Lobby Day Agenda

1. U.S. IT Staffing Firms Should Continue to have Access to the H-1B Visa Program on the Same Basis as Companies in other Industries
   U.S. IT staffing firms should continue to have access to the H-1B visa program on the same basis as companies in other industries. While TechServe supports legislative efforts to amend the H-1B or other visa programs to permit access to a sufficient number of IT professionals to meet business needs, any such legislation should not discriminate against U.S. IT staffing companies.
   
   
2. The Right of IT Professionals to Provide Services as Independent Contractors Should not be Abridged
   Each IT professional should continue to have the right to provide their services as independent contractors. TechServe opposes any legislation that would restrict the right of an IT professional to deliver their services as an independent contractor.
   
   
3. Controlling the Escalating Cost of Health Insurance
   The annual double digit increases in health insurance premiums is having a crippling affect on employers. While most IT services companies desire to make attractive benefits available to their employees, the cost of health insurance is becoming increasingly prohibitive. Without relief, IT services companies will be forced to curtail the availability of benefits. TechServe supports market-based solutions to address the crisis. It further supports legislative change that would facilitate the availability of affordable health insurance to consultants who offer their services on a temporary basis. Given that a number of policy initiatives related to health insurance and health coverage are emanating from the states, TechServe will monitor state activity in this area to the extent feasible.
   
   
4. Clarification of the Computer Professional Exemption
   As America's technology industry has grown at an extremely fast pace in the last decade, there are literally hundreds of new IT professional occupations including a substantial increase in Internet and World Wide Web occupations. As a result, it is important to resolve any doubt about whether these occupations come within the "computer professional" exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Consequently, TechServe strongly supports the effort to clarify the "computer professional" exemption.
   
   
5. Increased Educational and Training Opportunities in IT for U.S. Workers
   As has been well documented, long-term, the U.S. faces a shortage of highly skilled technical professionals. TechServe supports public policy initiatives that seek to increase the availability and attractiveness of education and training for U.S. workers in high-tech fields. In addition to the importance of these efforts to the U.S. economy as a whole, a qualified workforce, which is able to meet current and future IT needs, is critical to the continued success of the IT services industry.

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