The Indiana General Assembly, DC Trip, and the A-Team
Submitted by Chris Schrader, SPHR, HR Indiana SHRM Government Affairs Director
The Indiana General Assembly is approaching its final two weeks. The frenetic process to push through amendments to several bills, including SB 7 (elimination of physician non-competition agreements), may lead to the demise of many of them as the calendar grows short.
All the bills that would have caused us problems are dead; most never even got a hearing in Committee.
SB 7 passed the House Employment, Labor, and Pensions Committee last week on a split vote, with both Democrats and Republicans voting against it. The bill now must pass the House and go back to the Senate with amendments that may or may not be acceptable to the Senate. This bill could go either way.
I traveled to Washington, DC, in March to work with the Indiana delegation to Congress on the issue of non-competition agreements (one House bill and one Senate bill) and to express our concern with the FTC attempting rulemaking on the issue. The Indiana delegation is split on the issue, with all Republicans and Democrats opposed to non-competition agreements, but all Republicans, except for Senator Young, opposed to the FTC being the enforcement agency; they favor the Department of Labor. The FTC extended its comment period on rulemaking to eliminate non-compete agreements altogether until April 19.
HR advocates play a critical role in advancing SHRM’s efforts to enhance the visibility of our profession among policymakers, both in their districts and in Washington, D.C.
Joining the SHRM A Team can also be a great way to give back to the HR community. A-Team members work on a variety of projects that benefit the HR profession. This can include advocating for the HR profession on a national scale. A-Team members can positively impact the HR profession by volunteering their time and expertise.
