Oklahoma Employment Eligibility and Wage Protection Act

This Act requires every Oklahoma employer to use a standardized electronic employment-eligibility verification process for each newly hired employee, in accordance with applicable federal law, and to retain verification records as required by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission. An employer that knowingly employs an unauthorized worker, or knowingly uses immigration-document discrepancies to withhold wages, reduce lawful compensation, or retaliate against an employee, shall be subject to civil penalties, back-pay orders, and other enforcement authorized by state law. The Act shall provide a reasonable compliance period, protect good-faith employers from penalties for technical errors, and prohibit discrimination or retaliation based solely on a worker’s participation in the verification process.