Statehouse Update
January 14, 2022
House Bills
HB 1001: Administrative authority; COVID-19 immunizations
Passed out of House Employment, Labor and Pensions 7-4 and engrossed for Third Reading
This bill would give the Governor the authority needed to preserve pandemic-related federal funding streams when ending the state’s pandemic emergency declaration. While the Senate has filed a similar bill (SB 3), this bill goes further by also putting restrictions on employers who implement COVID-19 vaccination mandates. Notably, it would also prohibit public universities in the state from requiring proof of vaccination for any students, faculty, or staff.
HB 1003: Nursing programs and licensing matters
Passed out of House Public Health 12-0
The bill provides flexibility and removes unnecessary regulations for nursing schools in Indiana, allowing additional students to enter the nursing workforce pipeline.
HB 1134: Education matters
Passed out of House Education 8-5
The bill would ban educators from teaching eight specific concepts at both public K-12 schools and in teacher preparation programs at state educational institutions, would create local curriculum review committees, and would require schools to post curriculum materials online. It also would require K-12 schools to obtain parental permission to survey students about social and emotional needs and to offer them mental health services.
HB 1190: Free speech at state educational institutions
Referred to House Education
The bill codifies protections afforded by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and existing case law (such as allowing a state educational institution to enforce reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions) in Indiana Code for state educational institutions.
Senate Bills
SB 89: Higher education scholarships
Referred to Senate Education and Career Development
This is the annual agency bill from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE). The bill removes “expected family contribution” from Indiana Code and replaces it with “federal needs calculation” and changes student teaching stipends for eligible students to traditional scholarships.
SB 91: Accreditation of teacher preparation programs
Heard in Senate Education and Career Development and held for amendments & committee vote
The bill allows a teacher preparation program to report the program's admission practices, in accordance with the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) and requires the Indiana Department of Education to approve at least two accreditors to accredit teacher preparation programs for use in Indiana.
SB 167: Education matters
Heard in Senate Education and Career Development and held for amendments & committee vote
This bill is the Senate version of HB 1134 addressed above.