NCSL Human Services & Welfare Committee Roster

Committee Officers & NCSL Staff // Committee Members // Committee Jurisdiction

Committee Description

The Human Services and Welfare Committee has jurisdiction over NCSL's state and federal work in four major categories: social services, income security, food and nutrition, and immigration. Social services involve child welfare, child care, Head Start, Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Income security issues include welfare reform and welfare to work, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) block grant, child support, Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Food and nutrition issues include food stamps, child nutrition, and emergency food assistance and commodity distribution. Immigration issues include refugee assistance and benefits to legal aliens. The Human Services and Welfare Committee also works with states on engaging faith-based organizations and proposals supporting healthy marriages.

NCSL Human Services & Welfare Committee

Chair: Representative Pete Hershberger, Arizona
Vice Chair: Senator Ray Aguilar, Nebraska
Vice Chair: Representative Martha B. Alexander, North Carolina
Vice Chair: Representative Barbara W. Ballard, Kansas
Vice Chair: Representative Elesha Gayman, Iowa
Vice Chair: Representative Steven G. Kestell, Wisconsin
Vice Chair: Representative Mark Larson, Vermont
Vice Chair: Senator Juan M. Pichardo, Rhode Island
Vice Chair: Senator Renee' S. Unterman, Georgia
Immediate Past Chair: Delegate Samuel I. Rosenberg, Maryland
Staff Chair: Murray Wood, Kentucky
Immediate Past Staff Chair: Carol Shaw, North Carolina

NCSL CONTACTS: Jack Tweedie (Denver) Sheri Steisel (DC)

Alabama
Representative Lea Fite
Representative Merika Coleman
Representative Jay Love
Representative Pebblin W. Warren
Penny Davis, Alabama Law Institute
Representative Mike Curtis

Alaska
Senator Bettye Davis
Representative Sharon M. Cissna

Arizona
Representative David T. Bradley
Stefan Shepherd, Joint Legislative Budget Committee
Senator Leah Landrum Taylor
Senator Rebecca Rios
Representative Pete Hershberger

Arkansas
Phil Price, Arkansas Legislative Council
Senator Jack L. Critcher
Senator Randy Laverty
Senator Hank Wilkins IV
Representative Dawn Creekmore
Representative Tracy Pennartz

California
Todd Bland, Legislative Analyst's Office
Jack Hailey, Senate Committee on Human Services
Senator Joe Simitian

Colorado
Senator Peter Groff
Representative K. Jerry Frangas
Jennifer Gilroy, Legislative Legal Services
Representative Dianne I Primavera

Connecticut
Representative Lile R. Gibbons
Representative Toni E. Walker
Senator Jonathan Harris
Miriam Kluger, Program Review & Investigations Cmte
Senator John A. Kissel
Representative Marie Lopez Kirkley-Bey
Representative Peter F. Villano
Representative Faith McMahon

Delaware
Pamela Price, House of Representatives
Senator Catherine A. Cloutier
Representative Joseph E. Miro
Representative Pamela S. Maier
Representative Nick Manolakos
Representative Donald A. Blakey
Senator Margaret Rose Henry
Senator Harris B. McDowell III

Florida
P.K. Jameson, Senate
John Wilson, Senate Health Policy
Drucilla Carpenter, OPPAGA

Georgia
Representative Judy H. Manning
Representative Len Walker
Representative Mickey Channell Jr.
Senator Renee' S. Unterman
Senator Johnny Grant
Senator Lee Hawkins
Senator Don Thomas
Sandra Witty, House Research Office

Hawaii
Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland

Indiana
Eric Gonzalez, House of Representatives
Senator Lindel Hume
Senator Connie Lawson
Senator Robert Meeks
Senator Ryan Mishler
Senator Sam Smith Jr.
Representative Sheila J. Klinker
Representative Vernon G. Smith
Representative Vanessa Summers

Iowa
Representative David E. Heaton
Representative Elesha Gayman
Representative Ro Foege
Representative Eric J. Palmer
John Pollak, Legislative Services Agency - Legal Services Div
Senator Jack Hatch
Senator Amanda Ragan

Kansas
Senator Donald Betts Jr.
Representative Oletha Faust-Goudeau
Representative Brenda Landwehr
Representative William C. Otto
Representative Joe Patton
Representative Barbara W. Ballard

Kentucky
Murray Wood
Representative Robert R. Damron
Senator Tom Buford
Senator Denise Harper Angel
Representative C. B. Embry Jr.
Senator Elizabeth Tori
Representative Mary Lou Marzian
Representative Kathy W. Stein
Representative Reginald Meeks

Louisiana
Senator Lydia P. Jackson
Senator Julie Quinn

Maine
Representative James Campbell
Senator Joseph C. Brannigan

Maryland
Delegate Shirley Nathan-Pulliam
Delegate Adelaide C. Eckardt
Delegate Ana Sol Gutierrez
Senator Nathaniel Exum
Senator Edward J. Kasemeyer
Senator C. Anthony Muse
Delegate Samuel I. Rosenberg

Massachusetts
Senator Karen Spilka

Michigan
Senator Bill Hardiman
Representative Brenda Clack
Representative Bettie Cook Scott
Representative John Stahl
William N. Fairgrieve, House Fiscal Agency
Julie Cassidy, Senate Fiscal Agency
Constance A. Cole, Senate Fiscal Agency

Minnesota
Senator Sharon Erickson Ropes
Senator Paul E. Koering
Senator Kathy Sheran
Senator Patricia Torres Ray
Representative Jim Abeler
Representative Matt Dean
Representative Mary Ellen Otremba
Representative Tom Tillberry

