federal immigration laws. Huffines is closing that gap.
"Texans work hard for their money, and their tax dollars will never subsidize illegal aliens taking jobs from Texans," Huffines said. "If you want state funding, you will verify every hire and follow federal immigration law. This helps ensure legal workers get fair wages."
Under the new rules, any entity receiving state grant funds must certify that it will:
- Use the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s E‑Verify system to confirm the employment eligibility of all applicable personnel.
- Not knowingly employ unauthorized workers.
- Maintain strict compliance with all federal immigration laws for the entire term of the grant.
- Immediately notify the Comptroller’s office upon discovering any violation related to employment eligibility or immigration compliance.
These requirements will be standard terms in future grants administered by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The agency will incorporate the E-Verify and immigration-compliance certifications into its solicitations and agreements going forward. The Comptroller's office is writing immediate-termination authority into its agreements to enforce the certification.
The rules are part of Huffines' Taxpayer First Project, the most significant reform of tax administration at this agency in decades, built on fairness, transparency, and respect for the taxpayer. The direction Huffines has set for the entire agency and every program it administers is simple: Put Texans first. It is your money, not the government's. The rules are the latest in a series of new standard terms Huffines is writing into Comptroller contracts and grants to protect taxpayers and enforce Texas law. More will be announced in the coming weeks.
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