U.S. Department of Homeland Security to Rescind Social Security “No Match” Rule
On July 8, 2009, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano announced DHS’ intention to rescind the Social Security “No-Match” rule, which has never been implemented and has been blocked by court order, in favor of the more modern and effective E-Verify system. No official notice has yet been published, but DHS is expected to propose a new regulation rescinding the 2007 “No-Match” rule.
The declaration came as Secretary Napolitano also announced that DHS would support a regulation that awards federal contracts only to employers who use E-Verify to check employment eligibility.
Presently, implementation of the regulation requiring certain federal government contractors and subcontractors to enroll and participate in E-Verify system has been delayed until September 8, 2009. The rule will only affect federal contractors who are awarded a new contract after September 8, 2009 that includes the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) E-Verify clause. Federal contractors may NOT use E-Verify to verify current employees until the rule becomes effective and they are awarded a contract that includes the FAR E-Verify Clause.
The new rule implements Executive Order 12989, as amended by President George W. Bush on June 6, 2008, directing federal agencies to require that federal contractors agree to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their employees. The amended Executive Order reinforces the policy, first announced in 1996, that the federal government does business with companies that have a legal workforce. This new rule requires federal contractors to agree, through language inserted into their federal contracts, to use E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all persons hired during a contract term, and to confirm the employment eligibility of federal contractors’ current employees who perform contract services for the federal government within the United States.