Pew Resources for NCSL Base Camp 2020

This year presents a host of new challenges for citizens and state leaders alike. As lawmakers consider the tough choices before them—such as managing shortfalls in tax revenue, grappling with the uncertainty of additional federal aid, ensuring that borrowers have access to safe and affordable credit, helping individuals struggling with addiction access evidence-based treatment, and ensuring that families have reliable high-speed internet connections—they should be mindful that the decisions they make today may reverberate for years to come.

With that in mind, The Pew Charitable Trusts offers resources to help state leaders make well-informed decisions. Although we won’t be able to host Pew’s regular Meet the Expert program this year, Pew’s research and expertise are available to help guide state policy efforts.

The resources listed below highlight common concerns and creative solutions to help policymakers better understand various issues and learn from one another’s experiences.

Fiscal and Economic Policy

• Four Steps to Reduce the Harm of State Fiscal Distress
• Fiscal 50
• State Strategies to Help Businesses Launch and Expand
• How States Pay for Natural Disasters in an Era of Rising Costs
• How the Pandemic Could Alter Government Higher Education Spending
• Public Pension Investments Largely Recover After Pandemic-Related Slide
• How the State Pension Funding Gap Fares in an Unpredictable Economy

Health

• Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in Jails and Prisons
• Care Coordination Strategies for Patients Can Improve Substance Use Disorder Outcomes
• How States and Counties Can Help Individuals With Opioid Use Disorder Re-Enter Communities
• Policy Changes Could Bolster Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs
• Outpatient Treatment is Effective and Accessible

Infrastructure

• Mitigation Matters Webinar: Policy Solutions to Reduce Local Flood Risk
• Public-Private Partnerships Can Help Reduce Flood Damage and Costs, Officials Say
• Key Elements of State Broadband Programs
• State Broadband Policy Explorer
• HIAs and Other Resources to Advance Health-Informed Decisions
• State Courts Seek Resources to Support Operations During COVID-19 Pandemic

Higher Education

• New Study Reveals Ways Policymakers Can Help Student Loan Borrowers During and After COVID-19
• Five Actions Federal Policymakers Can Take to Help Student Loan Borrowers Manage the Pandemic's Impact
• Millions of Federal Student Loan Borrowers Lack Access to Immediate Repayment Help

Consumer Finance and Economic Mobility

• Federal Bank Regulators Encourage Small Loans in Response to COVID-19
• How Ohio Solved Payday Loan Reform
• State Payday Loan Reform
• Federal Regulators Greenlight Small Installment Loans From Banks
• Mobile Payments: The Good, the Bad, and the Confusing
• What Are the Essential Elements of Legal Assistance Portals?
• Debt Lawsuits Loom Amid Economic Slowdown