Climate science, policy, politics, and action
Witness
On Wednesday, March 26, 2014, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology will hold a hearing to review President Obama’s proposed fiscal year 2015 (FY15) budget request for programs and science agencies under the Committee’s jurisdiction.
Dr. John P. Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), will review the proposed budget in the context of the President’s overall priorities in science, space, and technology and will describe how the Administration determined priorities for funding across scientific disciplines and agencies.
Witness
The following web links are highlights of the President’s FY 2015 budget request:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/Fy%202015%20R&D.pdf
The following web links provides highlights U.S. Global Change Research Program, clean energy programs, and climate change initiatives in the President’s FY 2015 budget request:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/FY%202015%20Climate.pdf
The following web link provides highlights of the Administration’s STEM education programs in the President’s FY 2015 budget request:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/fy_2015_stem_ed.pdf
The following web link provides highlights of the Administration’s proposals for investing in American Innovation in the President’s FY 2015 budget request:
On Wednesday, March 19, the White House, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will host an event highlighting the Administration’s commitment to empower America’s communities with the information they need to prepare for the impacts of climate change. The event will include new announcements from Federal agencies, businesses, researchers, academia, and others to deploy data-driven technologies and leverage freely available open government data to build products and services that strengthen our Nation’s ability to prepare for the effects of climate change today and in the future.
The Obama Administration recognizes that even as we act to curb the carbon pollution that is driving climate change, we must also improve our ability to prepare for climate impacts that are already occurring across the country. The insights gathered from scientific data are essential to help communities and businesses better understand and manage the risks associated with climate change. The cutting-edge technologies built by American innovators and businesses must be harnessed in order to unleash the insights of science in ways that directly benefit communities on the front lines of climate change.
Over the past few years, the Obama Administration has launched a series of Open Data Initiatives, which have released troves of valuable data that were previously hard to access in areas such as energy, health, education, public safety, and global development. These data are being used by innovators, businesses, researchers, and the public to create new services and applications that benefit Americans.
The event will also feature remarks, presentations, and demonstrations of data-driven tools by private-sector technology companies, communities, scientists, and other climate experts.
MEDIA REGISTRATION: This event is OPEN PRESS. Media wishing to cover this event must RSVP. Press holding White House hard passes must send their name, media outlet, phone, and email, to [email protected], by Wednesday, March 19, at 12:00PM ET, with the subject line “CLIMATE.” Press not holding White House hard passes must include their full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, gender, country of citizenship, and current city and state of residence. All press will enter the White House at the Northwest Gate.
Witnesses:
Panel 1:
Panel 2:
Karen Alderman Harbert President and CEO Institute for 21st Century Energy U.S. Chamber of Commerce Washington, DC
Dr. James Hansen Director of the Program on Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions Adjunct Professor Columbia University Earth Institute New York, NY
Michael Brune Executive Director Sierra Club San Francisco, CA
General, USMC, (Ret.) James L. Jones President Jones Group International Washington, DC
The witness will be The Honorable Shaun Donovan, Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Additional witnesses may be announced at a later date.
On March 10, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and many other senators of the Climate Action Task Force will be pulling an all-nighter to urge Congress to wake up to climate change. The speeches begin immediately following votes.
The 31 participants representing 21 states include:
At the Grand Hyatt.
7:30am – 3:00pm Registration
8:00am – 9:15am Plenary Breakfast with State Sen. Mark Green
(R-Tenn.-22)
9:30am – 2:00pm ALEC Exhibition Hall Open
9:30am – 10:45am Workshops (Topics TBA)
11:00am – 12:15pm Workshops (Topics TBA)
12:30pm – 2:15pm Plenary Lunch with Gov. Mike Pence (R-Ind.)
