Law and Criminal Justice Committee Agenda - 2012 Fall Forum (As of November 26, 2012)

View the Full Fall Forum Agenda

Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday

Tuesday, December 4

Pre-Conferences / Task Forces

Orientation for Standing Committee Officers
Standing Committee Officers Steering Committee Meeting

The steering committee consists of the overall standing committee officers and the legislator and staff co-chairs of the individual committees.  Review plans for this Forum, policy directives and resolutions for consideration, and the rules of procedure in the committees and business meeting.

Plenary Session -- Marketplace Fairness Act -- Now or Never!

Off-site at Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room SDG50 (Senate Auditorium). 

Individual Meetings with Members of Congress

Legislative Staff Briefing:  Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

You'll learn how the CBO produces independent, nonpartisan, analysis of economic and budgetary issues to support the Congressional budget process, and the variety of ways it provides information to Congress.  Tour will depart from the lobby of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.  Photo ID and pre-registration required. 

Legislative Staff Briefing:  Congressional Research Service (CRS) Briefing and the Library of Congress

Learn how CRS provides policy and legal analysis to committees and members of both the House and Senate, the resources and technologies they use, and the products and services they provide.  Discuss several current policy issues, followed by a briefing and a guided tour of the Library of Congress.  Tour will depart from the lobby of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.  Photo ID and pre-registration required.

Legislative Staff Briefing:  Department of Education Senior Staff Meeting

Meet with senior staff from the Department of Education to discuss current DOE priorities and key education issues facing the states.  Tour will depart from the lobby of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.  Photo ID and pre-registration required.

Legislative Staff Briefing:  National Response Coordination Center (NRCC)

The National Response Coordination Center serves as the sole national point of contact for reporting all oil, chemical, radiological, biological and etiological discharges into the environment anywhere in the United States and its territories.  Hear the National Watch Center director provide an overview of its operations, and attend a tour of both the emergency management and infrastructure related facilities and discuss their role in Superstorm Sandy.  Tour will depart from the lobby of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.  Photo ID and pre-registration required.

Legislative Staff Briefing:  National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Labs Tour 

The NTSB investigates every civil aviation accident in the U.S. and significant accidents in other modes of transportation--railroad, highway, marine and pipeline.  Visit to the NTSB labs' state-of-the-art equipment being used in ongoing accident investigations, and learn about accident processes and see results from prior major investigations.  Tour will depart from the lobby of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.  Photo ID and pre-registration required.

Marketplace Fairness Act Lobbying Debriefing

Reconvene at Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room SDG50 (Senate Auditorium).

Reception at B. Smiths at Union Station -- Sponsored by the Pew Center on the States.  

Thursday, December 6

Law and Criminal Justice Committee
Federal Update and Business Meeting

This session will highlight current issues before Congress, discuss federal budget matters affecting criminal justice and update current initiatives of the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Presiding:

• Assemblymember William C. Horne, Nevada
• Representative Eric Watson, Tennessee

Speaker:

• Susan Parnas Frederick, Senior Federal Affairs Counsel, NCSL, Washington, D.C.
• Kristen Mahoney, Deputy Director - Policy, Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.

Law and Criminal Justice Committee
Responding to Human Trafficking:  Intergovernmental Discussion (Off-Site)

Meet with White House officials responsible for federal strategies to address human trafficking, discuss intergovernmental approaches to deter, respond and provide services.  This is an off-site meeting, and participation is limited to state legislators and staff.  Advance sign-up is required and space is limited.  Contact Jennifer.Arguinzoni@ncsl.org.

Plenary Luncheon:  Human Trafficking
Plenary Speaker:  Mira Sorvino

Law and Criminal Justice Committee
Pretrial Release and Supervision  (CLE)

State interest is growing in how to make pretrial release more safe, effective and cost effective.  Session will discuss state policies to make use of pretrial risk assessment, to apply conditions to release and to provide strong supervision and services.

Presiding/Panelist:

• Representative Eric Watson, Tennessee

Panelist:

• Clifford T. Keenan, Esq., Pretrial Services Agency for the District of Columbia, Washington, D.C.
• Representative John C. Tilley, Kentucky
• Rich Williams, Policy Associate, NCSL Criminal Justice Program

Law and Criminal Justice Committee
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection
(Joint session with the Communications, Financial Services and Interstate Commerce Committee and the Energy, Transportation and Agriculture Committee)

Critical infrastructure is essential to the nation's economy and homeland security.  This session will discuss federal and state strategies, as well as the need for collaboration to protect cyber space and to identify potential threats on our banking, energy, water supply, transportation and other major systems.  

Presiding:

• Senator Thomas John Wyss, Indiana

Speaker:

• Michael Balboni, RedLand Strategies, New York, New York
• Kelvin Coleman, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.
• Bridger McGaw, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.

Steering Committee (Standing Committee Officers)

Reception

Plenary Breakfast:  Partisan Gridlock -- Is There a Solution?

Speakers:

• Former U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan, North Dakota
• Former U.S. Senator Trent Lott, Mississippi

Law and Criminal Justice Committee
Supreme Court Update  (CLE)

This session will highlight important issues before the court this term, including affirmative action, same-sex marriage, voter ID and other cases with federalism implications.

Presiding: 

• Assemblymember William C. Horne, Nevada

Speakers: 

• Lisa Soronen, Executive Director, State and Local Legal Center, Washington, D.C.
• Geoffrey P. Eaton, Partner, Winston & Strawn LLP, Washington, D.C.