State Rep. Karl E. Gillespie has introduced legislation designed to bolster North Carolina’s E-Verify program and enhance protections for workers who report potential violations, information from the North Carolina State House shows.
Filed as HB 1214 on April 30 during the 2025 regular session, the bill carries the short title: ‘Make E-Verify Great Again.’
The summary below draws from the actual bill text and includes explanations to clarify some of its components.
The proposal seeks to expand E-Verify mandates in North Carolina by lowering the employee threshold for private businesses to five or more and specifically includes state agencies, counties and municipalities. It clarifies that employers acting in good faith are protected from penalties if they unknowingly accept difficult-to-spot fraudulent documents, authorizes both random and risk-based compliance audits, establishes a 30-day window to address first-time violations before civil penalties are enforced, raises fines for repeated violations, allocates penalty revenue to the Civil Penalty and Forfeiture Fund, mandates public posting of orders for violations, and strengthens protections for workers who report potential E-Verify issues. Provisions largely take effect upon enactment, with major enforcement and anti-retaliation sections beginning Oct. 1, 2026, and funding for five additional enforcement staff effective July 1, 2026.
Among the bill’s three sponsors, Neal Jackson introduced the highest number of bills—47—during the 2025 regular session.
Legislation in North Carolina proceeds through a multi-stage approval process. A lawmaker first files a bill, which is then referred to a committee for consideration. Each legislative chamber must read the bill three times. Should one chamber revise the bill after passage in the other, the final version must receive agreement from both. Following joint approval, the bill is sent to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is out of session) to sign, veto or allow it to become law without endorsement.
Further details on ongoing bills and measures can be found here.
Gillespie, a Republican, joined the North Carolina State House in 2021, representing the 120th House district after succeeding Kevin Corbin.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karl E. Gillespie, Ben T. Moss, Jr., and Neal Jackson | HB 1214 | 04/30/2026 | Make E-Verify Great Again. |
| Karl E. Gillespie, Howard Penny, Jr., Jeffrey C. McNeely, and Jonathan L. Almond | HB 1154 | 04/30/2026 | Expand the FarmSHARE Food Hub Program. |
| Karl E. Gillespie, Jennifer Balkcom, John R. Bell, IV, and Matthew Winslow | HB 895 | 04/10/2025 | Emergency Citizen Pilot Training Program. |
| Karl E. Gillespie, Celeste C. Cairns, Phil Shepard, and Steve Tyson | HB 869 | 04/09/2025 | Dynamic Symbol of Access. |
| Karl E. Gillespie, Jeff Zenger, Mark Brody, and Matthew Winslow | HB 876 | 04/09/2025 | Development Application Review Time Lines. |
| Karl E. Gillespie, Blair Eddins, Jennifer Balkcom, and Neal Jackson | HB 647 | 04/01/2025 | Ag. PUV Conservation. |
| Karl E. Gillespie, Donna McDowell White, and Larry W. Potts | HB 590 | 03/31/2025 | Patient Safety/Med. Imaging/Radiation Therapy. |
| Karl E. Gillespie, Julia C. Howard, Kyle Hall, and Mitchell S. Setzer | HB 559 | 03/27/2025 | Make Elevators Great Again.-AB |
| Karl E. Gillespie, Cody Huneycutt, Donny Lambeth, and Edward C. Goodwin | HB 512 | 03/25/2025 | Emer. Care/Animals/Vet. Practice. |
| Karl E. Gillespie, Cody Huneycutt, Donnie Loftis, and Howard Penny, Jr. | HB 471 | 03/20/2025 | Food Labeling Transparency Act. |
| Karl E. Gillespie, Donna McDowell White, Timothy Reeder, MD, and Tricia Ann Cotham | HB 433 | 03/18/2025 | Registered Nurses in Schools. |
| Karl E. Gillespie, Cody Huneycutt, Harry Warren, and Jeff Zenger | HB 381 | 03/12/2025 | On-Site Wastewater System Amendments. |
| Karl E. Gillespie, Brian Turner, Cody Huneycutt, and John R. Bell, IV | HB 382 | 03/12/2025 | Elk Permit Auction/Raffle. |
| Karl E. Gillespie, Brenden H. Jones, Frank Iler, and Steve Tyson | HB 295 | 03/05/2025 | Req. DOT to Install Prop. Corner Markers. |
| Karl E. Gillespie, A. Reece Pyrtle, Jr., Carson Smith, and Charles W. Miller | HB 300 | 03/05/2025 | Vet Care for Retired First Responder Dogs. |
| Karl E. Gillespie, Carson Smith, Jay Adams, and Keith Kidwell | HB 234 | 02/26/2025 | Little Federal Model NC Edition. |
| Karl E. Gillespie, Jennifer Balkcom, John R. Bell, IV, and John Sauls | HB 177 | 02/24/2025 | Reduce Barriers to State Employment. |
| Karl E. Gillespie, Dudley Greene, Howard Penny, Jr., and Mark Brody | HB 184 | 02/24/2025 | Promote North Carolina Sawmills. |
| Karl E. Gillespie, Carla D. Cunningham, Donna McDowell White, and Larry W. Potts | HB 160 | 02/21/2025 | Joel H. Crisp SUDEP Awareness Law. |
| Karl E. Gillespie, Jennifer Balkcom, Jimmy Dixon, and Neal Jackson | HB 62 | 02/05/2025 | Farmers Protection Act. |
| Karl E. Gillespie | HB 63 | 02/05/2025 | Town of Andrews/Deannexation. |
