First Appearance | October 2025

First Appearance | October 2025

NCSL's Crime Solutions Policy Forum in San Antonio, Texas.

Lawmakers Gather in Texas to Focus on Public Safety

Lawmakers and legislative staff from more than 20 states gathered in San Antonio, Texas, this week at NCSL's Crime Solutions Policy Forum. The meeting brought together NCSL members and national experts to learn about policies that drive community safety. Th agenda featured research, practical applications and opportunities to discuss eight innovative strategies to address community safety.

Voters to See Elections, Criminal Justice Measures on November Ballots

Voters have been presented with statewide ballot measures impacting everything from elections to criminal justice, including the right to bail. Measures seeking to update the availability of bail for certain defendants, like Texas' Proposition 3, have appeared over 10 times on ballots across the country in the last 10 years.

Read more: Voters to See Elections, Criminal Justice Measures on November Ballots

To Get Better Legislation, Start With Reliable Data

States have created information-based tools to help legislatures tackle difficult questions and understand what's working (and what's not) in state programs and policies. From fiscal notes to data hubs, performance measures and evidence scales, learn more about how states are using these tools to bring reliable, nonpartisan information into the legislative process.

Read more: To Get Better Legislation, Start With Reliable Data

The Cache

• NYU Policing Project | Webinar Recording: Policing in the Age of AI: Benefits, Risk, and the Need for Transparency

• Emory Law Journal | Rethinking Misdemeanor Incompetence

• Tax Policy Center | Fines, Fees, and Financial Strain

• The Health and Reentry Project| Serving People with Opioid Use Disorder During Reentry: A Toolkit for States

NCSL's Bill Information Service

NCSL, through a partnership with State Net/LexisNexis, provides legislators and legislative staff access to a searchable legislation database containing the full text of every bill in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Congress for the current session and archived sessions. State legislators and legislative staff have exclusive access to this resource through NCSL. Sign up for the next training to learn how to use this valuable resource. Register here: 50-State and Territories Bill Information Service