Tuesday, December 7

7:30 am - 5:30 pm
Westin - Grand Ballroom
D & E, 2nd Floor

Traffic Safety and Public Health Seminar for health leaders and transportation leaders

Wednesday, December 8

Registration

Fiscal Leaders Seminar for fiscal leaders

Fiscal Leaders

Standing Committee Session

Bank Mergers and Acquisitions and Lunch
Joint with Economic Development, Trade & Cultural Affairs Committee and Financial Services Committee

The number of U.S. banking institutions already has shrunk from about 14,000 since the 1980s to 9,000 today, and a few high-profile bank acquisitions may have set off a new round of banking consolidation. Does this downward trend threaten the uniquely decentralized American banking market? And does the emergence of a handful of behemoth national banks mean the end to community banking as we know it? This session explores these long-term banking trends and asks what state legislators can do when an out-of-state national gobbles up a local or regional favorite.

Lunch sponsored by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors.

Presiding: 

• Representative John QUINN, Massachusetts and Vice Chair, Financial Services Committee, NCSL

1:00 pm - 2:15 pm
Convention Center -
Rooms 103 & 104

The Community Reinvestment Act:  Only for Big Banks Anymore?
Joint with Economic Development, Trade & Cultural Affairs Committee and Financial Services Committee

The FDIC has issued a proposed rule that would apply the federal Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) only to the 293 banks with assets of at least $1 billion. Although the proposed rule is supported by community banks and state bank regulators, who see it as welcome relief from onerous rules and reporting requirements, it is viewed with alarm by consumer, rural development, and urban renewal advocates, who see this as an end run around a critical economic development tool. This session weighs the benefits and disadvantages of the proposal and explores the effectiveness of state CRAs in light of the OCC’s rules to preempt state laws as they apply to national banks.

Presiding:

• Representative John QUINN, Massachusetts and Vice Chair, Financial Services Committee, NCSL 

• James BALLENTINE, Director of Housing, Community and Economic Development, American Bankers Association, District of Columbia
• Allen FISHBEIN, Director of Housing and Credit Policy, Consumer Federation of America, District of Columbia
• Dudley GILBERT, Legal Counsel, Oklahoma State Banking Department, Oklahoma
• Bob MOONEY, Policy Development Chief, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, District of Columbia

NCSL Agriculture and Rural Development Activities

The Committee will review NCSL efforts to address agriculture and rural concerns, including policies that relate to rural and agriculture to offer comment on how they can better reflect the Committee’s concerns, projects such as Rural Development, Animal Identification and Biotechnology that can assist legislators in their work, and possible efforts to collaborate with other projects and programs.

Presiding:

• Senator Steve MORRIS, Kansas and Chair, Agriculture & Rural Development Committee, NCSL

• Doug FARQUHAR, Program Director, National Conference of State Legislatures, Colorado

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Westin - Grand Ballroom
A-C, 2nd Floor

Opening Plenary Program

Health Care Politics--Where We've Been-Where We're Going

This session will review the major health stories of 2004, reflect on what are likely to be the major health stories for 2005 and how the recent state and national elections may play a role in determining these issues and ultimately what all this means for health care in America.

Welcome:

• Representative Terry COLEMAN, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Georgia 

Co-Presiding:

• Representative Peter LEWISS, Rhode Island and Vice Chair, NCSL Standing Committees
• Guy CHERRY, Department of Legislative Services, Maryland and Staff Chair, NCSL Standing Committees

Panelists:

• John Andrew MILLER, Atlanta-Journal Constitution, Georgia
• Todd SLOANE, Modern Healthcare Magazine, Illinois

Standing Committees' Steering Committee

The Steering Committee is comprised of the Overall Standing Committee Officers and the Chair and Staff Chair, or their designee, of each Standing Committee. This meeting will review the Committees’ plans for the Forum and preview any policies anticipated for debate and make determinations regarding joint and re-referral of the resolutions.

