The NCSL Standing Committees provide a forum for legislators and legislative staff to exchange information about developments in the states and to determine NCSL's formal policy positions. Their jurisdictions are similar to those of committees in state legislatures. They are made up of legislators and legislative staff from the 50 states and the territories. Legislator members of the committees are appointed for two-year terms following the fall elections by the presiding officer or other appointing authority of each legislative chamber. Legislative staff members to the committees are appointed by their staff directors or other appointing authority. Legislative staff typically serve until they are replaced or resign.

The work of the committees is guided by legislator and legislative staff officers, who are named each year by the NCSL President and Staff Chair. The committee members and the officers are listed on the individual committee web pages. The searchable Standing Committee Directory provides access to the names of legislators and legislative staff currently serving on NCSL committees.

Legislator and legislative staff committee members have an equal role in governance, planning programs and discussions for the standing committees. The only exception to this is that the NCSL by-laws prohibit legislative staff from voting on matters of public policy. Legislative staff participate in discussions about proposed policy statements and resolutions and serve as resources in policy discussions. Voting on resolutions, though, remains a prerogative of the legislators. The Standing Committee Officers Manual provides detailed information about the NCSL committee system and the rules and procedures for conducting committee business and adopting policy statements.

Each fall, NCSL conducts an orientation meeting for newly appointed committee officers to discuss the structure and operation of the committees, the responsibilities of officers and the rules and procedures that govern the development of committee policy. The 2010 Standing Committee Officers Orientation Webinar, includes the PowerPoint presentation.

NCSL Standing Committees & Task Forces

Overview

Agriculture and Energy

Budgets and Revenue

Communications, Financial Services and Interstate Commerce

Education

Environment

Health

Human Services and Welfare

Labor and Economic Development

Law and Criminal Justice

Legislative Effectiveness

Redistricting and Elections

Transportation

Task Forces

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Picture of cherry blossums in Washington, D.C.

State-Federal Relations and Standing Committees

NCSL is nationally recognized as a formidable lobbying force in Washington, D.C. Year-in and year-out, the organization effectively works to enhance the role of states and state legislatures in the federal system. We oppose unfunded federal mandates and preemption of state authority, and seek to provide state legislatures the flexibility they need to innovate and be responsive to the unique needs of the residents of each state.

These state-federal activities are guided by NCSL's 12 standing committees. These committees develop the official policy statements that determine our positions on the wide range of federal actions that affect the states. In addition, they are fertile venues for sharing ideas about policy and legislative management innovations in state legislatures. The committees, whose jurisdictions are similar to those of committees in state legislatures, are made up of legislators and legislative staff from the 50 states and the territories. Their work is guided by legislator and legislative staff officers, who are named each year by the NCSL President and Staff Chair.

The committees meet three times each year--at Fall Forum, the Spring Forum and the annual NCSL Legislative Summit. The meetings feature speakers from Congress and federal agencies, as well as experts on state issues. Each meeting also includes debate on the state-federal position statements developed by the committees.

The committees have support from NCSL staff in the Washington and Denver offices. The staff produce various documents related to both state and federal matters, including, research and analysis on federal and state issues, action and information alerts, legislative summaries, side-by-side charts, 50-state surveys and committee e-mail list serves. The state-federal work is highlighted each week in Capitol to Capitol, which is e-mailed and faxed to legislative leaders, committee members and others.

Listen to the 2010 webinar that discusses the NCSL Standing Committees and reviewed committee rules and procedures. Here are the PowerPoint presentations that were presented in the webinar.

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