The following is a summary of the legislative and regulatory news for the weeks of May 31 and June 7, 2009:

Agency Changes

The Senate HELP Committee has approved the nomination of Jane Oates to lead the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA).

President Obama has announced his intent to nominate Harry Hoglander to serve another term on the National Mediation Board (NMB).

Discrimination in the Workplace

The House of Representatives has passed the Wounded Veteran Job Security Act (H.R. 466), a bill that would prohibit acts of discrimination and reprisal against an employee who is absent from work to receive medical treatment for a service-connected illness, injury, or disability.

Health Care

The Promoting Health Care Purchasing Cooperatives Act – a bill that would promote the formation of health care cooperatives for business health insurance pooling – was introduced.

The DOL’s Administrative Review Board (ARB) has upheld a decision that hospitals that provide medical services to federal employees through an HMO are covered subcontractors under the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) jurisdiction.

Immigration

A new bill, the Employee Verification Amendment Act of 2009, would extend E-Verify through September 2014. In addition, the federal government has once again postponed the implementation date of a rule that would require certain federal contractors and subcontractors to use the E-Verify program.

Labor/Management Relations

The Rewarding Achievement and Incentivizing Successful Employees Act (RAISE Act) was introduced in both the House and Senate. This bill would amend the NLRA to allow employers to award individual employees with financial incentives beyond that established by a collective bargaining agreement.

Additionally, the Truth in Employment Act, which was also introduced in both houses of Congress, would amend the NLRA to allow employers to refuse to hire undercover union organizers, commonly known as “salts.”