Washington State’s Pierce County has approved a resolution which will require most private employers seeking business with the county to use E-Verify. Under the new law, the county will also participate in E-Verify and ensure that all of its new hires are run through the system.

The ordinance (2009-74s) specifies that businesses must confirm they are enrolled in E-Verify if they are seeking county public works contracts worth more than $100,000 or any other County contract in excess of $25,000. The law also exempts contracts that involve work outside of the U.S; last less than 120 days; or relate to commercially available off-the-shelf items (COTS).

One final note: the law also indicates that the County must include specific written notice in all relevant requests for bids or proposals that contractors may be required to enroll in the E-Verify program as a condition of award.  Contractors are exempt from the requirement if they receive requests for bids or proposals not containing such notice.