2:30pm – 5:30pm Civil Justice Task Force Meeting
2:30pm Welcome and Introductions
2:45pm Task Force Update and Sunset Review Overview
2:55pm State Legal Reform Activity Update
3:05pm PRESENTATION: Insights and Experiences from the Phantom Damages Elimination Act
3:20pm Model Legislation: Update to the Non-Economic Damages Act
3:30pm PRESENTATION: Reforming Archaic Discovery Rules on the Federal Level
3:45pm Model Legislation: The Citizen Participation Act [Anti-SLAPP]
4:05pm PRESENTATION: Patent Trolling Litigation: What Can the States Do?
4:20pm PRESENTATION: Asbestos Bankruptcy Trust Reform: Fighting Fraud and Preserving Resources
4:35pm Model Legislation: Punitive Damages Standards Act
4:55pm Model Legislation: Update to the Private Enforcement of Consumer Protection Statutes Act
5:10pm Roundtable Open Discussion: New Issues in Lawsuit Reform Around the Country
5:25pm For the Good of the Order
5:30pm Adjournment
2:30pm – 5:30pm Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Meeting
2:30 Call to Order, Welcome and Introductions by Task Force chairs, Rep. Dawn Pettengill, Iowa, and Mr. Emory Wilkerson, State Farm Insurance
Approval of Minutes from 2013 Annual Meeting
Subcommittee Reports: Labor and Business Regulation; Transportation and Infrastructure; Surety Insurance; Financial Services
2:45 Model Policy Consideration: Public Employee Choice Act
3:05 Panel: Insuring the Future – Autonomous Vehicles and the Insurance Industry
4:05 Presentation: Common Sense in Regulating Cosmetic Services Treatments
4:35 Presentation: Minimum Wage Debate Across the States
5:15 Model Policy Consideration: Amendments to ALEC’s Resolution on Business and Franchise Agreement Legislation scheduled to sunset
5:30 Adjournment
2:30pm – 5:30pm Communications and Technology Task Force Meeting with FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai
2:30pm Welcome
Approval of the Minutes from the ALEC 40th Annual Meeting
Subcommittee Reports and Director’s Announcements
Keynote Presentation by FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai
Spotlight on the States Panel: “Promoting Broadband, Protecting Privacy, and Growing E-Commerce in the States”Electronic Data Privacy Protection Act
Statement of Principles for Cybersecurity
Draft Resolution Affirming the Digital Right to Repair
Consumer Protection Through Disclosure of Digital Rights Model Act
21st Century Technology Issues Panel: “What State Policymakers Need to Know About Congress, Startups, Copyright, and Emerging Technologies”
Model Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Law
Statement of Principles for the Electronic Communications Privacy Act
Resolution Supporting the Efforts of the Telehealth Working Group
New Business
5:30pm Adjourn
2:30pm – 5:30pm Education Task Force Meeting
2:30pm – 5:30pm Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Task Force Meeting
2:30 Call to Order, Welcome, and Introductions
2:35 Presentation: EPA Approaches to Regulate Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Power Plants
2:50 Model Legislation: Resolution in Opposition to EPA’s Plan to Regulate Greenhouse Gases under the Clean Air Act
3:10 Model Legislation: Resolution Concerning EPA Proposed Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards for New and Existing Fossil-Fueled Power Plants
3:30 Presentation: Natural Gas as a Motor Fuel
3:45 Presentation: Alarmism and the Science of Chemical Risk
4:00 Model Legislation: Updating Net Metering Policies Resolution
4:20 New Member Introduction: America’s Natural Gas Alliance
4:35 Annual Model Bill Review
4:55 Presentation: EPA’s Adversarial Oversight of States’ Regulatory Regimes for “Fracking,” and What It Means for the Future
5:10 Discussion: Gauging Interest for Future Natural Gas, Hydraulic Fracturing, and Pipeline Symposium
5:25 For the Good of the Order
5:30 Adjournment
3:00pm – 5:30pm Exhibitor Teardown
5:30pm – 6:30pm Chairs Reception
7:00pm-11:00pm State Night (Contact Your State Chair)
At the Grand Hyatt.
