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Oct Oct 13 16

2024 RELACS Professional Development Seminar

  • Sunday, October 13, 2024
    12:00 PM 12:00 PM ET
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The RELACS Professional Development Seminar brings together staff who are critical to the legislative process including researchers, editors, legal, code revision, bill drafting, committee and policy analysis. The 2024 seminar features sessions on important legislative issues, soft skills, best practices, and opportunities for networking.  

This year's meeting takes place in Austin, Texas, at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center and at the state Capitol and aims to bring together participants to hear new information, learn important skills, build relationships and take away new tools and ideas to enhance the effectiveness of state legislatures.  

This meeting will include a variety of sessions: topics will include deliberate creativity, staff structures, legal ethics, how to safely use AI tools, common constitutional provisions legislative staff should understand, an update on recent SCOTUS decisions and many more!   

Proposed Agenda - Times and Session Topics Subject to Change 

Sunday, Oct. 13 – AT&T Hotel and Conference Center  

4-6 p.m.

Registration 

Monday, Oct. 14 – At hotel followed by walk to Texas Capitol Extension  

8-8:45 a.m. 

Continental Breakfast 

8:45 a.m. 

Walk to Capitol Extension 

9-10 a.m. 

Deliberate Creativity: Three Elements of Innovation 

Dr. Amy Climer 

10:15-11:15 a.m. 

Concurrent Breakout Roundtables 

  • Researchers 
  • Editors 
  • Legal and Drafting  

11:30 a.m.-Noon 

Deliberate Creativity: What Did we Learn? 

Noon-12:45 p.m. 

Lunch 

1-2 p.m. 

Knowledge Management

2:15-3:15 p.m. 

Concurrent Sessions 

  • Legal Ethics – Part 1 
  • Bill Drafting Manuals: Crafting and Editing 
  • Help Your Committee Chair 

3:30-4:30 p.m. 

Concurrent Sessions 

  • Legal Ethics - Part 2 
  • Editor’s Workshop: Back to Basics
  • Safe Practices when using AI Tools in the Legislature 

4:30-? 

Capitol Tours 

Tuesday, Oct. 15 – AT&T Hotel and Conference Center  

7:30-8:30 a.m. 

Continental Breakfast 

8:45-10 a.m. 

Staff Structures 

10:30-11:45 a.m. 

Supreme Court Update

Midday 

Lunch 

1:15-2:30 p.m. 

Concurrent Sessions 

  • Legislative Litigation 
  • Innovative Ways to Present Research/Interactive Staffing

2:45-3:45 p.m. 

Common Constitutional Provisions Legislative Staff Need to Understand 

4-5 p.m. 

Concurrent Sessions 

  • Statute/Code Revision
  • Research Methodology/Skills

Wednesday, Oct. 16 – AT&T Hotel and Conference Center  

6:30-7:30 a.m. 

Continental Breakfast 

7:45-8:30 a.m. 

 Navigating the Challenges of Legislative Service to Strengthen the Institution

8:45-10 a.m. 

Concurrent Sessions 

  • Visualize Your Workload   
  • Bill Drafting for Mid-level Drafters

10:15-Noon 

 What to Do When Something Goes Wrong – Constitution, Rules, Masons

The conference hotel is the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center.

Address 
AT&T Hotel and Conference Center, 1900 University Avenue, Austin, TX 78705

Group rate 
$279/night plus tax.

Hotel reservation link 
Use the RELACS group NCSL Booking Link - No login/Attendee Code needed. 

Hotel reservation deadline 
Monday, Sept. 16. However, we expect the hotel to sell out by sometime in July. 

AT&T Hotel and Conference Center is in downtown Austin and within walking distance of the State Capitol, restaurants and shopping. 

Austin-Bergstrom Airport (AUS) is 9 miles from the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center. Rideshare costs from the airport range from $25-$35 one way.

Special Needs 
To ensure full participation and accessibility for all meeting attendees, please notify [email protected] of any special accommodations you may require. 

City Information 
Considered the “Live Music Capital of the World,” Austin’s West Sixth Street offers music, shopping and dining every day. Visitors may be surprised to see live music just about anywhere they walk around Austin. Check out Visit Austin to learn more about the city.

In mid-October, the average high temperatures in Austin are in the low- to mid-80s, with average low temperatures between 55 and 65 degrees. 

Meeting Registration Fees: 

State Legislative Staff 

$450 

Attendee (Business, Government, University, Charitable and All Others) 

$500 

Host State (Texas Legislature) 

$375 

Register: 

Register Online 
Requires a credit card for everyone except legislators and legislative staff. Confirmations will be sent by email. 

Spouse/Guest. All meeting sessions are for registered attendees only. There are no social events currently planned for this meeting. If any events are scheduled, a separate fee will be created for guests.

PDS Registration Bill to State Instructions (only available for legislative staff)

Bill to State: Please note you must use Chrome or Firefoxto access the Bill to State page. You must login to the NCSL site. Then, click Register Now below. Select the ticket type, State Legislative Staff for example, then select the yellow link inside that field. On the next page, you may choose yourself from the list of legislative staff in your state and fill out the billing information. Then click “Register selected contacts” from the top of the page.

If no list appears, please clear your cache and login again.

state billing instructions

Cancellations must be emailed to [email protected] by Oct. 11. Fees cannot be refunded for registrations cancelled after the conference begins.

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