Directory of Webinars for Legislative Staff

NCSL Webinars and Recorded Presentations Sorted by Topic

These are webinars and other recorded presentations that will be of particular interest to legislative staff.

COVID-19

• COVID-19: State and Federal Public Health Responses (March 24, 2020)
• COVID-19: Continuity of State Government and Elections (March 25, 2020)
• COVID-19: Fiscal and Economic Issues (March 27, 2020)
• COVID-19 Workforce and Labor Issues (March 31, 2020)
• COVID-19: Education, Child Care and Nutrition (April 3, 2020)
• COVID-19: Critical Energy Infrasturcture (April 7, 2020)
• COVID-19: Mobilizing a Safe and Adequate Health Workforce (May 6, 2020)
• COVID-19: How’s It Changing Elections? (May 6, 2020)
• COVID-19: Ensuring Adequate Health Care Facilities (May 13, 2020)
• COVID-19: Manufacturing Our Way to Economic Recovery (June 10, 2020)
• COVID-19: Maintaining Child Vaccination Rates During a Pandemic (June, 22, 2020)
• COVID-19: Mortgage and Foreclosure Issues (July 8, 2020)
• COVID-19: Lending to American Consumers (July 15, 2020)
• COVID-19: Consumer Credit and Data (July 29, 2020)
• What New and Small Businesses Need from Policymakers in COVID-19 | Sponsored by the Kauffman Foundation (Sept. 9, 2020)
• Examining Diversity in COVID-19 Clinical Trials (Sept. 30, 2020)
• Chronic Disease Management During COVID-19 (Oct. 7, 2020)
• Health Disparities in COVID-19 (Oct. 14, 2020)

Agriculture

• The Next Farm Bill: A Primer (May 2018)

Banking

• NLPES Webinar on Utah Methods to Test Payday Lending Regulation (March 2018)

Bill Drafting

• The Problem With Lists (September 2019)
• Statutory Construction and Interpretation (September 2019)
• Why an Editor is Your Fiend, We Mean Friend (September 2019)
• The Drafting Manual as a Tool for Statutory Interpretation (September 2017)
• Federal and State Pre-emption Basics: What Every Drafter Ought to Know  (July 2016)
• Drafting in Plain Language—Leaving Legalese Behind (May 2016)
• Client Interaction for Legislative Drafters  (December 2015)
• New Drafter Training | What Does that Mean? Crafting and Using Definitions in Statutes (June 2014)
• Bill Drafting: Using Shall Carefully for Clearer Laws (December 2014)

Children and Families

• Optimizing Child Welfare Financing through Legislative Action (June 29, 2021)
• America Rescue Plan: Addressing Youth and Young Adult Homelessmess and Economic Insecurity (June 24, 2021)
• Prenatal-to-3: Translating the Science and Evidence to State Policy (February 2020)
• A Cornerstone of the Foster Care System: Foster Families (September 2018)
• Family First Prevention Services Act Briefing (April 2018)

Civic Education

• Revitalizing Civics Education in American Schools (July 2018)

Criminal Justice

• Supreme Court Police Cases | Presented by the International Municipal Lawyers Association (July 2019)
• Juvenile Life Without Parole | Miller v. Alabama—States Respond (March 2013) 

Editing

• Need a Well-Structured Sentence? Use an Old Tool for a Modern Job (November 2011)   

Education

Early Learning

• Early Learning Fellows 2019 Webinar Series (August 2019)
• Early Learning Fellows 2019 Webinar Series (July 2019)
• A Look at Prekindergarten Across the Country (August 2018)
• 2018 Early Learning Fellows Webinar Series (July 2018)
• Early Learning Systems: International Trends and Good Practices (June 2018)

Funding and School Choice Issues

• School Vouchers: Legal and Constitutional Issues (April 2013) 
• How States and the Federal Government Support Higher Education Through the Tax Code (April 2017)

Teaching and General Education Issues

• Student-Centered Learning: A Review of the Research  (January 2020)
• Student-centered Learning for All Learners (April 2019)
• ESSA State Plan and Legislation Database (February 2019)
• Addressing the Educational Needs of Children and Youth in Foster Care (February 2019)
• Support for Teachers and Leaders in Student-Centered learning Environments (November 2018)
• Afterschool Program Quality: What States are Doing to Help Drive Quality Forward (May 2018)
•  Performance-based Assessments for Teaching and Learning: The New Hampshire Approach (April 2018)
• CareerWise: Colorado Youth Apprenticeship Inspired by Swiss VET (March 2018)
• Lessons from World-Class Career-Technical Education Systems: Vocational Education and Training in Switzerland (February 2018)
• High-Quality Professional Learning for Teachers (May 2017)
• Transforming Teacher Prep: States Leading the Way (May 2017)
• Overview of K-12 Competency-Based Education (May 2017)
• Teaching & Learning: A New Call for Action (April 2017)
• U.S. Student Performance on PISA: What Legislators Need to Know (February 2017)

