Thursday, April 24

7:30 am - 5:30 pm

Foyer

Registration

8:00 am - 9:00 am

Bryce

Pre-Conference Activity

NCSL Foundation Partners Project on Transportation Finance:  Public Private Partnerships

The NCSL Foundation for State Legislatures is convening this "scoping meeting" to assess interest in establishing a Partners Project related to Public Private Partnerships (PPPs).  Legislators, legislative staff, or private sector entities interested in this possibility should contact Jeremy Meadows (202-624-8664; jeremy.meadows@ncsl.org) or Caroline Carlson (303-364-7700; caroline.carlson@ncsl.org) for more information. 

9:00 am - 11:30 am 

Pre-Conference Seminars

Lobbying Visits to Capitol Hill

If interested in participating in NCSL-organized visits to Capitol Hill to discuss NCSL transportation priorities with members and staff of Congress, please contact Jeremy Meadows (202-624-8664; jeremy.meadows@ncsl.org) for more information.

11:45 am - 1:00 pm

Hyatt–Thornton Room

Luncheon

Presiding:
Senator Bruce Starr, Oregon

Speaker:
James F. Ports, Jr., Deputy Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, D.C.

Richard Pain, Transportation Safety Coordinator, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C.

1:15 pm - 2:15 pm

Hyatt–Congressional B

Committee Meeting

REAL ID:  Final Rules … State Responses

The Department of Homeland Security published final regulations for state implementation of REAL ID in the Federal Register on January 29, 2008.  While the regulations offered many "fixes" NCSL had sought, DHS still estimated state costs of implementation to be just under $4 billion.  Funding remains a critical issue; the President's federal fiscal year 2009 budget proposal to Congress did not include any funds dedicated to state REAL ID implementation and DHS has dedicated the funds appropriated by Congress thus far for state costs to the creation of the state-to-state "hub."  State legislatures have taken up REAL ID issues -- both policy and appropriations -- this year and many have taken advantage of the implementation deadline extension process DHS provided in the final rules.  This session will review the final rules, the flexibilities they provide for state implementation, DHS' new cost estimate, and state responses thus far.

Presiding:
Senator Dennis Wilson, Kansas and Vice Chair, Transportation Committee, NCSL

Speakers:
Larry Frankel, State Legislative Counsel, American Civil Liberties Union, District of Columbia

Kathleen L. Kraninger, Director, Screening Coordination Office, U.S. Department of Homeland Security , District of Columbia.

2:30 pm - 3:45 pm 

Hyatt–Congressional B

Committee Meeting

Transportation Finance:  A Survey of the Studies

Many commissions, committees, and study groups have been taking up the issue of transportation finance in preparation for the next surface transportation authorization.  During this session, the Committee will hear about reports from the National Surface Transportation Policy & Revenue Study Commission, the NAPA Intergovernmental Forum on Transportation Finance, and the National Commission on Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing.

Presiding:
Senator Capri Cafaro, Ohio and Vice Chair, Transportation Committee, NCSL (invited)

Speakers:
Peter J. "Jack" Basso, Director of Management and Business Development, American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials, District of Columbia and Principal, Intergovernmental Forum on Transportation Finance, National Academy of Public Administration.

Susan J. Binder, Deputy Associate Administrator for Policy and Governmental Affairs, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, District of Columbia and Executive Director, National Surface Transportation Policy & Revenue Study Commission

Emil Frankel, Director of Transportation Policy, Bipartisan Policy Center, District of Columbia

Representative Mike Krusee, Chair, House Transportation Committee, Texas and Member, National Commission on Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing.

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Ticonderoga/Yorktown/Valley Forge

General Session 

Federalism and the Senate Agenda

As a former governor, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chair of the Republican Senate Conference, has seen federalism issues from both the state and federal perspectives. His concerns include REAL ID, Internet taxation, the Federal Consent Decrees Fairness Act, and flexibility in the No Child Left Behind Act.

Presiding:
Martha Carter, Nebraska Legislature
Representative Geanie Morrison, Texas

Speaker:
Senator Lamar Alexander, Chairman, Republican Conference, U.S. Senate, (Tennessee) District of Columbia

6:15 pm - 7:30 pm 

Ticonderoga/Yorktown/Valley Forge

Friday, April 25

7:30 am - 6:00 pm

Foyer

Registration

8:00 am - 9:30 am 

Regency A

General Session Breakfast

The Mortgage Crisis & the Role of Government Regulation

The subprime mortgage/foreclosure tsunami is inundating all segments of society including every level of government.  Will it lead to a recession?  In a global economy, can government regulation prevent such crises?  Congressman Barney Frank, Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, has been a member of Congress since 1981. Chairman Frank will address the subprime mortgage situation, the federal stimulus package, the government role in regulating financial services in the global economy and the future role of states in regulating insurance.

