What’s Happening at CSG
WHAT’S
HAPPENING AT CSG
Save the Date for the CSG National Conference Reimagined As a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, The Council of State Governments (CSG) cancelled its in-person national conference in 2020. In its place, CSG will host daily virtual programming from Monday, Oct. 26 through Friday, Dec. 18. Special online sessions will include topics on Medicaid, the impact of federal elections on state government and youth with disabilities transitioning to the workplace, as well as policy academies on sustainability and cybersecurity. Visit our national conference website for a full agenda and links to register: web.csg.org/2020.
New Resources Help Policymakers Create Successful Programs for Youth with Disabilities CSG National Task Forces Finalize Recommendations Two national task forces established by The Council of State Governments (CSG) in 2018 will release their findings in December. The CSG Future of Work National Task Force, chaired by Kansas state Sen. Carolyn McGinn and Colorado state Sen. Nancy Todd, and the CSG Healthy States National Task Force, chaired by Delaware state Sen. Bryan Townsend and Tennessee state Sen. Bo Watson, met virtually over the summer for the final time to conclude discussions and begin to finalize the findings of the eight subcommittees — four on each task force. The task forces’ recommendations to the states will be published in two reports and distributed at the end of 2020. To learn more about national task forces, visit csg.org.
ISSUE 4 2020 | CAPITOL IDEAS
Legislative Leaders Attend Virtual Medicaid Policy Academy
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CSG convened its Medicaid Leadership Academy for state legislators who serve in leadership positions on health-related committees virtually on Sept. 23-25. The program, designed for legislators who are familiar with the basics of Medicaid policy and are interested in examining more complex issues, featured expert speakers on the topics of the impact of COVID-19 on state Medicaid programs, flexibility with 1115 waivers, the race for a COVID-19 vaccine and the emerging issue of maternal health. More than 40 attendees interacted with peers from around the country as well as presenters from state Medicaid programs, federal agencies, public policy think tanks and health care provider communities. To learn more about CSG virtual programming, visit web. csg.org/forum.
The Council of State Governments launched several online resources for The Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth (CAPE-Youth), a program in partnership with the K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Institute on Employment Disability at Cornell University and the Transitions to Adult Center for Research at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. This center works to improve employment outcomes for youth and young adults with disabilities by helping states build capacity in state youth service delivery and workforce systems. These new online resources, including its Guideposts for Success, provide legislators, policymakers and administrators with practical outlines and solutions to ensure access and opportunity for young people with disabilities who are transitioning from school to employment. To access these resources, visit capeyouth.org.
Fail-Safe Task Force Issues Recommendations for Counting Votes from Overseas U.S. Citizens As cases of COVID-19 continued to climb across the country, states had to find alternative ways for voters to cast ballots in elections throughout the year. There were more than 3 million Americans living abroad in 2016, and only about 7% of them voted in the federal election. In an effort to help eliminate barriers to voting, the CSG Overseas Voting Initiative assembled a working group in 2020 to address increasing global mail disruptions and the impact these would have on American citizens living and working abroad as they cast ballots in November. Comprised of 27 state and local election officials from across the nation, this working group compiled a list of available options for states to examine as a fail-safe for overseas voters in order to help prevent potential disenfranchisement. View the recommendations at ovi.csg.org/failsaferecommendations.
