Sen. Chipman to serve on NCSL Health & Human Services Committee

Sen. Ben Chipman, D-Portland, has been appointed to the National Conference on State Legislatures’ (NCSL) Health & Human Services Committee by the President of the Senate.

“I am glad I’ll be able to bring my experience on Maine’s Health and Human Services Committee to my colleagues around the country,” said Sen. Chipman. “I’m also looking forward to learning what other states are doing in this field and bringing good new ideas back to our state.”

NCSL is a national organization that serves the interests of state legislatures by providing states support, ideas, and connections for policy and effectiveness. According to its website, the Budgets and Revenue Committee examines federal and state policies with fiscal implications, including: funding for services and programs; budget processes; tax and revenue systems; legislative oversight; unfunded mandates; and state-local fiscal relations, and to promote the exchange of ideas and information. It is one of nine standing committees and is responsible for protecting the states’ interests in federal decisions regarding fiscal matters including annual action on the federal budget.

Committees meet two times each year and allow legislators and staff to benefit from the experiences of other states in shaping public policy, experimenting with new laws, and managing the legislative institutions. They develop policy directives and resolutions on state-federal issues to guide NCSL’s lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C.