# National Conference of State Legislatures *Nonpartisan association of state legislators and legislative staff, established 1975* The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) is an association of sitting state legislators, founded in 1975, that describes itself as a "nonpartisan public officials' association". Its members come from the states, territories and commonwealths of the United States.[^1] It keeps offices in Denver, Colorado, and Washington, D.C.[^2] NCSL's website gives its mission as "to advance the effectiveness, independence and integrity of legislatures and to foster interstate cooperation," with emphasis on state sovereignty and on protection from unfunded federal mandates and federal preemption.[^2] Its eight standing committees set the policy positions that direct its lobbying in Washington.[^3] In the [[Minnesota]] record, NCSL appears through a voter identification summary on its website. As published in 2025, the summary's map entry for Minnesota read "No document required to vote," and its table of voter ID laws in force omitted the state.[^4] The Wikipedia account calls the entry incorrect, and it cites the [[Minnesota Secretary of State]]'s published registration requirements as the basis.[^5] It also records that [[The Minnesota Star Tribune]] relied on NCSL's figure in its coverage of the 2026 primary election.[^6] ## Background NCSL's website, as quoted in the Wikipedia account, also commits the conference to three further aims. These are promoting cooperation between U.S. state legislatures and legislatures in other countries, improving how legislatures are operated and managed, and encouraging "high standards of conduct" among legislators and their staff.[^2] Members are organized chiefly through eight standing committees. Their members are legislators and legislative employees appointed by legislative leaders, and the committees serve as forums where states exchange experience and advice on matters ranging from policy to management.[^2] Twice a year, at the NCSL Capitol Forum and the Legislative Summit, the committees convene jointly to adopt the state-federal policies that guide NCSL's lobbying in Washington.[^2] Between those meetings the conference hosts web seminars and leadership meetings and makes websites and online documents available to legislators.[^2] Issues that span several committees go to task forces.[^7] ## Committees The eight standing committees, whose members are state legislators and staff, are: - Budgets and Revenue - Communications, Financial Services, and Interstate Commerce - Education - Health and Human Services - Labor and Economic Development - Law, Criminal Justice and Public Safety - Natural Resources and Infrastructure - Redistricting and Elections[^3] Besides setting policy positions, the committees coordinate NCSL's lobbying in Washington, D.C.[^3] ## Task forces Task forces supplement the standing committees. They are temporary, are made up of legislators and legislative staff, and take up issues that fall within the jurisdiction of more than one committee.[^7] The Wikipedia account states that there are eight task forces but lists nine: - Agriculture - Cybersecurity - Energy Supply - Immigration and the States - Innovations in State Health Systems - Insurance - International Relations - Military and Veterans Affairs - State and Local Taxation[^7] ## Policy positions In general terms, NCSL seeks a larger role for states within the federal system. It opposes unfunded federal mandates and federal preemption of state authority, a stance the Wikipedia account describes as giving state legislatures flexibility to implement their own policies.[^8] NCSL backs the Main Street Fairness Act, a proposal to simplify sales tax collection. The act would let states require every seller, online merchants included, to collect sales and use taxes, and the Wikipedia account says this would yield billions of dollars in state revenue.[^8] NCSL also backs the SAFE Banking Act, which would give the legalized cannabis industry easier access to banking and financial services.[^8] ## Inaccurate Voter ID Study In 2025 the NCSL website carried a summary of state voter ID rules marked as updated April 2024.[^4] On the summary's map of the United States, the Minnesota entry reads "No document required to vote." Its section *Table 1: Voter Identification Laws In Force in 2025* does not include Minnesota.[^4] The record shows the entries as published. It does not establish how they came to be written.[^4] The Wikipedia account describes the Minnesota entry as incorrect. As the basis, it points to the Secretary of State's website, which sets out identification requirements for voter registration: photo ID, or other documents that establish identity and residence.[^5] That office runs the state's elections. Its duties include preparing documentation for, and training, the election judges who register voters and oversee access to ballots on election day.[^5] During the 2026 primary, the Star Tribune cited NCSL for the figure that thirty-six states require some form of identification for in-person voting, adding: "Minnesota is not among them."[^6] The Wikipedia account presents this as a reference to the "false NCSL claim."[^6] ## Professional staff associations NCSL operates nine professional staff associations.[^9] Among them is the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries (ASLCS), formed in 1943. Its aims were to improve legislative administration and communication among clerks and secretaries across the United States and its territories.[^9] ASLCS was one of the state legislative groups that combined in 1974 to create NCSL. Its active membership exceeds four hundred principal clerks, secretaries and legislative support staff.[^9] The Wikipedia account gives 1975 as NCSL's founding year in its introduction and 1974 as the year of that combination in its staff-associations section.[^1][^9] The society's publications include the following: - The *Legislative Administrator*, its official newsletter - The *Professional Journal* - The *Roster and Reference Guide* - *Mason's Manual* - The *International Directory*[^9] The *International Directory* is a booklet in English, Spanish and French. It sets out the objectives of ASLCS and of counterpart clerks' associations in Mexico, Central America, Canada, South Africa and Australia.[^9] ## Events Two annual events are open to the general membership: the NCSL Capitol Forum and the Legislative Summit, which serves as the annual meeting.[^10] The Summit is the larger of the two, in part because it is held in summer while state legislatures are in recess. It moves to a different location each year.[^10] The Capitol Forum alternates between Washington, D.C., and a location that changes from year to year.[^10] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *National Conference of State Legislatures* (revision 1371765656, retrieved 26 October 2026) — lead section: 1975 establishment, self-description as a "nonpartisan public officials' association", membership. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Conference_of_State_Legislatures [^2]: Wikipedia contributors, *National Conference of State Legislatures* (revision 1371765656, retrieved 26 October 2026), section "Background" — mission statement quoted from NCSL's website, offices, committee structure, twice-yearly meetings, web seminars. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Conference_of_State_Legislatures [^3]: Wikipedia contributors, *National Conference of State Legislatures* (revision 1371765656, retrieved 26 October 2026), section "Committees" — the eight standing committees and their policy and lobbying role. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Conference_of_State_Legislatures [^4]: Wikipedia contributors, *National Conference of State Legislatures* (revision 1371765656, retrieved 26 October 2026), section "Inaccurate Voter ID Study" — NCSL's 2025 voter ID summary (updated April 2024), its Minnesota map entry, and Minnesota's absence from Table 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Conference_of_State_Legislatures [^5]: Wikipedia contributors, *National Conference of State Legislatures* (revision 1371765656, retrieved 26 October 2026), section "Inaccurate Voter ID Study" — the Minnesota Secretary of State's description of voter registration ID requirements and its election duties. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Conference_of_State_Legislatures [^6]: Wikipedia contributors, *National Conference of State Legislatures* (revision 1371765656, retrieved 26 October 2026), section "Inaccurate Voter ID Study" — Star Tribune coverage of the 2026 primary election citing NCSL's thirty-six-state figure. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Conference_of_State_Legislatures [^7]: Wikipedia contributors, *National Conference of State Legislatures* (revision 1371765656, retrieved 26 October 2026), section "Task forces" — function of the task forces, the stated count of eight, and the nine listed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Conference_of_State_Legislatures [^8]: Wikipedia contributors, *National Conference of State Legislatures* (revision 1371765656, retrieved 26 October 2026), section "Policy positions" — federalism positions and support for the Main Street Fairness Act and SAFE Banking Act. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Conference_of_State_Legislatures [^9]: Wikipedia contributors, *National Conference of State Legislatures* (revision 1371765656, retrieved 26 October 2026), section "Professional staff associations" — nine associations; ASLCS founding (1943), 1974 role in forming NCSL, membership, and publications. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Conference_of_State_Legislatures [^10]: Wikipedia contributors, *National Conference of State Legislatures* (revision 1371765656, retrieved 26 October 2026), section "Events" — the Capitol Forum and Legislative Summit. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Conference_of_State_Legislatures