Family Economic Success

NCSL Publications and Resources 

Updated July 2008

 Family Economic Success Homepage

Areas of Interest

Affordable Housing | Asset Building | Business Development | Child and Family Well-Being | Earned Income Tax Credit | Economic Development | Financial Services | Health, Human Services and Transportation | Labor and Workforce Development | Tax

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Copies of publications can be ordered by contacting the NSCL Publications Order Department.

Affordable Housing

Publications

• "State Housing Task Forces: Comprehensive and Coordinated Initiatives." NCSL, by Cathy Atkins.
• "Individual Development Accounts: How Legislators Can Use IDAs as a Tool to Increase Homeownership and Promote Asset Development." NCSL, August 2005, by Rochelle Finzel.
• "Section 8 or Housing Assistance for Needy Families: What's in a Name?" NCSL, August 2003, by Cathy Atkins.
• "State Roles in the Future of Affordable Housing - Some Recommendations by the Millennial Housing Commission." NCSL, June 2003, by Cathy Atkins.
• "Financial Literacy and Homeownership Education: Building Assets for Minority and Immigrant Communities." NCSL, March 2003, by David Lawson.
• "Affordable Housing: Issues and Trends." NCSL, State Legislative Report, November 2002 (Vol. 27, No. 18), by Cathy Atkins.
• "Affordable Housing: What Does the Future Hold?" NCSL, Annual Meeting, 2002 (Audio Recording).
• "This is the House the Legislature Built." NCSL, State Legislatures, September 2001, by Cheryl Runyon and Cathy Atkins.
• "Teachers' Low-Interest Loans Promote 'Smart Growth'." NCSL, State Legislatures, July/August 2000.

Resources

• State Housing Legislation Database
• 2007 State Committees that Deal with Housing Issues.

Asset Building

Publications

• "Asset Building: A New Approach." NCSL, State Legislatures, June 2008, by Josh Lohmer
• "Growing a Middle Class." NCSL, State Legislatures, October/November 2006, by Josh Lohmer.
• "Individual Development Accounts: How Legislators Can Use IDAs as a Tool to Increase Homeownership and Promote Asset Development." NCSL, August 2005, by Rochelle Finzel.
• "Helping the Poor Save." NCSL, State Legislatures, October/November 2004.
• "Financial Literacy and Homeownership Education: Building Assets for Minority and Immigrant Communities." NCSL, March 2003, by David Lawson.
• "Fighting Poverty with Individual Development Accounts." NCSL, LegisBrief, February 2003 (Vol. 11, No. 7), by Monica Kearns and Andrea Wilkins.

Business Development

Publications

• "The Trickle-Up Trend." NCSL, State Legislatures, March 2007, by Josh Lohmer.
• "Revolving Loan Funds for Small Business Development." NCSL, LegisBrief, January 2006 (Vol. 14, No. 1), by Ian Pulsipher.
• "Minority-Owned Business Development." NCSL, LegisBrief, June/July 2004 (Vol. 12, No. 28), by Ian Pulsipher.
• "Microenterprise Development." NCSL, LegisBrief, March 2004 (Vol. 12, No. 17), by Ian Pulsipher.
• "From Poverty to Business Owner." NCSL, State Legislatures, March 2004.

Child and Family Well-Being

Publications

• "State Child Welfare Legislation 2006." NCSL, December 2007.
• "How are the Kids?" NCSL, State Legislatures, December 2007.
• "Replenishing Our Food Deserts." NCSL, State Legislatures, September 2007, by Mark Winne. 
• "Our Children's Well-Being." NCSL, State Legislatures, January 2006.
• "How are the Kids?" NCSL, State Legislatures, 2005.
• "Family Support: Strategies to Strengthen Families." NCSL, LegisBrief, June/July 2003 (Vol. 11, No. 26), by Teresa Myers and Jody Ruskamp-Hatz.
• "A Different Landscape: Rural Poverty in America." NCSL, State Legislatures, April 2003.

Earned Income Tax Credit

Publications

• "Split Refunds Help Save." NCSL, Trends and Transitions, April 2008.
• "Closing the Income Gap: Federal Tax Credits for Working Families." NCSL, March 2007, by Christine Nelson. 
• "EITC: Money for the Working Poor." NCSL, State Legislatures, April 2005.
• "Federal EITC: What Legislators Want to Know." NCSL, March 2005.
• "Poor Families Need to Know About Federal Tax Credits." NCSL, State Legislatures, March 2003.

Resources

• Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC).
• 2008 EITC Legislation

Economic Development

Publications

• "Measuring Economic Development: The Innovation Index." NCSL, March 2008.
• "The Upward Looking." NSCL, State Legislatures, December 2007, by Josh Lohmer.
• "Community Development Corporations." NCSL, January 2006, by Ian Pulsipher.
• "Enterprise Zones: Development for Distressed Communities." NCSL, LegisBrief, October 2005 (Vol. 13, No. 38), by Ian Pulsipher.
• "Zoning in on Distressed Communities." NCSL, State Legislatures, May 2005.
• "Evaluating Enterprise Zones." NCSL, May 2005, by Ian Pulsipher.
• "Promoting Economic Development in Vulnerable Communities." NCSL, May 2003, by Monica Kearns.

