§ 41-8-20 — South Carolina employment licenses; federal work authorization program; requirements for verification of new employees; assistance to employers; contractors and subcontractors.

(A) All private employers in South Carolina shall be imputed a South Carolina employment license, which permits a private employer to employ a person in this State. A private employer may not employ a person unless the private employer's South Carolina employment license and any other applicable licenses as defined in Section 41-8-10 are in effect and are not suspended or revoked. A private employer's employment license shall remain in effect provided the private employer complies with the provisions of this chapter. (B) All private employers who are required by federal law to complete and maintain federal employment eligibility verification forms or documents must register and participate in the E-Verify federal work authorization program, or its successor, to verify the work authorization of every new employee within three business days after employing a new employee. A private employer who does not comply with the requirements of this subsection violates the private employer's licenses. (C) The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce shall provide private employers with technical advice and electronic access to the E-Verify federal work authorization program's website for the sole purpose of registering and participating in the program. (D) Private employers shall employ provisionally a new employee until the new employee's work authorization has been verified pursuant to this section. A private employer shall submit a new employee's name and information for verification even if the new employee's employment is terminated less than three business days after becoming employed. If a new employee's work authorization is not verified by the federal work authorization program, a private employer must not employ, continue to employ, or reemploy the new employee. (E) To assist private employers in understanding the requirements of this chapter, the director shall send written notice of the requirements of this section to all South Carolina employers, and shall publish the information contained in the notice on its website. Nothing in this section shall create a legal requirement that any private employer receive actual notice of the requirements of this chapter through written notice from the director, nor create any legal defense for failure to receive notice. (F) If a private employer is a contractor, the private employer shall maintain the contact phone numbers of all subcontractors and sub-subcontractors performing services for the private employer. The private employer shall provide the contact phone numbers or a contact phone number, as applicable, to the director pursuant to an audit or investigation within seventy-two hours of the director's request.

Legislative History

HISTORY: 2008 Act No. 280, SECTION 19, eff June 4, 2008; 2011 Act No. 69, SECTION 9, eff January 1, 2012. Effect of Amendment The 2011 amendment rewrote the section.