National Lieutenant Governors Association

National Lieutenant Governors Association
Name	National Lieutenant Governors Association
Abbreviation	NLGA
Formation	1962
Type	Nonprofit
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Region served	United States
Leader title	President
Website	Official website

National Lieutenant Governors Association is a U.S. nonprofit association that brings together lieutenant governors, secretaries of state, and other elected officials from state and territorial executive offices. It serves as a forum for exchange among offices comparable to United States Senate caucuses, National Governors Association, Council of State Governments, United States Conference of Mayors, and state executive offices to discuss policy, procedure, and intergovernmental relations. The organization interacts with federal institutions such as the United States Congress, Executive Office of the President, Government Accountability Office, and federal agencies while coordinating with nonprofit organizations including the Bipartisan Policy Center, Brookings Institution, American Enterprise Institute, Center for American Progress, and Urban Institute.

History

Founded in 1962 amid expansion of state executive functions during the administrations of John F. Kennedy and legislative activity in the 87th United States Congress, the organization grew alongside networks like the National Governors Association and Interstate Oil Compact Commission. Early leaders included lieutenant governors who worked with figures from the Civil Rights Movement, the War on Poverty, and state legal reforms that followed decisions of the United States Supreme Court. Over subsequent decades the association adapted to policy shifts during the Reagan administration, Clinton administration, George W. Bush administration, Obama administration, and Trump administration, engaging with national debates on fiscal policy led by committees such as the Senate Budget Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee. The organization also responded to crises like the Hurricane Katrina recovery, the 2008 financial crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic by sharing state-level practices from offices in states such as Louisiana, New York, California, Texas, and territories including Puerto Rico and Guam.

Mission and activities

The association’s mission centers on executive succession, intergovernmental coordination, and professional development for offices comparable to lieutenant governors from states and territories. It provides comparative analysis and technical assistance drawing on models from the United States Constitution’s state provisions, best practices documented by the National Academy of Public Administration, and procedural guides used by state legislatures like the California State Legislature, Texas Legislature, New York State Assembly, and Florida Legislature. Activities include training on emergency management coordination with agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, election administration interfaces involving Federal Election Commission guidance, and budget oversight practices aligned with reports from the Government Accountability Office.

Membership and governance

Membership comprises elected and appointed lieutenant governors, secretaries of state, and analogous officials from the 50 states, five territories, and the District of Columbia, with participation from offices in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Northern Mariana Islands. Governance follows a board structure with officers elected from member offices, a rotating presidency, and standing committees on areas like finance, homeland security, and legislative affairs; the body coordinates with parallel organizations such as the National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Budget Officers. Internal rules reflect incorporation norms under District of Columbia law and nonprofit standards monitored by entities like the Internal Revenue Service.

Programs and initiatives

Programs include professional development academies modeled on curricula from the Harvard Kennedy School, peer mentoring exchanges similar to initiatives by the Koch Network and the Ford Foundation, and technical assistance projects addressing issues in areas served by offices such as Louisiana Department of State and California Lieutenant Governor's Office. Initiatives have targeted emergency preparedness with partners like Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, election readiness with resources analogous to materials from the Brennan Center for Justice, and economic resilience tools inspired by reports from the Council of Economic Advisers and Congressional Budget Office.

Policy positions and advocacy

The association advances nonpartisan positions on issues impacting succession, electoral administration, regional coordination, and executive-legislative relations; it issues resolutions and policy statements adopted by membership votes and informed by analyses from the Pew Charitable Trusts, RAND Corporation, and the Urban Institute. On topics such as disaster response, the association coordinates with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and advocates for federal-state funding allocations considered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and congressional appropriations committees including the House Appropriations Committee. The group also engages in debates on interstate compacts similar to cases reviewed by the United States Supreme Court and files amicus positions or testimony before bodies such as the Senate Judiciary Committee when issues implicate succession statutes or election law.

Conferences and publications

Annual summits and regional meetings convene members alongside speakers from institutions such as the National Governors Association, the Brookings Institution, the Heritage Foundation, the Aspen Institute, and federal officials from the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security. The organization produces publications including policy briefs, best-practice guides, and conference proceedings that draw on research by the American Enterprise Institute, Brookings Institution, RAND Corporation, and reports from the Government Accountability Office. These materials inform member offices about administrative reforms implemented in states such as Ohio, Michigan, Georgia, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

Category:United States political organizations