Standing Committee on

Agriculture & Rural Development

Chair
Representative Maxine Bell, Idaho
Vice Chairs
Representative Jeff Kropf, Oregon
Senator Steve Morris, Kansas
Senator Larry Mumper, Ohio
Representative Clay Pope, Oklahoma
Representative Roger Thomas, Kentucky
Staff Chair
Bobby Gierisch, Texas
Staff Vice Chair
Barry Denk, Pennsylvania

Thursday, April 24, 2003

7:30 am - 5:30 pm
Beacon Hill Room, Fourth Floor

Preconference Seminar

How Can Rural Development and Health and Human Services Improve Small Communities? The Role for States
Convened by NCSL with support from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) Office of Rural Health Policy (There is no additional registration fee for this seminar.)

7:30 am - 8:30 am

Continental Breakfast and Registration

8:30 am - 8:45 am

Welcome

Speakers:

• Tim Henderson, National Conference of State Legislatures, District of Columbia
• Marcia Brand, HRSA's Office of Rural Health Policy, Maryland

8:45 am - 9:30 am

Strengthening Rural Families: The Importance of Economic Security

Speaker:

• Miriam Shark, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Maryland

9:30 am - 11:00 am

Rural Development and Health Care: Improving the Quality of Life in Small Communities

Speakers:

• Representative Ken Svedjan, North Dakota (Invited)
• Gerald Doekson, Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma
• Bobby Gierisch, Professional Staff, Texas House of Representatives, Texas
• Sam Tessen, Texas Office of Rural Community Affairs, Texas

11:00 am - 11:15 am

Break

11:15 am - 1:00 pm

The Current Federal Climate for Health and Human Services: Implications for Rural Communities

Speakers:

• Joy Wilson, Senior Committee Director, NCSL Standing Committee on Health, District of Columbia
• Sheri Steisel, Senior Committee Director, NCSL Standing Committee on Human Services & Welfare, District of Columbia
• Marcia Brand, HRSA's Office of Rural Health Policy, Maryland
• Dianne McSwain, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, District of Columbia

Lunch

1:15 pm - 2:45 pm

Economic Incentives to Strengthen the Rural Workforce: Opportunities for Improving Health and Human Services

Speakers:

• Evelyn Torkelson, Spokane, Washington Deaconess Medical Center and Washington Rural Development Council Board, Washington
• Valerie Hepburn, Georgia Department of Community Health, Georgia
• Karen Love, Houston-Galveston Area Workforce Council, Texas
• Andrea Aguiar, Illinois Rural Families Program, Illinois

2:45 pm - 3:00 pm

Break

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Models for Improving Financial Access to Health and Human Services in Rural Areas

Speakers:

• Doug Howard, Consultant, Doug Howard Consulting, Michigan
• Rebecca Pasternik-Ikard, Oklahoma Health Care Authority, Oklahoma

4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Reception

11:00 am - 6:00 pm
Exeter Foyer

Forum Registration

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Cambridge Room, Fourth Floor

NCSL Standing Committee Steering Committee Meeting

All Standing Committee Officers should attend.

Friday, April 25, 2003

7:00 am - 6:00 pm
Exeter Foyer

Registration

8:00 am - 9:30 am
Georgian Room, Mezzanine

Plenary Breakfast: State Fiscal Conditions

The budget challenges facing state legislatures this year are unprecedented. Hear about the latest economic trends and how state legislatures are coping with these tight fiscal times.

Speakers:

• Lynn Browne, Executive Vice President and Economic Advisor, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Massachusetts
• Corina Eckl, Group Director, Fiscal Affairs Program, National Conference of State Legislatures, Colorado
• Speaker of the House Thomas M. Finneran, Massachusetts
• Senator Lana Oleen, Senate Majority Leader, Kansas

9:45 am - 11:15 am
Clarendon Room, Mezzanine

Keeping State Budgets Afloat
(Joint session with Budgets & Revenue; Education; and Economic Development, Trade & Cultural Affairs Committees)

Many states are dealing with the most disturbing fiscal conditions in a decade, presenting policymakers with both opportunities and significant challenges. How are these being handled? Don't miss this roundtable discussion of the latest approaches for dealing with state budget gaps.

Facilitator:

• Corina Eckl, Group Director, Fiscal Affairs Program, National Conference of State Legislatures, Colorado

11:30 am - 1:00 pm
St. James Room, Fourth Floor

• State-Federal Policies for Consideration: Rural Strategic Investment Program Action Calendar Resolution, Rural Policy, Agricultrual Trade, Intellectual Property Rights in Publicly-Funded Research
• Federal Update
• Roundtable Discussion
• Planning for Annual Meeting

• Senator Larry Mumper, Ohio and Vice Chair, Agriculture & Rural Development Committee

1:15 pm - 2:15 pm
St. James Room, Fourth Floor

Agricultural Trade
(Joint session with Economic Development, Trade & Cultural Affairs Committee)

The Committees will review expiring joint policy on this issue.

