Resent bipartisan agreements on the budget and other issues may signal that the gridlock that has gripped Washington in recent years may be lessoning. This new environment may push HR issues, such as deficit reduction, tax reform, and immigration reform, to the forefront of activity as the 113th Congress and the Obama administration begin to focus on the 2014 mid-term elections. Additionally, the workplace regulatory agenda is expected to take center stage in 2014 as many labor-management, wage and hour, health care and civil rights initiatives are expected to be advanced by the federal agencies. This session will focus on upcoming HR legislative issues and provide a discussion of current federal regulatory activities.