Co-Presiding:

• Senator Beverly GARD, Indiana and Vice Chair, NCSL Standing Committees
• Frank PARISI, Office of Legislative Services, New Jersey and Staff Vice Chair, NCSL Standing Committees

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Convention Center -
Chatham Ballroom Foyer,
2nd Floor

Opening Reception - Savannah International Trade & Convention Center

Thursday, December 9

Registration

Plenary Breakfast

Welcome: 

• Senator Eric JOHNSON, Senate President Pro Tem, Georgia

The Steven D. Gold Award for Significant Contributions in Public Finance presented by William Pound, NCSL Executive Director. 

The 2004 recipient is David Crotts, Chief Economist, North Carolina General Assembly. 

The U.S. Economic Outlook

The recent economic downturn eneded three years ago.  The indicators that demonstrate economic recovery, the outlook for the economy in the next year to 18 months, and how various regions of the nation are faring will be examined.

Co-Presiding:

• Representative Joe HACKNEY, North Carolina and Chair, NCSL Standing Committees
• Guy CHERRY, Department of Legislative Services, Maryland and Staff Chair, NCSL Standing Committees

Speaker:

• David WYSS, Standard & Poor's, New York

Relevant National Health Conference Session

Rural Health and Economic Development

Rural Americans are disproportionately poor, underinsured, uninsured, have, on average, lower educational attainment than their urban counterparts, and are at higher risk for chronic disease, unintended injury and communicable disease. In recent years, several states have been working collaboratively to address these concerns. This session will highlight successful approaches that have strengthened rural economies and improved access to health care through investments in health services by folding initiatives into existing services or leveraging resources across funding streams to implement revolving loan funds, practice management services, recruitment and retention strategies, rural health leader’s pipeline programs and rural health networks.

Presiding: 

• Jennifer RIGGLE, Coordinator, State-Based Activities, Office of Rural Health, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maryland

• Senator Evan JENKINS, West Virginia
• Marsha BROUSSARD, Director, Rural Health Access Program, Louisiana
• Elaine WOOTEN, Deputy Director, Southern Rural Access Program, University of Arkansas, School of Public Health, Arkansas

Standing Committee Session

Whither the Farm Bill?

While we’re not yet half-way through the lifespan of the current Farm Bill, changes in the U.S. economy, ballooning federal budget deficits, and agricultural trade developments at the World Trade Organization are encouraging many to begin thinking about the size and shape of the next Farm Bill. During this session, panelists will give their expert perspectives on these developments and the likely future for this important piece of legislation. Further, the Committee will begin to consider what, if any, policy positions NCSL would like to take as this bill takes shape.

Presiding:

• Representative Jeff KROPF, Oregon and Vice Chair, Agriculture & Rural Development Committee, NCSL

• Jennifer YEZAK, Director, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, District of Columbia

Standing Committee Session

Farm to School

Schools, agriculture and welfare agencies are beginning to explore using local producers to provide fresh fruits, vegetables and products for their food programs, such as school lunches, shelters and food banks.  This session presents the varying benefits and challenges to using locally grown products in these programs, and how legislatures can facilitate such programs.

Sponsored by the Georgia Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association.

Presiding:

• Jim FRY, Executive Director, Legislative Research Council, South Dakota and Staff Vice Chair, Agriculture & Rural Development Committee, NCSL

• Michael HAMM, Professor, Michigan State University, Michigan
• Gary GAY, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, North Carolina

Standing Committee Session

Regional Strategies that Work

Asset-based economic development focuses on the positive attributes of a region, building on these attributes to create products and services to market outside the region. This session will look at success stories where regions have emphasized their attributes and preserved their rural communities.