Financial Services

Publications

• "State Foreclosure Solutions." NCSL, LegisBrief, January 2008 (Vol. 16, No. 1), by Heather Morton
• "Financially Fit Students." NCSL, State Legislatures, May 2007, by Jane Carroll Andrade.
• "Financial Literacy: Personal Finance Education." NCSL, February 2006, by Shelby Dennis, Michelle Exstrom, Heather Morton and Sara Vitaska.
• "Financial Literacy Tools for Young People with Disabilities." NCSL, LegisBrief, October 2005 (Vol. 13, No. 39), by Diana Hinton Noel.
• "Financial Literacy." NCSL, A Primer for Policymakers, April 2005, by Heather Morton.
• "No Bank, No Rank." NCSL, State Legislatures, October/November 2004, by Heather Morton.
• "Financial Literacy and Homeownership Education: Building Assets for Minority and Immigrant Communities." NCSL, March 2003, by David Lawson.
• "Payday Lending." NCSL, LegisBrief, April/May 2002 (Vol. 10, No. 20), by Heather Morton.
• "Predatory Lending." NCSL, LegisBrief, January 2002 (Vol. 10, No. 1), by David Lawson.

Resources

• Financial Literacy: State Legislation.
• Payday Lending: Current State Laws.
• Payday Lending: State Legislation.
• Predatory Mortgage Lending: Current State Laws.
• Predatory Mortgage Lending: State Legislation.

Health, Human Services & Transportation

Publications

• "Yielding to Transportation Needs." NCSL, State Legislatures, September 2007, by Matt Sundeen.
• "The Transportation Needs Crisis: Is Coordination the Solution?" NCSL, Legisbrief, June/July 2007 (Vol. 15, No. 30), by Matt Sundeen.
• "Universal Health Care." NCSL, LegisBrief, April/May 2007 (Vol. 15, No. 21), by Laura Tobler.
• "State Human Services Organization: Strategies for Improving Results." NCSL, April 2006, by Susan Robison.
• "Thinking Outside 'the Silo': State Seeks Ways to Integrate Health, Human Services." NCSL, State Health Notes, May 2003.
• "Food Stamps: Serving the Working Poor." NCSL, LegisBrief, January 2002 (Vol. 10, No. 2), by Lee Posey.
• "Improving Children's Lives: A Tool Kit for Positive Results." NCSL, April 2001, by Susan Robison.

Resources

• Access to Healthcare and The Uninsured.
  • 2007-2008 Universal Health Reform Bills 
  • 2007 Universal Health Reform Bills
  • Comprehensive Reforms, State Examples
• Access 2008 Web-Assisted Audioconferences.
• The Changing Definition of 'Dependent': Who is Insured and For How Long?
• States Use of Medicaid Dollars to Cover the Uninsured.
• Critical Health Areas Project (CHAP): Healthcare Access.
  • Healthcare Access Tutorials.
• 2006-2007 Fair Share Health Care Fund Or 'Pay of Play' Bills: Can State Mandate Employer Health Insurance Benefits?
• States and Small Business Health Insurance: An Overview.
• State Programs to Subsidize or Reduce the Cost of Health Insurance for Small Businesses and Individuals.

Labor and Workforce Development

Publications

• "Workforce Development and the States." NCSL, June 2007, by Michelle Larson-Krieg.
• "Minimum Wage." NCSL, LegisBrief, March 2007 (Vol. 15, No. 13), by Jeanne Mejeur and Gerri Madrid-Davis.
• "Workforce Development Staff Competencies." NCSL, LegisBrief, January 2006 (Vol. 14, No. 5), by Diana Hinton Noel.
• "Minimum Wage Wars." NCSL, State Legislatures, June 2005.
• "Strengthening Workers, Families and Businesses: The Vital Role of Workforce Training." NCSL, A Primer for Policymakers, April 2005, by Justin Marks and Jeanne Mejeur.

Resources

• State Minimum Wages
• Labor and Employment Resources
  • 2007 State Minimum Wage Legislation
  • 2006 State Minimum Wage Legislation 
  • 2007 Living Wage Legislation
  • 2006 Living Wage Legislation
  • 2007 Equal Pay Bills
  • State Workforce Development Initiatives
  • Workforce Development Agencies Annual Reports and Strategic Plans (by state) 
  • 2006 Prevailing Wage Legislation

Tax

Publications

• "Sales Tax Relief for Working Families." NCSL, LegisBrief, February 2006 (Vol. 14, No. 8), by Mandy Rafool.

Family Economic Success

This project is a partnership of the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The NCSL contact is Mary Fairchild.

Featured Publications

• State Foreclosure Solutions
• Financially Fit Students
• Universal Health Care
• Federal Tax Credits for Working Families 
• The Trickle-Up Trend
• Minimum Wage
• Growing A Middle Class  
• Asset Building  

Featured NCSL Web Resources    

• Opportunities For Working Families
• State Housing Committees
• Access to Health Care and the Uninsured
• NCSL Critical Health Areas Project (CHAP)

Legislative Bill Tracking Resources

• Financial Literacy
• 2008 EITC Legislation
• Payday Lending
• Predatory Mortgage Lending
• Labor & Employment
• 50-State Legislative Tracking Web Resources

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