Indiana’s Senate Enrolled Act 76 took effect July 1, letting the attorney general pursue employers that knowingly hire or keep unauthorized workers and seek escalating penalties up to permanent loss of operating authorizations.
That law builds in a safe-harbor style defense: employers can show “reasonable diligence” by using E-Verify or industry-standard checks, and generally get notice and a chance to prove compliance before an initial action.
Oregon’s House Bill 4111, effective June 5, bars employers from firing, discriminating against or retaliating against workers who lawfully update federal work-authorization documents, while preserving employers’ duty to meet federal verification rules.
The Oregon measure also restricts use of immigration-status evidence in civil cases, allowing it only in limited circumstances and requiring confidential filings and in-camera judicial review.
Together, the laws show how states are increasingly shaping employer duties around a single federal I-9 framework—Indiana emphasizing enforcement against employers, Oregon emphasizing worker protections.