7:00am – 7:00pm Registration
8:00am – 9:15am Plenary Breakfast with Gov. Matt Mead (R-Wyo.)
9:30am – 5:00pm ALEC Exhibition Hall Open
9:30am – 10:45am Workshops (Topics TBA)
11:00am – 12:15pm Workshops (Topics TBA)
12:30pm – 2:15pm Plenary Lunch with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)
2:30pm – 5:30pm Justice Performance Project Task Force Meeting
2:30pm – 5:30pm Health and Human Services Task Force Meeting
2:30pm – 5:30pm Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Meeting
2:30 Call to Order, Welcome, and Introductions
2:35 Old Business – Approval of Annual Meeting Minutes
2:40 A Report from the Public Pension Reform Working Group
2:45 A Report from the Fiscal Policy Reform Working Group
2:50 Budgeting for Priorities in Indiana
3:05 Update from Washington
3:35 The Crossroads of Federal and State Budgets
3:45 The Possible Consequences of a State Fiscal Emergency
3:55 State Economic Principles
4:05 New Research on State Pension Funds
4:15 Appropriation by Litigation
4:25 2014 Legislative Session Preview
4:40 Update on Multi-State Tax Policy
4:50 Discriminatory Sales Taxes
5:00 Consideration of Proposed Model LegislationResolution to Reduce the State’s Dependence on Federal Funds
Federal Funds Commission Act
Statement of Principles on States’ Dependence on Federal Funds
5:15 Model Legislation for Five Year Review Process
Constitutional Amendment Restricting the Use of Vehicle Fees and Taxes for Highway Purposes
Resolution to Oppose NCCUSL Effort to rewrite the Uniform Division of Income for Tax Purposes
Resolution to Permanently Repeal the Federal Unified Gift and Estate Tax 
Resolution Urging Congress to Reject “Windfall Profits” Taxes on Energy Companies
Resolution Urging Congress to Update Tax Treatment of Cell Phones
Statement of Principles for Model State Laws to Encourage Philanthropic Creation and Operation
Statement of Principles on Philanthropic Freedom
Resolution Urging Congress to Eliminate Discriminatory State and Local Taxes on Automobile Renters
5:25 New Business
5:30 Adjournment
2:30pm – 5:30pm International Relations Task Force Meeting
6:00pm – 7:30pm Jingle Bell Rock: The ALEC
Holiday Party
At the Grand Hyatt.
7:00am – 6:00pm Registration
7:00am – 9:00am Exhibitor Set Up
7:30am – 11:30am Subcommittee Meetings of the Communications and
Technology Task Force
7:30am – 8:00am E-Commerce Subcommittee
7:30am Welcome and Introductions
7:35am Presentation – “Bitcoin: Primer for Policymakers”
7:45am Policy Discussion: Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
8:00am Adjourn8:05am – 8:35am Innovation Subcommittee
8:05am Welcome and Introductions
8:10am Presentation – State University Public-Private Partnerships: how state universities help businesses deliver market-ready solutions
8:35am Adjourn8:40am – 9:25am Information Technology Subcommittee
8:40 am Welcome and Introductions
8:45am Policy Discussion on Resolution to Support the Work of the Telehealth Working Group on Interstate Compact
8:55am Policy Discussion on Draft Resolution Affirming the Digital Right to Repair
9:05am Policy Discussion on An Act Protecting Digital Equipment Owners and Small Businesses in Repairing Digital Electronic Equipment
9:15am Policy Discussion on Consumer Protection Through Disclosure of Digital Rights Model Act9:30am – 10:10am Consumer Protection, Critical Infrastructure, and Security Technologies Subcommittee
9:30am Welcome and Introductions
9:35am Presentation — Critical Infrastructure: securing the nation’s backbone
Policy Discussion on Statement of Principles for Cybersecurity
Policy Discussion on Statement of Principles for the Electronic Communications Privacy Act
10:10am Adjourn10:15am – 11:15am Broadband Subcommittee of the Communications and Technology Task Force
10:15am Welcome and Introductions
10:20am Presentation – Interconnection: Technology and Policy
11:15am Adjourn
8:00am – 11:00am Subcommittee Meeting of the Education Task Force
8:00am Welcome and Introductions
8:10am Review of the Operating Procedures