Presiding:

• Barry DENK, Director, Center for Rural Pennsylvania and Staff Chair, Agriculture & Rural Development Committee, NCSL

• Don BETTS, Manager, Economic Development Institute, Georgia
• Anthony FLACCAVENTO, Executive Director, Appalachian Sustainable Development, Virginia

Standing Committee Session

Committee Business Meeting and Roundtable Discussion

Committee members will be invited to report on conferences or meetings they have attended that may be of interest to the larger membership. The Committee will also review the state-federal policies expiring this Conference Year. Members wishing to submit amendments or new policies are encouraged to provide those to Committee staff in advance of this Business Meeting. The Committee will engage in a roundtable discussion of the agriculture and/or rural policy issues emerging in their states and other matters that may be surfacing in Washington of interest to the Committee. The Committee will then plan for the April Spring Forum in Washington, D.C. and the August Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington.

Presiding:

• Senator Steve MORRIS, Kansas and Chair, Agriculture & Rural Development Committee, NCSL

Standing Committees' Steering Committee

Standing Committee Chairs, as members of the Standing Committee, should plan to attend. The Steering Committee will review policy statements reported out of Committee and determine the calendars for the Policy Forum.

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Westin - Grand Ballroom
A-C, 2nd Floor

Reception at the Westin

Friday, December 10

Special Briefing

The Incredibly Shrinking State Authority: The Causes and Consequences of Preemption in the Federal System

Federal proposals, that were once sporadic and episodic, now preempt states' authority and restrict their ability to experiment and innovate. What are the causes of this alarming development in education, insurance, environment, telecommunications and health care. What are the consequences and what can be done about them will be examined in this special briefing. 

Speakers: 

• Douglas KENDALL, Executive Director, Community Rights Counsel, District of Columbia
• Paul POSNER, Federal Budget and Intergovernmental Relations, U.S. Government Accountability Office, Washington, D.C.
• Peter RIGGS, Director, Forum on Democracy and Trade, New York

9:00 am – 10:30 am
Westin - Harbor Ballroom
A, Ground Floor

Special Briefing

Funding Homeland Security: Untangling a Gordian Knot

The task force created by Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge has developed a set of practical recommendations designed to alleviate concerns on how to move the critical homeland security money expeditiously through the funding pipeline. This briefing will review the funding, recommendations and examine congressional proposals on these issues.

Moderator:

• Senator Michael BALBONI, New York and Chair, Law and Criminal Justice Committee, NCSL

Speakers:

• David HAGY, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, District of Columbia
• John COHEN, Office of Governor Mitt Romney, Massachusetts
• Tracey TRAUTMAN, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, District of Columbia
• Molly RAMSDELL, National Conference of State Legislatures, District of Columbia

9:00 am – 10:30 am
Westin - Harbor Ballroom
B, Ground Floor

Special Briefing

Quality Health Care: An Impossible Task Without a Team

The issue of health care workforce shortages has been pushed to the forefront of state legislative agendas. The nation faces shortages of physicians, nurses and a broad range of other professionals, paraprofessionals, therapists and support staff. This briefing looks at innovative approaches to protect and improve the health care delivery system by preserving adequate levels of health care workers.

Moderator:

• Senator Donne TROTTER, Illinois and Chair, Health Committee

Speakers:

• Dr. Daniel RAHN, M.D., Medical College of Georgia
• Cheryl FELDMAN, Workforce Program, 1199c Training and Upgrading Fund, Pennsylvania
• P.J. MADDOX, PhD, Office of Research, George Mason University, Virginia

Policy Forum and Business Meeting

During this plenary meeting, Forum delegates will debate and vote on NCSL’s Policy Statements and Resolutions passed out of Committee this Fall Forum.

Presiding:

• Representative Joe HACKNEY, North Carolina and Chair, NCSL Standing Committees

Closing Plenary Lunch

As the Dust Settles:  An Analysis of the 2004 National and State Elections 

The 2004 election results and how they will affect state legislatures will be analyzed and discussed at this time.

Co-Presiding:

• Representative Peter LEWISS, Rhode Island and Vice Chair, NCSL Standing Committees
• Frank PARISI, Office of Legislative Services, New Jersey and Staff Vice Chair, NCSL Standing Committees

Speaker: 

• Larry SABATO, Center for Politics, Washington, D.C.

1:30 pm

Fall Forum Adjourns