Statehouse Update
January 27, 2023
The IU State Relations team has reviewed every bill that has been introduced at the Statehouse, and determinedif and how the bill could impact the university.This Statehouse Update provides a summary of bills the team is tracking that have had activity up to this point in the third week of session.
House Bills
HB 1001: State budget
The Governor's Office presented the introduced version of the bill to House Ways and Means on Jan. 12. The committee has continued to hear requests from state agencies and other executive branch offices during the first three weeks of session. (IU President Pamela Whitten presented IU's budget request on Jan. 11.)
The governor's proposed biennial budget includes the Indiana Commission for Higher Education's operating funding recommendations for a 6% increase in FY24 and 8% increase in FY25 (equaling $184 million new higher education operating funding over the biennium) and follows the commission's recommendation of the funding split between the old outcomes-based funding model, new outcomes-based funding model and a base support increase.
HB 1002: Education and workforce matters
Heard in House Education Jan. 18 and held for amendments & committee vote
The bill aims to "reinvent" high school by providing more job training to students in order to address skills gaps and employee shortages. The legislation would create career scholarship accounts to pay for students in grades 10-12 to take apprenticeships directly from employers. It would also change graduation requirements and allow students to use money from the 21st Century Scholars and Frank O'Bannon Grant programs on job training instead.
HB 1558: Science of reading
Passed House Education 12-0 and recommitted to House Ways and Means
The bill defines the "science of reading" and establishes the science of reading grant fund for the purpose of assisting school corporations in placing literacy instructional coaches in elementary schools, obtaining science of reading training for teachers and complying with science of reading curriculum requirements. The bill appropriates $20 million to the fund and requires the Indiana Department of Education to develop guidelines for science of reading integration into teacher preparation programs.
Senate Bills
SB 35: Financial Literacy
Passed Senate Education and Career Development 13-0
The bill provides that, beginning with the cohort of students who are expected to graduate from a public school, a charter school or a state-accredited non-public school in 2028, an individual must successfully complete a personal financial responsibility course before graduating high school. The bill also creates requirements for content that must be covered in the course.
SB 38: Donation of income tax refund for cancer research
Scheduled for hearing in Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy next week
The bill establishes the Senator David C. Ford cancer research account within the Indiana health care account and allows taxpayers to designate all or a part of their state income tax refunds to be paid over to the Ford account. The monies collected shall then be equally shared between the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center and the Purdue University Center for Cancer Research.
SB 56: Armed forces reservist tuition supplement program fund
Scheduled for hearing in Senate Veterans Affairs and the Military next week
The bill establishes the armed forces reservist tuition supplement program fund to be administered by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. The fund shall be used to provide annual scholarships to members of a reserve component of the armed forces of the U.S., not including the Army or Air National Guard, under certain conditions and establishes renewal criteria.
SB 384: Purple star designation
Passed Senate Veterans Affairs and The Military 7-0 and engrossed on 2nd Reading. Indiana University testified on behalf of itself, and the other state education institutions, affirming support for the bill and our efforts to serve and support this special population of military students.
The bill requires the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs to develop and implement the higher education purple star designation for the following purposes: (1) to recognize postsecondary educational institutions that are supportive and inclusive of veterans and military connected families; and (2) to provide veterans and military connected families with enhanced support for pursuing and finishing a degree or postsecondary credential.
SB 404: Access to transcripts
Heard in Senate Education and Career Development and held for amendments and committee vote
The bill provides that a public or private postsecondary educational institution in Indiana may not: (1) refuse to provide a transcript for a current or former student of the institution on the grounds that the student owes a debt to the institution; (2) charge a higher fee for obtaining a transcript or provide less favorable treatment of a request for a transcript of a current or former student who owes a debt to the institution; or (3) withhold from a current or former student's transcript any degrees earned on the grounds that the student owes a debt to the institution; if the student has paid to the institution in the past year at least $100 or the total debt owed by the student to the institution, whichever is less, or entered into a payment plan with the institution to pay the debt.
SB 486: Education matters
Heard in Senate Education and Career Development and held for amendments and committee vote
The bill (among other provisions) repeals teacher training requirements regarding: (1) criminal gang organizations awareness; (2) identifying and reporting human trafficking; (3) use of bleeding control kits; (4) the appropriate use of effective alternatives to physical restraint and seclusion; (5) certain information concerning homeless students; and (6) recognizing the signs and symptoms of seizures and the appropriate steps to be taken to respond to the symptoms; and requires that information concerning these subjects be included within the curriculum of teacher preparation programs. The bill requires the Indiana Department of Education to establish or license for use an online platform to provide information and training concerning these and other subjects.