8:20am Introduce New Subcommittee: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education 8:30am K-12 Education ReformProposed Model Bills for Consideration
Early Intervention Program Act
K-1 Technology-Based Reading Intervention for English Learners Act
Course Choice Act
Student Achievement Backpack Act
Student Futures Program Act
Technical Amendments
The Foster Child Scholarship Program Act
The Education Savings Account Act
Sunset Review
Personal Financial Literacy Act (2009)
10:00am Presentations
“Student-Focused Funding Solutions for Public Education”
“Public Education Appropriations in North Dakota”
10:30am Policy Priorities Discussion
Higher Education
Digital Learning 11:00am Good of the Order/Adjournment
8:00am – 10:15am Subcommittee Meetings of the International Relations Task Force and Federalism Working Group
8:00am – 9:00am Federalism Subcommittee
9:15am – 10:15am Intellectual Property Subcommittee
9:00am – 11:30am Subcommittee Meetings of the Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force
9:00am – 10:15am Labor and Business Regulation Subcommittee of the Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force
9:00am Welcome and Introductions by Representative Gary Daniels, New Hampshire, Public Sector Chair and Mr. F. Vincent Vernuccio, Mackinac Center, Private Sector Chair
9:05am Proposed Model Legislation: Discussion and Advisory Vote on the Private Certification Act
9:25am Proposed Model Legislation: Discussion and Advisory Vote on the Public Employee Choice Act
9:40am Proposed Model Legislation: Discussion and Advisory Vote on the Resolution against Legislation that Interferes with Business Agreements
10:05am Discussion and Advisory Vote on the Amendments to ALEC’s Resolution on Business and Franchise Agreement Legislation
10:10am For the Good of the Order
10:15am Adjournment10:30am – 11:30am Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee of the Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force
10:30am Welcome and Introductions by Mr. Jim Kvedaras, CN, Private Sector Chair and Public Sector Chair TBA
10:35am “Let’s Get Moving: How America Finances its Different Modes of Transportation”: Moving our nation’s people and products is of vital importance to the American economy, and it is imperative that different modes of transportation are able to seamlessly work together. Come hear from a panel of industry experts how America finances the different modes of transportation—surface, rail, aviation, and waterways — and how state policymakers can create an environment in which they can work together to further America’s economic growth.
11:10am Proposed Model Legislation: Discussion and Advisory Vote on Resolution on Autonomous Vehicle Legislation and Regulation
11:25am For the Good of the Order
11:30am Adjournment
9:45am – 11:30am Subcommittee Meetings of the Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Task Force
9:45am – 11:15am EPA Strategy Session of the Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Task Force
9:45am Call to Order, Welcome, and Introductions
9:50am Discussion of strategies legislative and private sector members can employ to address EPA’s rulemaking to limit greenhouse gas emissions from new and existing power plants
11:15am Adjournment
10:00am – 11:00am Subcommittee Meetings of the Civil Justice Task Force
10:00am – 11:00am Workers’ Compensation Subcommittee
10:00am Welcome and Introductions
10:30am Discussion: Developing Guidelines for Workers’ Compensation Reform
11:00am Adjourn
9:00am – 5:00pm ALEC Exhibition Hall Open
9:00am – 11:00am State Chairs Meeting
11:00am – 12:00pm New Members and Attendees Orientation
11:30am – 1:15pm Opening Luncheon with Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.)
1:30pm – 2:45pm Workshops (Topics TBA)
3:00pm – 4:15pm Workshops (Topics TBA)
5:30pm – 7:00pm Thomas Jefferson Reception with Rep. Paul Ryan
(R-Wisc.)
9:00pm – 11:00pm Hats Off to Texas: A 41st Annual Meeting Preview
Reception