Legislators and Staff

Support

We serve as a member of your staff.

Information
With a phone call, an email or the click of a mouse, it’s easy to get the information and analysis you need from the country’s most knowledgeable researchers. Need it yesterday? Turn to us for research, reports, databases and more, 24-7 at your fingertips.

Personal Assistance
Do you have questions but don’t know who to call? Your NCSL state liaison can help you find the answers and direct you to the right NCSL researcher. If you need to know about an issue, or about all the services you are entitled to as a member of NCSL, give your liaison a call.

Sharpening Your Skills
Whether you are a leader, committee chair, member or legislative staffer, you can sharpen your skills and be even more effective at your job through our training sessions, meetings, professional staff organizations, and at the Legislative Summit.

Resources

• 50-State Bill Information Service.
• A-Z issues and contacts.
• NCSL state liaisons.
• E-Learning | Webinars | Staff Professional Development.

Ideas

We help you put your ideas into action.

State Legislatures News and State Legislatures Magazine
Find the latest news on state policy, politics and personalities, as well as stories from the print edition of State Legislatures magazine, published biannually.

LegisBriefs
If you need quick summaries on important issues of the day, from both the state and federal perspective, read these briefs. You’ll get 48 of them for free every year.

Legislative Summit
It’s the premier meeting of the year for legislators and staff. You’ll come home with exciting ideas, new connections and promising solutions from the 100-plus sessions offered at the Summit.

Resources

• Databases loaded with easy-to-find information.
• Newsletters on virtually every policy topic, from absentee voting to workforce development.
• LegisBriefs.
• Legislative Summit.
• Online research documents that cover thousands of topics.
• State Legislatures News.

Connections

We link you to the best and the brightest in the nation.

Experts
You’ll meet today’s top thought leaders at meetings throughout the year, hear their insights on videos, and read about them in State Legislatures News and the magazine.

Colleagues
You’ll find colleagues working on the same issues, at the same jobs, or in the same part of the country through meetings, webinars and magazine articles.

Consulting Services
We’ll come to you when you need expert testimony, advice on legislative rules, or to know what a new federal law means for your state. Just give us a call.

Resources

• Daily newsletter and NCSL Blog.
• NCSL Podcast: "Our American States."
• Professional staff organizations that offer customized training.
• Social media that keeps you up-to-date on NCSL and your colleagues.

Strong Voice

We advocate for you in our nation’s capital.

Advocacy
NCSL is your voice, the voice of state legislatures, in Washington, D.C. We work to protect state sovereignty and flexibility, fight against unfunded mandates and oppose unwarranted federal pre-emption of state authority. NCSL is a respected, effective and influential advocate for you.

Standing Committees
You can get involved through NCSL’s Standing Committees. They meet twice a year so legislators and staff can benefit from the experiences of other states in shaping public policy, experimenting with new laws, and managing the legislative institution.

Committee members explore state issues and develop policy directives and resolutions on state-federal issues to guide NCSL's work in Washington, D.C. Legislative leaders appoint members to NCSL committees.

Resources

• Capitol to Capitol newsletter on what’s happening in Congress that affects the states.
• Letters to Congress, the administration and federal agencies stating the needs of the states.
• Meetings where members of the Standing Committees dive into state and federal issues.
• NCSL’s policy directives.
• Standing Committees.

Get Involved

You keep NCSL strong.

10 easy ways to get involved with NCSL

All state legislators and legislative staff are automatically members of NCSL. Experience the many resources and benefits NCSL has to offer. Be sure to get the most out of your NCSL membership by becoming involved. Here’s how:

• Update your member profile.
• Sign up for policy newsletters.
• Connect with @NCSLorg on Facebook and Twitter.
• Call NCSL policy staff to request information.
• Read State Legislatures News and magazine.
• Search 50-state bill databases.
• Contact your dedicated state liaison.
• Register for a training or policy webinar.
• Network with colleagues at the annual Legislative Summit.
• Listen to the “Our American States” podcast.