This presentation will introduce the National Municipal Stormwater Alliance (NMSA) and discuss national-level policy and issue trends as well as recent milestones of note in the sector. In addition, specifics on regulatory and legislative activities and efforts with direct ties to the stormwater sector will be presented. Lastly, information on why local stormwater program managers should care about and get involved with national-level issues will be provided. A particular emphasis will be placed on the NMSA Stormwater Testing and Evaluation for Products and Practices (STEPP) initiative. This effort is currently focused on establishing performance testing standards and developing policies and processes that will facilitate this national testing program to evaluate the performance of both proprietary products as well as public domain practices.