Elections

• What is an election audit? (July 20, 2021)
• Elections Cybersecurity (from a Legislative Perspective) (March 18, 2020)
• Webinar: Voting: What Changed in 2020? (Feb. 25, 2020)
• 2020 State Elections: What the Voters Said (Nov. 12 Webinar)
• Moving to All-Mail Elections: Promises and Challenges (May 20, 2020)
• What to Consider When You’re Expecting More Absentee Voting (May 13, 2020)
• 2017 Election Administration Legislation Review (January 2018)
• Primaries and Beyond: The legislative Role (May 2017)
• 2020 Census: How State Legislators Can Make a Difference (December 2017)
• REAL ID: An Update from DHS and Next Steps for States (December 2017)
• Voter ID: What's Next? (Video)—NCSL Legislative Summit 2012 Chicago 

Energy

• Energy Equity and Affordability: State policy action (July 23, 2020)
• Lowering Energy Costs with Non-wires Solutions (September 2019)
• Encouraging Efficiency: Policies to Promote Utility Energy Efficiency (August 2019)
• The Need for an Electric Grid Transformation (June 2019)
• What's the Outlook for Carbon Capture Storage (April 2019)
•  The Growing U.S. Offshore Wind Market (February 2019)
• Growing America’s Economy with Energy Efficiency (September 2018)
• Sharing the Sun: State Policies for Community Solar (May 2018)
• Energy Storage: Evolution and Revolution on the Electric Grid (March 2018)

Environment

• The Plight of Plastic (June 2019)

Ethics

• Ethics Training for Program Evaluators and Performance Auditors (July 2015)
• Remaining Nonpartisan in an Increasingly Partisan Environment  (April 2014) 

Federal

• Inside the United States Code (June 17, 2021)
• Census Outreach: What States Are Doing (May 2019)

Financial Services and Commerce

• The Fundamentals of Risk Management and Insurance: Viewed Through the Lens of Emerging Technology | Part II (June 2018)

Fiscal

• How States Can Help Small Businesses Recover from the Pandemic (De. 9. 2020)
• Budget and Tax Update (Nov. 12 Webinar)
• Budget, Taxes, and Pensions, Oh My! (Oct. and Nov. Webinar Series)
• Fiscal 50: How Does Your State Rank? (March 2018)

General Legal Issues

• 2020 Webinar on Consumer Data Privacy (Sept. 22, 2020)
• Cybertechnology and the Law (July 2017)
• Copyright Issues for a Legislative Audience: Copy Rights and Copy Wrongs (webinar) 
• Legal Implications for Social Media (Video) – NCSL Legislative Summit 2013 Atlanta (2013)

General Professional Development

Webinars covering soft and hard skills that apply to a broad range of legislative staff. Meant for use in initial onboarding as well as continual skills development training for pre-existing staff.

• LINCS Crisis Communications (Oct. 8, 2020)
• Managing, Leading and Growing During Uncertain Times (May 8, 2020)
• The ABCDE Method: A Tool for Maximizing Productivity (April 2020)
• Tips for Effective Testimony   (January 2020)
• Dealing With Difficulty: Converting Stakeholders and Colleagues Into Allies and Partners (Dec. 2019)
• Keys to an Effective Message – Story Principles, Focused Messaging, and Communication Styles  (November 2019)
• Presentation Skills (September 2019)
• Legislative Committees Integrating Training and Technology (September 2019)
• De-escalation Techniques for the Legislature (January 2019)
• From Chaos to Collaboration: Discovering Consensus Among Competing Interests (September 2018)
• Revitalizing Civics Education in American Schools (July 2018)
• Sexual Harassment Prevention (February 2018)
• Be the Change: Culture Leadership and Self-Reflection (March 2018)
• Tools for Management Coaching (webinar—December 2013)  
• What's New with New Member Orientation (2012)
• Pivot Tables Are Easy (2014)

Presentation Skills

• Make Your Mark: Practical Tools to Expand Your Personal Presence (May 2019)
• Speaking With Authority (November 2017)
• Designing Effective Presentations (Sept. 2017 Facebook LIVE)
• The Keys to an Effective, Engaging Presentation (March 2017) 

