Monday, August 14

8:30 am - 5:30 pm

Task Forces and Staff Sections

The entire nation is burdened with high energy prices due to natural disasters, infrastructure constraints and demand growth. The questions are: How do we move forward?  And what should the nation's energy mix look like in 2050?  Working with energy experts, summit participants will develop Action Items that they can use to develop their own energy strategies, while at the same time providing a framework for national efforts in this area. The nation is poised to discover and embrace new approaches to meeting our energy needs.  Come be a part of developing a vision for America’s energy future.

Steering Committee
Boyou C/D - Level M (Mezzanine)

Presiding: Senator Don Balfour, Georgia, Chair, NCSL Standing Committees
Margaret Piety, Staff Attorney, Legislative Services Agency, Indiana, Staff Chair, NCSL Standing Committees 

Committee Dinner 

Sponsored by BIO

Tuesday, August 15

Continental Breakfast

Committee Time
(Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center -- Canal E)

Financing BioFuels
(Canal E)

The Committee will hear about investment strategies to bring capital to biofuel industries, including opportunities from the private sector along with potential opportunites available from the federal government.

Presiding:
Representative Jeff Kropf, Oregon and Chair, Agriculture & Rural Development Committee, NCSL

Speakers:
W. Bruce Crain, Crain Consulting, Jackson, MS
Jack Gleason, Deputy Under Secretary, Rural Business and Cooperatives Program, USDA, Washington, DC

Farm Bill Session: Rural Strategic Investment Program
(Canal E)

This session will review the innovative public-private partnership program in the rural title of the 2002 Farm Bill, and efforts to fund this effort for the 2007 Farm Bill.

Presiding: Representative Carl Gatto, Alaska

Speaker: Chuck Fluharty, Director, Rural Policy Research Institute, Columbia, MO

Farm Bill Session: Agricultural Trade Update
(Canal E)

The Committee will hear an update on activities by USDA and USTR regarding the WTO Agreement on Agriculture, along with an update on the recent collapse of the Doha Round of Trade talks.

Presiding: Representative Al Juhnke, Minnesota

Speaker: Gregg Young, Director, International Trade Policy, Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA, Washington, D.C.

Farm Bill Session: Key Players in the Farm Bill
(Canal E)

The 2007 Farm Bill is fast approaching, and many players have begun determining their lobbying positions for their interests.  This session will hear from several interest groups to hear how they plan to address the upcoming Farm Bill in light of trade and budgetary restrictions.

Presiding: Representative Jeff Kropf, Oregon and Chair, Agriculture & Rural Development Committee, NCSL

Speakers: 
Dave Ladd, AgriBank, St. Paul, MN
Dr. Gary Adams, National Cotton Council, Memphis, TN
Dale Thorenson, American Soybean Association, Washington, DC

Standing Committee Session
(Canal E)

Biotechnology - Future Developments

Biotechnology continues to make enormous scientific achievements.  New developments in seed production and animals may lead to further oversight by state and federal regulators.  This session review new technologies, and the efforts to provide regulatory oversight.

Presiding:  Sam Burr, Vermont and Staff Chair, Agriculture & Rural Development Committee, NCSL

Speakers:
Rebecca Bech, Biotechnology Regulatory Services, USDA, Washington, DC
Barbara Glenn, Biotechnology Information Organization, Washington, DC

Committee Business Meeting
(Canal E)

The Committee will review the Farm Bill Policy, the Agricultural Trade Policy and the Intellectual Property Policy.

Presiding: Representative Jeff Kropf, Oregon and Chair, Agriculture & Rural Development Committee, NCSL

Speaker:
Lee Posey, Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, NCSL

Steering Committee
Delta Ballroom B - Level 2

Presiding: Senator Don Balfour, Georgia, Chair, NCSL Standing Committees
Margaret Piety, Staff Attorney, Legislative Services Agency, Indiana, Staff Chair, NCSL Standing Committees 

Welcome Reception - Music City Country Fair
Country Music Hall of Fame

Tennessee will showcase its famous Southern hospitality and capture the spirit of a Music City Country Fair. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Hall of Fame Park will be open exclusively to NCSL attendees, who will be submerged in the history of America's own country legends, including Patsy Cline, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles and Loretta Lynn. Come out to the Country Fair for a big Music City welcome!  Continuous shuttle service available from certain locations.

