Governmental Affairs
As Human Resource Professionals, we are often called upon to not only follow employment laws, but interpret them and apply them to our workplaces. More than that, we are often called upon to respond to and give opinions of upcoming laws that will affect the ways that we do our jobs. We do that through letter writing campaigns, contacting our elected officials, and even attending legislative conferences in Austin and Washington, D.C.
As a basis for our profession, the various types of new and changed legislation that comes from Washington, D.C, Austin, and El Paso affect us greatly. Our 2012 Governmental Affairs Director, Melissa Carrillo, is constantly watching and communicating news to our membership. If you have anything you would like to share, please contact Melissa at melcarrillo@epcounty.com.
SHRM 2012 Employment Law & Legislative Conference
The SHRM 2012 EMPLOYMENT LAW & LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE provides you with the information you need to stay informed about the latest legislative issues pending at the federal and state level, as well as compliance and regulatory issues that affect how you conduct your day-to-day HR business.
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Capitol Hill Update
 House Committee Approves SHRM-supported Labor Relations Bill
On Oct. 26, the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce approved the Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act (H.R. 3094). The bill is a response to two recent National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) actions. [ More ]
Regulatory Developments
SHRM Voices Concerns with Affirmative Action Enforcement Letter
Last week, SHRM and the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) sent a letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) expressing serious concerns about proposed changes in federal affirmative action enforcement. [ More ]
Workplace Flexibility
SHRM’s Workplace Flexibility Efforts Get a Boost
Earlier this year, SHRM formed a strategic partnership with the Families and Work Institute (FWI) to educate HR professionals and their organizations about the important business benefits of an effective and flexible workplace. [ More ]
2011 SHRM Leadership Conference
Over 400 SHRM Volunteer Leaders to Canvass Capitol Hill
Later this month, a record 400 or more SHRM volunteer leaders and members of the SHRM Advocacy Team (A-Team) will spread across Capitol Hill for meetings with members of Congress and their staffs. [ More ]
November 8 - Election Day 2011
Don't Forget To Vote!
While this year is an 'off election year' for Federal and most state legislators, voters will go to the polls on Tuesday to decide the outcome of a handul of state legislatures, along with thousands of county and local seats across the country. Please make every effort to exercise your constitutional right and vote this Election Day - November 8!
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RM / HR-related Bills in Texas Legislature
Click here to review an updated list of HR-related bills going through the Texas Legislature.
Click here to review a long list of Risk Management and Human Resources-related bills set to go through the Texas Legislature this year.
Federal Legislative Alert
ADAAA Final Rule Issued
Today, the final rule implementing the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act (ADAAA) is available to the public online and scheduled to be printed in the Federal Register tomorrow.
Although SHRM is still analyzing the text of the final rule, a quick review indicates that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) made several important improvements to the regulation to address concerns raised by SHRM and other stakeholder groups. In its comments to the EEOC, SHRM had highlighted specific areas where we believe the proposed regulation exceeded the intent of Congress. In particular, SHRM is pleased that the final rule:
Reinstates language to clarify that "disability" remains an individualized determination;
Reinstates other basic concepts of the ADA including definition of the major life activity of "working" and use of "condition, manner, and duration" when trying to determine disability; and,
Removes an unnecessary "clarification" prohibiting employers from taking action based on a "symptom" of impairment under the "regarded as" clause of the statute.
The proposed rule, released in 2009, was delayed while newly-appointed Commissioners reviewed both the proposed regulation and comments received from the public in response to the rule. SHRM commends the leadership shown by the Commission in this review that resulted in bipartisan, 4-1 approval, of the final rule.
Click HERE to read the online version of the final rule at the National Archives public inspection desk.
Click HERE to read SHRM's comments to the 2009 proposed rule.
SHRM's 2011 Governmental Affairs Best Practices
- In coordination with the SHRM Government Affairs (GA) department and in support of the SHRM Advocacy Team initiative, develop and implement a chapter outreach program to establish/enhance relationships with state and federal elected officials. Chapters are strongly encouraged to coordinate such efforts with the GA’s Senior Associate for Member Advocacy, ensuring consistency of SHRM’s messaging on current HR public policy matters.
- Develop and implement (or maintain) an information sharing campaign to engage your members in the legislative process, which include tactics such as:
- Presenting, at least quarterly, a legislative update at chapter meetings
- Providing, at least quarterly, a legislative update in the chapter newsletter (either online or print)
- A chapter representative attends the SHRM Employment Law & Legislative Conference and participates in the Capitol Hill Advocacy Day:
- Reporting back to the chapter on the conference and the Capitol Hill Advocacy Day is a great way to include the members in the experience.
- Share what you learned on your Hill visit through your update column in the newsletter or in your update at the chapter meeting.
To learn more about SHRM Governmental Affairs Advocacy, please click here.