Mississippi
Ronald M. Frith, House of Representatives
Senator Hillman T. Frazier
Representative Frances M. Fredericks

Missouri
Senator Norma Champion
Senator Charlie Shields
Senator Yvonne S. Wilson
Representative Beth Low
Representative Charlie H. Norr
Representative Jeanette Mott Oxford

Montana
Representative Julie French
Representative Penny Morgan
Senator Carol Williams
Senator Terry Murphy
Susan Byorth Fox, Legislative Services Division

Nebraska
Senator Tim Gay
Senator Gwen Howard
Senator Dave Pankonin
Senator Norman Wallman
Senator John Wightman
Senator Ray Aguilar

Nevada
Assemblymember Susan Gerhardt
Assemblymember Joe Hardy
Assemblymember Sheila Leslie
Assemblymember Lynn D. Stewart
Steve Abba, Legislative Counsel Bureau
Senator Maurice E. Washington

New Hampshire
Senator Molly Kelly
Senator Kathleen Sgambati
Representative Julie M. Brown
Representative Tom Donovan
Representative Lawrence A. Emerton
Representative Eileen C. Flockhart
Representative Charles E. McMahon
Representative Sharon L. Nordgren
Representative Mary Jane Wallner

New Jersey
Assemblymember Joseph Cryan
Assemblymember Sheila Y. Oliver

New Mexico
Pamela Ray, Legislative Council Service
Senator James G. Taylor
Senator Linda M. Lopez
Senator Dede Feldman
Senator Sue Wilson Beffort
Mark Weber, Legislative Finance Committee
Representative Jim Trujillo
Jennie Lusk
Representative Nick L. Salazar
Representative Nathan P. Cote
Representative Andrew J. Barreras
Senator Lynda Lovejoy
David Abbey, Legislative Finance Committee

New York
Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick
Senator Mary Lou Rath

North Carolina
R. Erika Churchill, General Assembly
Representative Alice L. Bordsen
Representative Linda Coleman
Representative Jean Farmer-Butterfield
Representative Earl Jones
Representative Mary E. McAllister
Representative Garland E. Pierce
Representative Martha B. Alexander
Carol Shaw, Program Evaluation Division

North Dakota
Senator Tom Fischer
Speaker Jeff Delzer

Ohio
Senator Stephen Buehrer
Senator Shirley A. Smith

Oklahoma
Representative Lisa J. Billy
Representative Dennis Johnson
Representative Sally Kern
Representative Mark McCullough
Representative Jason W. Murphey
Representative Ron Peters
Representative Pam Peterson

Oregon
Representative Jean Cowan
Representative Sara A. Gelser
Representative Ron Maurer
Representative Carolyn Tomei
Senator Jeff Kruse

Pennsylvania
Jennifer L. Boger, Senate
Melanie Brown
Nia Wilson, Health & Human Services Committee
Representative Kathy M. Manderino
Representative Douglas G. Reichley
Representative Ronald G. Waters

Puerto Rico
Representative Rolando Crespo Arroyo

Rhode Island
Senator Juan M. Pichardo

South Carolina
Senator James H. Ritchie Jr.
Senator Randy Scott
Senator Vincent A. Sheheen
Senator Kent M. Williams
Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter
Debbie W. Griffin, Senate LCI Committee
Representative William F. Cotty
Scott Ramsey, Senate Medical Affairs Committee
Paula G. Benson, Senate Judiciary Committee
Representative Denny Woodall Neilson

South Dakota
Senator Tom Hansen
Senator Dan Sutton
Senator Cooper O. Garnos
Representative Mary Glenski

Tennessee
Cindy M. Perry, Select Committee on Children & Youth

Texas
Representative Valinda Bolton
Representative John E. Davis
Representative Abel Herrero
Representative Bryan Hughes
Representative Tan Parker
Representative Patrick Rose
Representative Paula Hightower Pierson
Representative Bill Zedler
Representative Elliott Naishtat
Senator Bob Deuell
Senator Eddie A. Lucio Jr.
Senator Dan Patrick

Utah
Senator D. Chris Buttars
Representative Carol Spackman Moss
Stan Eckersley, Legislative Fiscal Analyst

Vermont
Representative Maxine Jo Grad
Representative Ann D. Pugh
Maria C. Royle, Legislative Council
Representative Patricia A. O'Donnell
Stephanie Barrett, Joint Fiscal Office
Representative Mark Larson

Virginia
Senator Toddy T. Puller
Senator Richard H. Stuart
Delegate Christopher K. Peace
Senator Patricia S. Ticer
Senator Ken Cuccinelli II
Susan Massart, House Appropriations Committee
Delegate Franklin P. Hall
Senator Yvonne B. Miller
Joe Flores
Delegate John M. O'Bannon III
Senator L. Louise Lucas

Washington
Representative Sherry Appleton
Representative Mary Lou Dickerson
Cynthia L. Forland, JLARC
Representative Ruth Kagi

West Virginia
Senator John R. Unger II
Senator Roman W. Prezioso Jr.
Delegate Brent Boggs
Delegate Bonnie Brown

Wisconsin
Representative Steven G. Kestell
Representative Jake A. Hines
Representative John F. Townsend
Senator Timothy W. Carpenter

Wyoming
Representative Ken A. Esquibel
Representative Jane Warren
Senator John M. Hastert
Senator Pat Aullman
John H. Rivera, Legal Services Division, Legislative Service Office