National Conference of State Legislatures

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National Conference of State Legislatures
NCSL logo.jpg
Basic facts
Location:Washington, D.C. andDenver, Colorado
Type:501(c)(3)
Affiliation:Bipartisan
Top official:Rep.Brian Patrick Kennedy (D-Rhode Island), President
Year founded:1975
Website:Official website

TheNational Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) is a bipartisan organization of state legislatures that was established in 1975. According to its website, the organization "represents the legislatures in the states, territories and commonwealths of the U.S."[1] The organization is headquartered inWashington, D.C. andDenver, Colorado.

Background

The NCSL was founded in 1975 and emerged from three separate organizations that represented the interests of state legislators and legislative staff.[1] According to its website, NCSL's mission is "to advance the effectiveness, independence and integrity of legislatures and to foster interstate cooperation and facilitate the exchange of information among legislatures."[2]

Leadership

As of December 2025, the following were listed on the organization's website as part of its leadership:

  • Rep.Marcus C. Evans Jr. (D-Illinois),President
  • Sen.Barry Usher (R-Montana),President-Elect
  • Sen.Bob Duff (D-Connecticut),Vice President
  • Sen.Wayne Harper (R-Utah), President Emeritus
  • Lonnie Edgar, Staff Chair
  • Aurora Hauke, Staff Vice Chair
  • John Snyder, Immediate Past Staff Chair

Work and activities

As of December 2025, NCSL's website said the following:[3]

“NCSL provides objective, fact- and evidence-based (nonpartisan) research, technical assistance, skills training, and other resources to support the policymaking process. As a respected, effective and influential advocate for states, NCSL is the voice of state legislatures and a formidable lobbying force in Washington, D.C.
  • Research and Policy: NCSL tracks 1,400-plus issue areas and offers unbiased, comprehensive answers to policy, legislative and leadership questions. Our experts provide testimony directly to legislative committees.
  • Legislators: NCSL supports legislators with trusted research, new ideas, and connections to other legislators across the states. We have the resources to make you a better legislator.
  • Legislative Staff: NCSL provides a one-stop shop for professional development and connections to legislative staffers around the country and is home to nine professional staff associations and other staff networks.
  • In D.C.: NCSL engages with members of Congress and the administration on state-federal priorities, advocates on behalf of state legislatures, and brings legislators to Washington D.C. for critical meetings.
  • Training: Receive custom, experiential training, both in-person and virtual, on a wide range of topics to increase skill development and accelerate professional growth.
  • Find Your State Liaison: Each state legislature has a dedicated NCSL liaison who serves as your personal connection to the organization, ready to coordinate services such as training, custom research and expert testimony.
  • Caucus and Networks: NCSL connects groups of legislators, staff and the international community to foster peer learning and networking.[4]
”

Affiliated programs

NCSL Foundation for State Legislatures

In 1982, the NCSL created the NCSL Foundation for State Legislatures. The foundation's mission is as follows:[5]

“

The NCSL Foundation for State Legislatures is committed to the important work of strengthening state legislatures, counteracting cynicism and distrust of the legislative process and helping lawmakers confront and solve the critical issues of our time through a public-private dialogue.[4]

”

Finances

The following is a breakdown of the National Conference of State Legislatures' revenues and expenses from XXXX to XXXX. The information comes fromProPublica.

National Conference of State Legislatures financial data 2014-2023
YearRevenueExpenses
2014$3.1 million$3.1 million
2015$3.2 million$3.2 million
2016$3.2 million$3.3 million
2017$3.2 million$3.2 million
2018$3.6 million$3.6 million
2019$3.9 million$3.8 million
2020$4.2 million$4.2 million
2021$3.5 million$3.5 million
2022$5.8 million$4.2 million
2023$7.9 million$8.5 million

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the termsNational Conference of State Legislatures. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also

External links

Footnotes

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