Presiding:

• Representative Sharon Weston Broome, Louisiana and Chair, Economic Development, Trade & Cultural Affairs Committee

• Ambassador Shaun Donelly, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, U.S. Department of State, District of Columbia (Invited)
• John Masswohl, Agriculture & Fisheries Counsellor, Canadian Embassy, District of Columbia
• William T. Waren, Fellow, Forum on Democracy and Trade, District of Columbia

2:15 pm - 3:15 pm
Beacon Hill Room, Fourth Floor

Wetlands: Should the Federal Government Define Isolated Waters of the U.S.?
(Joint session with Environment & Natural Resources Committee)

The Committees may consider a policy on this issue.

Speaker:

• Robert J. Kinney, Chief Counsel for Environment, National Association of Attorneys General, District of Columbia (Invited)

3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
St. James Room, Fourth Floor

Biotechnology as Cluster Development in New England
(Joint session with Economic Development, Trade & Cultural Affairs Committee)

Cluster development is a relatively new state strategy to encourage business growth. Biotechnology -- for agricultural, pharmaceutical, life sciences research and other industries -- has emerged as such a cluster. This session will examine the value of cluster development and the Massachusetts biotechnology cluster as a successful example.

Co-Presiding:

• Representative Sheryl Allen, Utah and Vice Chair, Economic Development, Trade & Cultural Affairs Committee
• Representative Clay Pope, Oklahoma and Vice Chair, Agriculture & Rural Development Committee

• Erin Flynn, Future Works, Massachusetts

5:15 pm - 6:00 pm
Plaza Ballroom, Mezzanine

NCSL Standing Committee Steering Committee Meeting

All Standing Committee Officers should attend.

6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Lower Lobby

Reception in the Terrace Room

Name badges must be worn to the reception.

Saturday, April 26, 2003

7:00 am - 5:00 pm
Exeter Foyer

Registration

8:15 am - 9:15 am
Mezzanine and Fourth Floor

Continental Breakfast

8:45 am - 10:15 am
Alcott Room, Fourth Floor

Rural Policy Roundtable

This session will be a roundtable discussion that touches on several rural policy themes, including the definition of "rural" and federal-state-local relationships on rural issues. The Committee may begin consideration and deliberation of a state-federal relations policy in this area.

Presiding:

• Bobby Gierisch, Professional Staff, Texas and Staff Chair, Agriculture & Rural Development Committee

• Barry Denk, Executive Director, Center for Rural Pennsylvania and Vice Staff Chair, Agriculture & Rural Development Committee
• Joseph Dunn, Associate Legislative Director, National Association of Counties, District of Columbia (Invited)

10:30 am - 12:00 Noon
Clarendon Room, Mezzanine

NCSL Forum Business Meeting

State-Federal policies adopted in Committee during the Spring Forum will be considered, along with any other business before the Forum, at this time.

12:15 pm - 2:00 pm
Georgian Room, Mezzanine

Plenary Lunch: Leadership in Trying Times

2:15 pm - 4:00 pm
Terrace Room, Lower Lobby

Special Briefing: Economic Recovery

2:15 pm - 4:00 pm
Whittier Room, Fourth Floor

Special Briefing: Prescription Drugs

2:15 pm - 4:00 pm
White Hill Room, Fourth Floor

Special Briefing: Homeland Security -- Safeguarding America's Agriculture and Food Supply

Intentional contamination fo the food supply is not a new threat to the American public. In Oregon in 1984, the Rajneesh cult contaminated a number of restaurant salad bars with salmonella causing illness in at least 751 individuals. How great is the current potential for our food supply to be a target or tool of terrorism? Learn about the history of germ warfare in our food supply, the implications of the new Department of Homeland Security, and what activities -- surveillance, detection, response -- are underway to avoid future terrorist activities in the American homeland.

Speaker:

• Jonathan Ban, Research Associate, Chemical and Biological Arms Control Institute, District of Columbia (Invited)

Sunday, April 27, 2003

8:30 am - 9:30 am
Georgian Room, Mezzanine

Continental Breakfast

9:00 am - 11:30 am
Georgian Room, Mezzanine

Ever been caught off-guard by a reporter or wished you had answered an interview question differently? Join us for a hands-on workshop, designed especially for legislators and staff, to help you sharpen your skills for dealing with the media.

Speaker:

• Frank Kauffman, Fleishman-Hillard, District of Columbia

11:30 am

Meeting Adjourns