Presiding:
Representative David Clark, Utah and Chair, NCSL Standing Committee

Laura DeVivo, Office of the House Speaker, North Carolina; Staff Chair, NCSL Standing Committee

Speaker:
Representative Barney Frank, Chairman, House Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives, (Massachusetts – 4^th) District of Columbia

9:45 am - 11:15 am

Hyatt–Everglades/Yellowstone

Committee Meeting

The Costs of Congestion

Traffic congestion is more than an inconvenience; in aggregate, it wastes 2.9 billion gallons of gasoline each year and costs Americans $78.2 billion.  But how does congestion affect individuals, families, or specific firms?  What solutions have proven successful and what new strategies are worth considering?

Presiding:
Representative Dan Silva, New Mexico and Chair, Transportation Committee, NCSL

Speakers:
Glen Weisbrod, President, Economic Development Research Group, Inc., Massachusetts

Patrick Jones, Executive Director & CEO, International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, District of Columbia

Kathryn Wylde, Partnership for New York City, New York (invited)

11:30 am - 1:15 pm 

Hyatt–Everglades/Yellowstone

Committee Meeting

Hearing on NCSL Rail Policies

The Transportation Committee will hold a hearing on NCSL's expiring Rail Regulation policy (http://www.ncsl.org/print/standcomm/sctran/railreg07.pdf) and other state legislative interests in freight and passenger rail.  Parties interested in testifying before the Committee should notify Jeremy Meadows (jeremy.meadows@ncsl.org; 202-624-8664) by April 14, 2008; oral statements should be limited to 3 minutes though more complete written testimony may be distributed at the hearing.  The witness list will be announced no later than April 18, 2008.

1:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Hyatt–Everglades/Yellowstone

Committee Meeting

Committee Business Meeting and Roundtable

During this session, Committee members will discuss NCSL transportation policy positions, vote on resolutions, hear a report from NCSL's Surface Transportation Reauthorization Working Group, get updates on activities in Washington and from the NCSL Transportation Program, and, time allowing, engage in a roundtable on transportation issues.

Presiding:
Representative Dan Silva, New Mexico and Chair, Transportation Committee, NCSL

3:15 pm - 4:30 pm

Hyatt–Columbia C

Committee Meeting

Aviation and Economic Development

Joint with Labor & Economic Development

This joint session will examine the link between aviation and urban and rural economic development, offer an update on FAA reauthorization, and open a discussion of NCSL's expiring Aviation policy.

Presiding:
Representative Linda Harper-Brown, Texas and Vice Chair, Transportation Committee, NCSL (invited)

Speaker:
Robert J. Fogel, Senior Legislative Director, National Association of Counties, District of Columbia

Henry Ogrodzinski, President, National Association of State Aviation Officials, District of Columbia

James Reid, Legislative Assistant, Office of U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller, District of Columbia

4:30 pm - 5:15 pm

Congressional A

Steering Committee Meetings 

Business Meeting

Members will review policies reported from the Standing Committees and determine the calendar for the Saturday business meeting.

Presiding:

Senator Dorinda Connor, Delaware

Nelson Fox, Legislative Service Commission, Ohio

5:30 pm - 7:00 pm 

Reception

Residence of the German Ambassador to the United States

Buses will begin departing from the Hyatt at 4:45 pm; the last bus to the Residence will depart at 5:15 pm.

Saturday, April 26

8:00 am - 11:00 am

Foyer

Registration

8:00 am - 10:00 am

Columbia ABC

General Session

Breakfast Program

The European Union's ambassador to the United States, John Bruton, is a former Irish prime minister, who helped transform the Irish economy into the "Celtic Tiger," one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Since taking up his position in Washington in 2004, Bruton has had one-to-one meetings with over 250 Members of Congress to explain major EU developments and discuss the importance of the EU-US relationship in matters of trade, counterterrorism, public health, energy, the environment and the promotion of peace, democracy and human rights around the world.

Presiding:

Martha Carter, Nebraska Legislature

Senator Mary Margaret Haugen, Washington

Speakers:

The Honorable John Bruton, Ambassador, Head of Delegation, Europe Union - Delegation of the European Commission to the USA, District of Columbia

Councilmember Vincent C. Gray , Chairman of the Council, District of Columbia

10:30 am - 11:30 am

Columbia ABC

Business Meeting

Floor Session

Policies voted out of Standing Committees will be considered on the "floor."  All legislators attending the Spring Forum are encouraged to participate in the debate and vote to establish NCSL's lobbying positions.

Presiding: 
Representative David Clark, Utah and Chair, NCSL Standing Committee

1:00 pm – 5:00 pm 

NCSL Small Conference Room

Post-Conference Meeting

Surface Transportation Reauthorization Working Group

Information on the Working Group is available at http://www.ncsl.org/standcomm/sctran/reauthorizationgroup.htm and an agenda will be provided separately.