Thursday, April 14

(Joint with the Communications, Technology and Interstate Commerce Committee)
Concerns are growing over the security of personally identifiable information held by states and by private companies.  Despite new federal and state laws, identity theft continues to grow.  And, the growing prevalence of data mining - collecting and analyzing large amounts of data in order to establish connections and find new useful information - may prompt states to take a closer look at privacy and public records issues.  Come discuss the latest efforts by states to prevent identity theft, regulate the exchange of Social Security numbers, and protect citizens from security breaches.
Speakers:  Senator Debra Bowen, California
Representative Wayne Harper, Utah
Ronni Burns, Director of Business Practices, Citi Cards, New York
John McCumber, Public Sector Strategic Program Manager, Symantec, Washington, D.C.
Jessica Rich, Assistant Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C.
Handouts:
Speaker Biographies
NCSL Security Breach Legislaton Summary
NCSL ID Theft/Consumer Report Security Freeze Legislation Summary
Citi Cards PowerPoint

Speakers:  U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander, Tennessee
U.S. Representative Michael Turner, Ohio

 6:30 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.
 Regency A,
 Ballroom Level

Friday, April 15

Speaker:  U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Michael Leavitt, Washington, D.C.

Lassoing Giants: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Regulatory Reform
(Joint with the Economic Development, Trade and Cultural Affairs Committee)
After a series of blunders and accounting irregularities at the housing finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, government sponsored enterprise (GSE) reform has topped the financial services agenda in Washington for the 109th Congress.  This session explores the benefits and costs of GSEs to the residential mortgage market and examines what a new, powerful GSE regulator would mean to the American economy and affordable housing goals.
Speakers:  Susan Gates, Vice President of Public Policy, Freddie Mac, Virginia
Bill Shear, Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment, Government Accountability Office, Washington, D.C.
Joe Pigg, Senior Counsel, American Bankers Association, Washington, D.C.

Terrorism Risk Insurance Reauthorization
When Congress enacted the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) in 2002, it did so as a temporary backstop to ensure the availability of terrorism insurance coverage.  Now that the industry is asking the federal government to re-up the program, the Congressional Budget Office has expressed concern that a long-term subsidy actually will discourage businesses from making needed security investments and has recommended risk-based premiums to make high-risk policyholders pay more.  This session examines TRIA reauthorization and the pros and cons of risk-based premiums.

Look Who's Coming to Dinner:  The Federal Role in Insurance Regulation
Congress has invited itself to the dinner party that is insurance regulation, but it's unclear whether they want to add to the conversation, to select the menu, or to steal the guests.  This session will survey a range of perspectives on the appropriate federal role in insurance regulation and explore whether there is a common ground between exclusive state regulation and optional federal insurance chartering.
Speakers:  Pat Borowski, Senior Vice President, Government/Regulatory Affairs, National Association of Professional Insurance Agents, Virginia
Julie Gackenbach, Assistant Vice President, Federal Government Relations, Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, Washington, D.C.

Et tu Brute?  Will the FDIC Join the Preemption Bandwagon? 
The Financial Services Roundtable recently submitted a petition to the FDIC for a rulemaking that would provide parity for state chartered banks by preempting state consumer protection laws. The Financial Services Roundtable hopes that state chartered banks will be granted similar competitive opportunities allowed for national banks operating across state lines by the FDIC. This session will discuss the petition, and what state legislators can do to discourage FDIC preemption.
Speaker:  Alan Cox, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Conference of State Bank Supervisors, Washington, D.C.

Money+Knowledge=Financial Literacy
(Joint with the FSL Banking Partners Project)
In light of rising consumer debt and bankruptcy rates, what can state legislators, educators and interested organizations do to better prepare individuals to manage their finances?  How can policymakers, educators and financial institutions work together to improve financial literacy?
Moderator:  Representative Donna Stone, Delaware
Speakers:  William Cheeks, Midwestern & Eastern States Director, Jump$tart Coalition, Georgia
Dan Iannicola, Jr., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Financial Education, U.S. Department of Treasury, Washington, D.C.
Heather Tyler, Office of Financial Education, Pennsylvania
Handouts:
U.S. Department of Treasury PowerPoint
Pennsylvania's Task Force for Working Families
NCSL's Financial Literacy:  A Primer for Policymakers

Saturday, April 16

Special Briefings

On and Beyond the Horizon:  Current Issues and New Negotiations (CLE)
Capitol B, Lobby Level

This session continues with the variety of reasons that states should care about international trade and the agreements that govern foreign commerce.
Presiding:  Representative Sheryl Allen, Utah
Chair, Economic Development, Trade and Cultural Affairs Committee
Speakers:  Richard Vanduizend, National Center for State Courts, Virginia
Liz Wyman, Office of the Attorney General, Maine
Member, Maine Citizen Commission on International Trade

Is It Possible to Reduce the Federal Deficit Without Exporting It to the States? 
Capitol A, Lobby Level 

Reform the tax, social security and Medicaid systems.....control entitlement spending....pay for the war on terrorism....and by the way, cut the deficit in half in five years.  We have asked several experts to share their thoughts on how to reduce the federal deficit and how these options would impact states.
Speaker:  Stanley E. Collender, Financial Dynamics Business Communications, Washington, D.C.

NCSL's Task Force Report on No Child Left Behind
Congressional A, Lobby Level

This session reviews the report released in February and highlights changes that could be made regarding adequate yearly progress, funding, urban and rural schools, students with disabilities, and several other key elements of the law.

Presiding:  Representative Joe Hackney, North Carolina
Chair, NCSL Standing Committees

States are threatened constantly with erosion of their authority.  One of the greatest threats comes not from the national government, but from various international trade agreements and trade organizations.  This panel will explore the pros and cons of preempting state authority in the international arena.
Speakers:  Acting U.S. Trade Representative Peter Allgeier,
Washington, D.C.
William Sorrell, National Association of Attorneys General, Vermont