Wednesday, December 8

Speakers:  
Representative Carole Rubley, Pennsylvania

Kurt Strasser, Reporter, Uniform Environmental Covenants Act, University of Connecticut School of Law

Larry Morandi, Group Director, Environment, Energy and Transportation, NCSL Denver Office

Electronic Waste
Presenters will address options for enhancing electronic waste recycling, experience with existing and prospective programs, needs for federal and/or state legislation, and industry, government and consumer concerns regarding retrieval of various products.  (Joint session with Communications, Technology and Interstate Commerce Committee.)

Speakers: 

Heather Bowman, Business Analyst, Hewlett Packard, Americas Product Takeback, IPG Americas, Washington, D.C.

Garth Hickle, Product Stewardship Team Leader 
Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance (confirmed)

4:00pm-5:00pm

Opening Plenary
The Effect of the 2004 Elections on Health Care Policy

How to reform the nation's health care system has been a prominent and divisive element of this year's presidential campaign.  The election's results will clearly shape the debate over health care in the 109th Congress.  This program looks at what the nation can expect on the health reform front in the future. 

5:15pm-6:00pm

6:30pm-7:30pm 

Reception at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center 

Thursday, December 9

Breakfast Plenary

9:45am-10:15am 

State Actions on Air Quality Issues

Committee members will discuss recently proposed and enacted state legislation and regulations on air quality issues, including multi-pollutant strategies, mercury, new source review, alternative fuel vehicles, MTBE and greenhouse gas emissions.  Members will have a matrix of state actions to supplement discussions. (Joint session with the Energy and Electric Utilities Committee.)

Speakers:   
Larry Morandi, Group Director, Environment, Energy and Transportation, NCSL Denver Office

Jennifer Smith, Policy Specialist, Environment, Energy and Transportation, NCSL Denver Office

10:15am-11:45am

New Source Review

Representatives of EPA, industry, environmental groups and states will discuss the current standing of the new source review regulations, policy and compliance challenges and pending or concluded litigation.  (Joint session with the Energy and Electric Utilities Committee.)

Speakers:

Bill Harnett, Director for the Information Transfer & Program INtegration Division, Office of Air Quality and Planning, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, N.C.

Jeffrey R Holmstead, Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC 20460 (invited)

S. William Becker, Executive Director
STAPPA/ALAPCO, Washington, D.C. (confirmed)

Quin Shea, Executive Director Environment Group     
Edison Electric Institute, Washington, D.C.    (confirmed)

John Walke, Senior Attorney, Director, Clean Air Project
Natural Resources Defense Council, Washington, D.C.  (confirmed)

11:45am-1:15pm

Policy Consideration and Working Lunch

The committee will review policies under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee and discuss the 2005 committee agenda.

Presiding:  

Delegate Jim Hubbard, Maryland
Chair, NCSL Environment and Natural resources Committee

1:15pm-2:45pm 

Procuring Globally, Protecting Sovereignty Locally

The purchasing power of the state purse is impressive, and international corporations, manufacturers, and service providers are interested in your business!  Procurement practices and policies of state governments – sometimes designed to promote economic development or green power, for example –  have become very important to U.S. international trading partners and in the governing trade agreements.  During this session, experts will explain how state procurement factors into trade negotiations, how states become obligated to these agreements, and what, if any, limitations trade agreements place on state legislators to set or change state purchasing policies. (Joint session with the Labor & Workforce Development and Economic Development, International Trade & Cultural Affairs Committees.)

Speakers:
Elizabeth Drake, AFL-CIO, District of Columbia (invited)

Representative Peter Burling, House Minority Leader, New Hampshire (invited)

U.S. Trade Representative, District of Columbia

3:00pm-4:00pm 

State Roundtable

Members will discuss key environment and natural resources issues they expect to be raised during the 2005 legislative sessions and the impact of the 2004 elections and referenda on the environment and natural resources agenda. 

4:00pm-5:00pm 

Federal Update

Members will discuss key environment and natural resources issues expected to be raised both legislatively and through regulations during the 109th Congress and discuss the impact of the 2004 elections on the environment and natural resources agenda.

Speakers:
Michael Bird, Senior Federal Affairs Counsel
State-Federal Relations, NCSL Washington Office

Tamra Spielvogel, Policy Associate
State-Federal Relations, NCSL Washington Office

5:15pm-6:00pm 

Steering Committee (Committee Officers)

All committee officers should plan to attend this meeting as policy statements reported out of committee will be reviewed and calendars for the Policy Forum will be determined. 

6:30pm-7:30pm 

Reception at Westin 

Friday, December 10

9:00am-10:30am 

Special Briefings 

The Incredibly Shrinking State Authority: The Causes and Consequences of Preemption in the Federal System Federal legislation, regulations and court decisions increasingly preempt state legislative authority and restrict ability to experiment and innovate. What are the causes of this alarming development in education, financial services, environment, telecommunications, trade agreements, health care and other issue areas? What are the consequences and what can be done about them will be examined in this special briefing? Moderator: Presenters:  Douglas Kendall, Executive Director Community Rights Counsel, Washington, D.C. 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, New York

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.

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.

10:45am-12:00noon

Business Meeting 

12:15pm-1:30pm 

Closing Plenary Luncheon

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.

Speaker:
Larry Sabato, Center for Politics, Washington, D.C.

1:30pm 

Adjournment