Statehouse Update
The eighth week of session marked another significant milestone as Tuesday was the final day for Senate bills to be heard in House committees and Thursday was the final day for House bills to be heard in Senate committee. Bills that did not receive a hearing or pass a committee are no longer eligible to move forward. By the middle of next week, IU State Relations will know which bills passed through the chamber opposite their origination and are still eligible to become law.
House Bills
HB 1001: Education and Higher Education Matters
Passed Senate Appropriations 11-3. The committee removed all provisions from the bill allowing the 21st Century Scholarship and Frank O’Bannon Grant to be used for funding towards the cost of employer or labor organization training.
This bill includes language to improve the Career Scholarship Account (CSA). The bill establishes the training grant program and fund to provide training grants to eligible applicants and provides that the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE) shall administer the fund. It provides the qualification requirements for an eligible applicant and allows the CHE to provide reimbursement of training cost incurred by intermediaries, employers, and labor organizations under this program. It provides that the training grant program applies in each state fiscal year in which the general assembly makes appropriations for training grants. This bill requires public colleges to report information to the Commission for their analysis of information.
HB 1002: Enforcement of Equal Educational Opportunity
Engrossed on 2nd Reading and eligible for final Senate passage.
The bill defines "antisemitism", specifies that the state's public policy is to provide educational opportunities in K-12 and higher education free of religious discrimination, and that antisemitism is discrimination based on religion.
HB 1042: Transition to Teaching
Passed Senate 49-0.
This bill would allow the Commission to use any remaining funds of the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship fund to award additional Transition to Teaching Scholarships. The bill provides that an applicant for a transition to teaching scholarship after June 30, 2024, must be a member of a household with an annual income of $100,000 or less and removes a provision concerning the reduction of scholarships if certain limits are exceeded.
HB 1179: State Educational Institutions
Eligible for 2nd Reading amendments from the Senate on Monday, March 4.
The bill requires the board of trustees of a state educational institution to adopt a policy on (1) prohibiting the transfer, licensing, or sublicensing of intellectual property developed using the state educational institution's resources to a business entity organized under the laws of a foreign adversary; and (2) prohibiting an employee of the state educational institution from making a public statement in the employee's official capacity unless the statement (a) relates to the operation of the state educational institution, or to a state educational institution sponsored event; or (b) has been approved by the board of trustees. The bill prohibits a state educational institution from using state funds or resources to: (1) engage or contract with an individual associated with a foreign terrorist organization or a state sponsor of terror; or (2) support the activities of a foreign terrorist organization or a state sponsor of terror.
HB 1304: Education Matters
Passed Senate Appropriations 7-5.
The bill requires the Indiana Office of Management and Budget to establish a kindergarten through grade 12 data governance team and establishes duties of the team. The bill defines "literacy coach" and requires literacy coaches to prioritize certain duties. It requires the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, in conjunction with the Indiana State Board of Education (SBOE), to partner with teacher preparation programs to receive an outside evaluation of teacher preparation reading instruction programs. The bill also requires the IDOE to develop an online, self-paced professional development module to support educators in mathematics instruction.
Senate Bills
SB 1: Reading Skills
Passed House 68-28 and the Senate concurred in House amendments 29-16.
This bill requires certain schools to offer additional school courses to students who are not at reading proficiency levels or at risk of becoming not proficient in reading as indicated by the Indiana State Board of Education. The Indiana Department of Education will be required to procure a universal screening assessment for all students to take.
SB 8: Higher Education Matters
Passed House 94-0 and Senate dissented from House amendments. This is the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE)’s agency bill with priorities added from the Governor’s Office.
This bill requires Indiana high schools to provide the Indiana College Core or create an implementation plan by the 2025-2026 school year. Colleges are required to offer a 3-year degree program and require 4-year campuses to submit a study on advisability and feasibility of offering an associate degree to students who do not wish to continue their education. The bill requires CHE, in coordination with the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and institutions, to maintain and post a list and syllabus of each eligible college core course. As amended, the bill (1) requires the IDOE to partner with one or more institutions to provide online access to all college core courses through the course access program; (2) requires an institution to disclose certain foreign gifts and contracts received or entered into after December 31, 2013 and requires the CHE to establish and maintain a website for accessing the information; and (3) requires CHE to (a) review each course, including the syllabus for each course, that is provided by a postsecondary educational institution to a high school student and for which the student receives high school credit, and (b) not later than November 1, 2025, and not later than November 1 each year thereafter, prepare and submit a report that summarizes the information.
SB 48: State Educational Institutions
Passed House 93-1 and returned to Senate without amendments.
The bill requires a state educational institution to prominently display on the home page and individual degree pages a hyperlink to the state educational institution's profile on the United States Department of Education's College Scorecard.
SB 150: Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity
Engrossed on 2nd Reading and eligible for final House passage on Monday, March 4.
This bill creates the artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and data governance task force to study and assess: (1) the use of artificial intelligence technology by state agencies; (2) cybersecurity issues; and (3) certain technology issues. The bill also states that state educational institutions may adopt policies to address technology resources and cybersecurity policies.
SB 202: State Educational Institution Matters
Passed House 66-31 and Senate concurred in House amendments 33-12.
The bill amends the duties of state educational institutions' diversity committees and provides that certain offices or individuals established or employed by a state educational institution regarding diversity programming must include within the mission of the office or position programming that substantially promotes both cultural and intellectual diversity. It establishes various requirements and restrictions for institutions regarding free inquiry, free expression, and intellectual diversity that does the following: (1) Requires the establishment of certain policies regarding (a) disciplinary actions for certain persons that materially and substantially disrupt protected expressive activity; (B) limiting or restricting the granting of tenure or a promotion if certain conditions related to free inquiry, free expression, and intellectual diversity are not met; and (C) disciplinary actions that will be taken if, after a review, a determination has been made that a tenured faculty member has failed to meet certain criteria related to free inquiry, free expression, and intellectual diversity. (2) Requires the review and consideration, at least every five years, of certain criteria related to free inquiry, free expression, and intellectual diversity. (3) Requires the establishment of a procedure that allows students and employees to submit complaints that a faculty member or contractor is not meeting certain criteria related to free inquiry, free expression, and intellectual diversity and establishes requirements regarding the procedure and submitted complaints. The bill provides that certain individuals may request the CHE to review a final decision by an institution concerning a violation of these provisions under certain circumstances. The bill establishes various reporting requirements by institutions with the submission of their legislative budget request.
SB 273: Biomarker Testing Coverage
Passed House 94-0 and returned to Senate without amendments.
This bill requires a health plan to provide coverage for biomarker testing for the purposes of diagnosis, treatment, appropriate management, or ongoing monitoring of an enrollee's disease or condition when biomarker testing is supported by medical and scientific evidence.