Social Media and Online

• Blurry Boundaries in Public Sector Social Media: Defining Clear Interaction Protocols (July 2019)
• Publishing Reports Online (May 2019)
• Beyond the Hashtag—Effective Two-Way Communications With Constituents (February 2019)
• The Power of Podcasting (December 2018)
• LinkedIn for Legislators and Legislative Staff (December 2017 Webinar)
• Courteous and Effective Communication: Social Media and Email (webinar)  

Research and Research Methodology

• 2020's Remarkable Research Methods (Nov. 10, 2020 Webinar)
• NLPES Webinar on Research Methods That Rock (March 2020)
• NLPES Webinar on Utah Methods to Test Payday Lending Regulation (March 2018)
• NLPES Webinar on Two Outstanding Research Methods (May 2017) 
• Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program: A Case Study in Evidence-based Policymaking (May 2016)
• Drugs and Money: The Data Analysis Hurdles and Solutions Involved in Measuring Participant Outcomes and Cost Savings Generated by Expansion Drug Courts (Mar. 2016)
• Researching Legislative History and Intent (webinar)
• Conducting 50-State Research (webinar)  

Technology and Data

• Demystifying the Dark Web (Sept. 10, 2020)
• Tech Tools to Engage Constituents (June 11, 2020)
• Cybersecurity: Would You Like to Play a Game? (March 2020)
• Cybersecurity Inside State Legislatures (May 2019)
• NLPES Webinar on Data Visualization (April 2018)
• Confidential Data Access Issues For Auditors and Evaluators (December 2016)
• Innovating with iPads (Video)—NCSL Legislative Summit 2012 Chicago

Writing

• Writing Memorable Analysis (May 2018)
• Making Readers Care About Your Writing (webinar April 2014)  
• Writing for the Legislative Audience (webinar April 2010) 

Health

• Telehealth: A Flash in the Pan(demic) or Here for the Long Haul? (Aug. 25, 2021)
• Children's Mental Health and Learning: Assessing COVID-19 Impacts and Looking Ahead (July 26, 2021)
• Increasing Access to Rural Behavioral Health (June 4, 2021)
• State Strategies to Reduce Costs and Provide Quality Care for Older Adults and People with Disabilities (May 26, 2021)
• Webinar: Long-Term Services and Supports and COVID-19: Ensuring Access to Services (March 5, 2021)
• Public Health Webinar Series:
  • Public Health Approaches to Children's Oral Health During COVID-19 (Dec. 4, 2020)
  • Pharmacists' Role in Public Health: Increasing Access to Care (Dec. 7, 2020)
  • State Planning for Distribution and Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine (Dec. 11, 2020)
  • Suicide Prevention: A National Lifeline for States (Dec. 14, 2020)
  • State Strategies to Address Adverse Childhood Experiences (Dec. 17, 2020)
  • Saving Moms: Strategies to Reduce Maternal Mortality in the U.S. (Dec. 18, 2020)
  • Policies and Strategies to Address Infectious Diseases (Jan. 6, 2021)
  • Welcome to the Legislature: What You Need to Know about Public Health (Jan. 8, 2021)
  • Connection of Public Health and Behavioral Health (Jan. 15, 2021)
• Helping Students Access Mental Health Services (Oct. 21, 2020)
• For What It's Worth: Exploring Value-based Purchasing Initiatives (Dec. 2019)
• Pregnancy and Oral Health: Healthy Moms and Healthy Babies  (Dec. 2019)
• The Emerging Regulatory and Legislative Landscape of Cell Cultured Meat (June 2019)
• Health Care Waivers: 1332-State Relief and Empowerment Waivers (March 2019)
• Oral Health and Value-Based Care: Connecting the Dots (December 2018)
• Newborn Screenings Webinar (December 2018)
• Opioids & Early Adversity: Connecting Childhood Trauma and Addiction (April 2018)

Immigration

• State Compliance With REAL ID: An Update from DHS (April 2017)
• Immigration: Finally a Federal Fix? 2013 Legislative Summit in Atlanta

Insurance

• Business Interruption Insurance and Pandemics (Feb. 15, 2021)

• Insurance Protection Gaps: A Primer for Public Policymakers (Dec. 2019)

• The Fundamentals of Risk Management and Insurance Webinar (March 2018)

Labor

• Employment & Labor Summer Webinar Series
  • Occupational Licensing
  • Minimum Wage 
  • Unemployment Insurance (July 13, 2021) 
• Manufacturing Our Way into the Future (June 8, 2021)
• Paid Family and Medical Leave Policies in the States (February 2020)
• 2019 Trends in Occupational Licensing  (January 2020)
• Manufacturing as a Career Path: Opportunities and Insights for State Legislators (May 2019)
• State Action on Occupational Licensing (April 2018)

Legal

• Webinar: The American Court System  (May 2018)

