As an HR professional, your voice provides a unique perspective that your member of Congress may not have considered. By joining forces with other HR professionals, you directly affect the outcome of pending legislation and regulations. Your actions will ultimately benefit employers and employees all across the nation.

Mission

• Promote an understanding of current HR public policy to our membership
  • Communicate and educate
• Communicate public policy alerts and SHRM policy and position statements to all DC SHRM members
  
• Increase value to organizations through awareness and participation in the legislative process
  
  • Encourage employees to become active

Goals

• Partner with the Governmental Affairs Department to achieve the strategic public policy objectives of the HR profession.
  
• Partner with the SHRM Governmental Affairs staff to develop and implement a public policy agenda and goals for your chapter.
  
• Serve as the key contact for all public policy activities for the chapter.
  
• Monitor and evaluate pending state and local public policy issues that may impact the HR profession.
  
• Work with Governmental Affairs staff to prepare and distribute regular summaries and status reports of pending public policy issues to your chapter members.
  
• Assist chapters in developing and hosting regular legislative activities.
  
• Incorporate public policy activities into each of your chapter programs such as offering brief public policy updates, demonstrations on using HRVoice, or hosting elected officials at one of your chapter meetings.

Do I Have To Be a Political Expert?

No. SHRM makes it easy for HR professionals to make a difference, with easy to use tools to help you stay informed and help educate Members of Congress on the issues important to our profession.

How Does It Work?

SHRM members should visit the SHRM Governmental Affairs web page and send an e-mail or letter to your Congressional representatives on any or all of the sample letters that are listed. If you do not know who your member of Congress is, just enter your zip code to find out. Additionally, take a moment to review the legislative fact sheets. Then, be ready to respond to legislative alerts that you may receive from DC SHRM and SHRM. It is that easy.

If you have questions about how you can get involved in legislative issues, please contact DC SHRM at info@dcshrm.org.  

Local Government Agencies and Contacts

Following is a list of local, state, and federal agencies. Recent legal and regulatory issues are addressed at these sites. It is worth your time to brief yourself on these sites and on the current and pending issues these agencies manage and oversee.

• District of Columbia - Department of Employment Services
• District of Columbia - Office of Human Rights
• Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation
• Maryland General Assembly
• Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)
  
• Virginia General Assembly
• Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission