TechServe Alliance 2013 Legislative Agenda
- U.S. IT & Engineering Staffing and Solutions 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 Alliance supports legislative efforts to amend the H-1B or other visa programs to permit access to a sufficient number of IT and engineering professionals to meet business needs, any such legislation should not discriminate against U.S. IT & engineering staffing and solutions companies.
- 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 Alliance strongly supports the effort to clarify the "computer professional" exemption.
- Unduly Burdensome Regulations and Government Mandates Should Not Be Imposed on U.S. IT & Engineering Staffing and Solutions Companies
As U.S. IT & engineering staffing and solutions firms deliver services to their clients, they create a significant number of highly-skilled highly-paid jobs in the United States. While welcoming the opportunity to compete on a level playing field, we urge lawmakers to refrain from imposing unduly burdensome regulations and government mandates that would place the industry at a competitive disadvantage and put U.S. jobs at risk. In that vein, TechServe Alliance opposes any effort to restrict the right of IT and engineering professionals to provide their services in any lawful manner, including as independent contractors. Further, while we support market-based solutions to issues such as escalating health insurance cots, we oppose government mandates that would materially increase the cost of firms doing business in the United States.
- Increased Educational and Training Opportunities in IT & Engineering for U.S. Workers
As has been well documented, long-term, the U.S. faces a shortage of highly skilled technical professionals. TechServe Alliance 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 and engineering needs, is critical to the continued success of the IT & engineering staffing and solutions industry.