Legislative Audit

• Evaluator 101 Training (April 14-15, 2021)
• Innovative Evaluation in New Mexico (Oct. 2019)
• Planning and scoping evaluations. (Nov. 2018)

Legislative Oversight

• Legislative Oversight of Federal Funds: Contingency Planning (2013) 

Natural Resources and Infrastructure

• NRI 2021 Spring Webinar Series:
  • Energy You Can Count On: State & Federal Efforts to Enhance Energy Resilience (April 29, 2021)
  • Agriculture Workforce: Challenges and State and Federal Responses (May 20, 2021)
  • How Can Emerging Data and Technology Help Combat Distracted Driving? (May 27, 2021)
  • State Outdoor Recreation: Climbing to New Heights (June 10, 2021)
  • Energy Security: Planning for Every Threat (June 24, 2021)
• NRI Fall Webinar Series: Is the Clock Running out for Standard Time? (Oct. 22, 2020)
• NRI Fall Webinar Series: Exploring Climate Action Opportunities for Sustainable and Resilient Agriculture (Oct. 8, 2020)
• NRI Fall Webinar Series: Green Means Go? What’s Next for a New Federal Transportation Infrastructure Package (Sept. 9, 2020)
• NRI Fall Webinar Series: Building the 21st Century Energy Workforce (Sept. 10, 2020)
• NRI Spring Webinar Series: What’s Exceptional? State Efforts to Meet Clean Air Standards (June 18, 2020)
• NRI Spring Webinar Series: Solar on Agricultural Lands–Preserving Pollinator Habitat and Soil Health (May 21, 2020)
• NRI Spring Webinar Series: New WOTUS Rule & States Response to Jurisdictional Changes (May 7, 2020)
• Federal Infrastructure Funding for States: An Update While We Wait (June 2018)
• Multilateral Mitigation: State-Federal Collaboration to Build Disaster Resiliency (June 2018)
• Wheels In Motion: VW Settlement Funds (May 2018)

Pensions

• Public Pension Management Tools in Action, Part 2: Borrowing and Other Innovative Approaches to Stabilize Costs and Fill the Gaps (Oct. 29)
• Public Pension Funding Across the 50 States (May 2019)
• Risk and Return: Public Pension Funds’ Complex Investment Strategies (June 2018)
• Don't Stress Out About Pension Stress Testing (May 2018)

Redistricting

• Successfully Handing Off to Election Officials (May 21, 2020)
• A Demographer Looks Ahead (May 19, 2020)
• Building in Bipartisanship (May 14, 2020)
• Developing a Dialogue: Public Input and Legislative Outreach (May 12, 2020)
• Using Millions of Maps (and Statistical Tests) to Evaluate Plans (May 7, 2020)
• Redistricting Criteria: Traditional and Emerging (May 5, 2020)
• Redistricting Data 101 (April 2, 2020)
• Redistricting Software Vendor Presentations (FREE) (April 16, 2020)
• All Things Census (April 21, 2020)
• Emerging Data Topics: Prisoner Reallocation and Citizenship (April 23, 2020)
• Redistricting Law Primer: Foundational Principles & Recent Developments (April 28, 2020)
• Using Data to Comply with the Voting Rights Act (April 30)
• Redistricting Technology: What To Think About As The Next Cycle Approaches (September 2019)
• Redistricting 101 (March 2019)
• Partisanship and Redistricting: What the Supreme Court Has to Say (July 2018)

Supreme Court Previews and Decisions

• Supreme Court Roundup: Part 2 (August 2020)
• Supreme Court Roundup: Part 1 (July 28, 2020)
• May Statutory Annotations be Copyrighted? (November 2019)
• Supreme Court Review | Presented by the State and Local Legal Center
• Supreme Court Series  (July 2018)
• Sports Gambling is Legal, Now What?  (June 2018)
• Supreme Court Redistricting Cases (July 2016)
• Supreme Court Roundup (Video)—NCSL Legislative Summit 2012 Chicago 
• “Active Supervision” After NC Dental  (January 2016)

Taxes

• Emerging State Tax Issues (Nov. 19 Webinar)
• Forecasts Hazy for State Marijuana Tax Revenue (October 2019)
• Approaches to Considering Proposed Tax Incentives (September 2019)
• Opportunity Zones (June 2019)
• Are 'Sin Taxes' Healthy For State Budgets? (July 2018)
• Federal Tax Reform and the States (Jan. 2018)

Telecom

• State Broadband Laws (October 2019)

Transportation

• Countdown to Real ID: Next Steps for States? (February 2020)
• New Transportation Technology: Avoiding a Patchwork (May 2019)
• Helping States Prioritize Traffic Safety Injury Prevention Strategies (May 2019)