Wednesday, August 16

7:00 am - 6:00 pm

Registration

General Session Breakfast 
(Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center -- Delta Ballroom A )

Speaker: Doris Kearns Goodwin, Boston, Massachusetts

Joint Committee Session
Delta Ballroom B - Level 2

Joint with Agriculture and Rural Development and Environment and Natural Resources Committee

Interplay Between Federal and State Renewable Fuel Requirements

In the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the U.S. Congress included a renewable fuel mandate and incentives. At the same time, a number of states have moved forward with their own renewable fuel requirements and incentives. How do the federal and state standards interact with one another? With the increased demand for ethanol and biodiesel spur more active industry involvement in product standards? 

Panelists: Bob Schaefer, BP Global Fuels Technology, Illinois
Alexander Karsner, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, DOE, Washington, DC
Paul Argyropoulos, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.

Healthy Food Choices in a Hungry World - Lunch Session (Flyer)
(Delta Island A/B/C)

Hunger and the need for a healthy diet remain a problem in both the developed and developing world.  Food  may be abundant in some parts of the world, but nutritious foods too often are scarce, unattainable or misunderstood. How can people attain the pleasures of eating well while making wise food choices using science-based and realistic information?  The session will learn of ways the world can maintain a healthy and enjoyable diet for people in both the developed and developing world.

Speaker: Mary Lee Chin, MS, RD,  Nutrition Edge Communications, Denver, CO

NCSL gratefully acknowledges the support of Monsanto and the International Food Information Council for this event.

Healthy People, Healthy Places
Pres. Boardroom A -- Level M (Mezzanine) Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center

Homes, schools, workplaces and health care facilities need to be healthy and safe environments to promote the wellbeing of the people who live, work and learn in them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working with states to promote health and safety in these places. Attendees will learn how this new effort will affect states and will have the opportunity to help CDC develop its focus in this area.

Moderators: Senator Beverly Gard, Indiana
Senator Pat Dougherty, Missouri

Speaker: Chris Kochtitsky, National Center for Environmental Health, CDC

Boston Promotional Event: A Taste of the Bay State

States' Night

Thursday, August 17

8:00 am - 1:00 pm

Registration

Concurrent Session: Finding Funding for Rural Development
Jackson A/B

Rural economic development offers strategies for communities transitioning from an agricultural, natural resource or manufacturing economy.  Many state legislatures have adopted policies that promote rural economic development, but discovered that government lacks funds to support such programs.  Without funds, many of these policies suffer and fail to aid to rural constituents.  This session will explore innovative approaches to funding rural economic development with organizations that have designed successful strategies to access private and other sources of funding.  

Moderator: Senator Steve Morris, Kansas 

Speakers: Jeff Yost, Executive Director, Nebraska Community Foundation, Lincoln, NE
Jack Gleason, Deputy Under Secretary, Rural Business and Cooperatives Program, USDA, Washington, DC
Peggy Hathaway, Senator Max Baucus' Office, Washington, DC

Business Meeting 
Delta Ballroom C - Level 2

Presiding: Senator Don Balfour, Georgia, Chair, NCSL Standing Committees
Senator Steven Rauschenberger, Illinois, President, NCSL

 Legislative Staff Luncheon

Democrats Luncheon

Republicans Luncheon 

Tennessee Center Stage

Starring LeAnn Rimes
Legislative Plaza 

Friday, August 18

8:30 am - 10:00 am

Closing General Session Breakfast
(Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center -- Delta Lobby A )

Special Briefing: ABC's of Public Health Preparedness - Avian Flu, Bioterrorism, and other Calamities
(Delta D)

With this year's record hurricane season, high-profile concern about a potential avian flu pandemic, and lingering fears of bioterrorism; emergency planning remains a top priority for states.  This session reviews lessons learned from recent natural disasters and covers current plans to prevent the spread of avian flu as an example of public health preparedness.  

Moderator: Angela Monson, Past President, NCSL

Speakers:
Dr. John Agwunobi, Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC
Kathryn Condello, Research Associate, George Mason University School of Law, Arlington, VA
Dr. Ron Wilson, State Veterinarian, Nashville, TN
Senator Richard Moore, Massachusetts and Co-Chair, NCSL Task Force on Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
Senator Michael Balboni, New York and Co-Chair, Task Force on Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness