Policy Panel A New Era: An Initial Assessment

1. Policy PanelA New Era: An Initial Assessment IT Solutions Management Conference September 1, 2009

2. A New Era: An Initial Assessment Panelists John Bouman, President of the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law Sheri Steisel, Federal Affairs Counsel and the Senior Director of the Human Services Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Matt Weidinger, Republican Staff Director, Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee, U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means Facilitator John Petraborg, Human Services Industry Executive, EDS, An HP Company

3. Topics American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Poverty Policy, the Deficit, the Budget Recession and the States TANF, Health Care, Nutrition, Child Welfare Laws of Physics Weather Report

4. American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) What is the current status of implementation of ARRA? How effective has it been? What has been the experience of states? What has been the impact on state budgets?

5. American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) How are state human services agencies doing in leveraging stimulus funds? What are the challenges? What are the longer term impacts?

6. Poverty Policy, the Budget and the Federal Deficit What do you see as the overall philosophy guiding the President Obama�s approach to social policy/human services? � In what ways does the President�s budget reflect this philosophy?

7. Poverty Policy, the Budget and the Federal Deficit Does the Federal deficit matter? What are the likely consequences for Congressional action? What are the implications of the deficit for social programs in this budget? What are the impacts for the states?

8. The Recession and State Fiscal Situation What are the impacts of the recession and the grim fiscal situation in the states so far? Looking forward, what are the effects on state budgets and human services programs for the upcoming budget cycle?

9. TANF Reauthorization What do we know about the implementation of the changes to TANF that were included in the ARRA?

10. TANF Reauthorization How do you see the reauthorization of TANF playing out given everything else on the agenda in Washington? What are the issues to be considered in reauthorization?

11. Healthcare Reform, Nutrition Initiatives and Child Welfare What are the issues state HHS agencies are tracking in the Health Care Reform debate, particularly the impacts for the Medicaid program? What should state agencies know about the nutrition initiatives on the agenda? What are the implementation issues of �Fostering Connections� at the state level?

12. Is the Inevitability of Program Stovepipes one of the Laws of Physics? If policy makers, state practitioners and IT solutions managers all see the need for working across stovepipes to improve service delivery, why do we still have them?

13. Weather Report: What�s the Atmosphere in Washington? What are the prospects for collaboration across the aisle on the budget, the deficit and on human services issues as Congress resumes work this fall?