The Tennessee Lawful Employment Law Act (E-Verify Act) was recently amended in an effort to minimize the compliance burden on small businesses and strengthen the authority of the Tennessee Department of Labor (TDOL) to pursue violators.  Effective January 1, 2017, private employers with at least 50 employees are required to enroll in the E-Verify program and use the system to verify employment eligibility for newly hired workers.  In addition, the amendment authorizes the TDOL to pursue employers that knowingly violate the E-Verify Act.