Chair:
Vice Chair:
Staff Chair:
Staff Vice Chairs:

NCSL Contacts:

Representative Linda Evans Parlette, Washington
Representative Dave Heaton, Iowa
Jack Hailey, California
Kurt DeWeese, Illinois
Jennifer Roccos, Michigan
Mary Fairchild, Barbara Houlik

8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

Registration

8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Staff Sections & Ancillary Groups

1:00 p.m.-2:45 p.m.

Focusing on Long-Term Welfare Cases
Substance abuse, physical disabilities and depression are among the challenges that preclude some people from moving off welfare. Some recipients need intensive and continuing services to help them overcome these problems; others may never be able to support their families without continued cash assistance. This session will focus on state approaches to provide assistance within the structure of time limits, hardship exemptions, and other programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

Nobody's Children: Improving Services and Outcomes for Seriously Troubled Youth
Increasing numbers of difficult to serve adolescents are entering public systems that are ill equipped to address their needs. These youth present multiple problems including emotional disturbance and mental illness, substance abuse, dysfunctional family histories, and routine behavior problems at school and with the law. They are in the child welfare system, the juvenile justice system and on the streets. This session will examine this issue and identify effective policy strategies to deal with intensely troubled youth.

4: 45 p.m.-6:00 p.m.

ASI Steering Committee

6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Opening Reception at the Hyatt Regency Hotel

8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

Registration

8:00 a.m. 9:30 a.m.

Opening Plenary Breakfast
Join William Schneider, one of the country's leading political commentators, for an informative discussion about the 2000 elections and the impact they will have on the states. Mr. Schneider is the political analyst for CNN, a resident at the American Enterprise Institute, author of the weekly column, "Political Pulse," distributed by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, and a contributing editor to the Los Angeles Times, National Journal and The Atlantic.

9:45 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Overview of Major Health Legislation Enacted During the 106^th Congress/ Preview of Pending Issues for the 107^th Congress
Joint with AFI Health Committee
This session will review the major legislative and regulatory initiatives of the 106^th and will also briefly review likely initiatives for the 107^th Congress. This session will include a review of the 2000 Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP amendments and legislative and regulatory Medicaid/SCHIP initiatives adopted independently of the omnibus legislation.

11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m.

Federal Flexibility Issues Under Medicaid and SCHIP
(Box lunches provided)
States have gained increased flexibility under Medicaid in the past several years to cover additional uninsured people and to manage their programs. The SCHIP program also enables states to cover additional uninsured children, but states continue to seek clarification about their flexibility to expand coverage to family members or other children. This session will feature a discussion with key federal officials who will share information and field questions about these programs and other federal initiatives related to increasing access to health care for the uninsured.

1:30 p.m.-3:15 p.m.

Welfare Reform Reauthorization: Starting the Process
Joint with AFI Human Services Committee

2:45 p.m.-3:15 p.m.

Roundtable on State TANF Innovations - Part I
Joint with AFI Human Services Committee

3:15 p.m.-3:30 p.m.

Break

3:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

Roundtable on State TANF Innovations - Part II
Joint with AFI Human Services Committee

4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

New Federal Oversight of Child Welfare: What Legislators Need to Know
Joint with AFI Human Services Committee
New federal regulations will hold states accountable for producing positive outcomes in the areas of child safety, permanency and well being. This session will present information and focus on what legislators need to know about the new child welfare monitoring scheme called the Child and Family Services Reviews.

6:15 p.m.-7:45 p.m.

Reception in the Senate Caucus Room, U.S. Capitol

7:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Registration

7:30 a.m.-10:45 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

Special Briefings

10:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Business Meeting

12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.

Closing Plenary Lunch - The Presidential Transition
Find out how the change in administration is going-staffing positions and developing policy initiatives. A leader of the new president's transition team will outline its plan and the progress it has made so far.

2:00 p.m.

AFI/ASI Adjourns