Key issues of importance to HR professionals will be at the forefront of consideration in the second term of the 109th Congress, federal agencies, and the courts. The outcome on key issues such as the solvency of Social Security, initiatives to reform the employment-based immigration system, as well as effort to quality outcomes in health care coverage, could dramatically affect the workplace. The presentation will discuss legislative issues in these areas as well as provide an up-to-date discussion on current federal regulatory and judicial activity.

Do you long for more HR and management training but worry about your limited budget? Growing your skills and developing your staff can occur in many ways. Join us for this interactive session on professional career development. We promise you will leave with ideas and options you can use -- and maybe a few ways to 'sell' your boss on sending you to that coveted seminar too. Career growth is within your reach, learn how.

HRA-NCA is pleased to announce that, in cooperation with WACABA and WEB, in 2006 HRA-NCA will significantly expand the policy, practices and benefits section of the questionnaire and will be publishing HRA-NCA's first 2006 Benefits Survey Report to be released in June 2006. This publication will be offered separately or in combination with the 2006 Compensation Report which will continue to provide data on more than 300 jobs. Participation materials will be mailed around March 1, 2006. Please be on the lookout for additional information about the Benefits Survey.

Want to attend all or part of the SHRM Conference in 2006 for free? The world's largest HR conference and exposition is coming to Washington, D.C. June 25-28, 2006. It’ll be held at the new Washington D.C. Convention Center and it’s going to be great. But before anyone can attend and benefit from this great conference, we need hundreds of volunteers to help make it happen! Why help? In addition to knowing you’ve given back something to the profession, you’ll get one free conference day for every six hours of on-site volunteering.

It's just one of the many useful HR resources HRA- NCA offers. Check out the latest article by Henry A. Platt, "New Reporting and Recordkeeping Obligations for HR: DOL Issues Guidance on LM-10 Employer Reporting and Disclosure Requirements."

You may look up these and other members' information in the HRA - NCA online membership directory, using various search categories. Log in through the "Member Login" on the HRA - NCA Web site home page. Keep your membership record up-to- date so we don't lose touch!

Please join us in welcoming these new members to the HRA-NCA group.

HRA-NCA invites organizations to sponsor our newsletter - or any of the following: monthly speaker presentations, our Web site, special events, etc. Interested? Contact Bob Corlett, HRA-NCA's Vice President, Marketing and Community Relations, or access our information on the Web site. For this issue, sincere thanks to the following sponsor.

The Performance Institute
The Performance Institute's 2005-2006 Human Capital Management Course catalog is now available! This comprehensive series of courses is designed to assist in human capital planning, succession planning, employee performance evaluation and key HR management issues. This is the only HR certification program designed exclusively for government. Recruit, retain, motivate and deploy a quality government workforce! Download the full course catalog at www.PerformanceWeb.org/HR5