Statehouse Update

The ninth week of session marked the third reading deadlines for Senate bills in the House and for House bills in the Senate. We are now seeing a flurry of activity as both chambers work to finalize language in remaining bills through the conference committee process. If all goes to plan, the legislative session plans to adjourn “sine die” later today. By statute, the short session must be completed by 11:59 p.m. on March 14^th.

House Bills 

HB 1001: Education and Higher Education Matters
Passed Senate 38-10, the House dissented from Senate amendments and a conference committee was held.

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
Passed Senate 42-6, the House dissented from Senate amendments and a conference committee was held.

The bill defines "antisemitism", specifies that the public policy of the state is to provide educational opportunities free of religious discrimination, and provides that antisemitism is discrimination on the basis of race, creed, religion, or national origin.

HB 1042: Transition to Teaching
House concurred in Senate amendments 96-0.

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
New foreign gift reporting requirements were added on 2nd Reading. Passed Senate 39-9 and House concurred in Senate amendments 80-0.

The bill requires a state educational institution (institution) to disclose certain foreign gifts and contracts received or entered into after December 31, 2020. Requires the commission to establish and maintain a website for accessing information about disclosed gifts and contracts. It authorizes the Indiana Commission for Higher Education to provide for an audit of an institution's use of a disclosed gift, or the proceeds of a disclosed contract, received or entered into after June 30, 2021, and before July 1, 2024. It authorizes the attorney general to bring a cause of action to enforce the disclosure statute. It 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 48-0, the House dissented from Senate amendments and a conference committee was held.

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 both chambers and ready for Governor signature or veto.  
 
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 
Conference committee was held returning the bill back to mostly the version passed out of the Senate originally. The conference committee report passed both chambers and the act is ready for Governor signature or veto. This is the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE)’s agency bill with priorities added from the Governor’s Office. 
 
This bill requires each high school to (1) beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, offer the Indiana college core (college core); or (2) not later than October 1, 2024, submit a plan or report that meets certain requirements to the CHE.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. By July 1, 2025, the bill requires the IDOE to partner with one or more institutions to provide online access to college core courses through the course access program.

SB 48: State Educational Institutions 
Passed both chambers and ready for Governor signature or veto. 
 
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 
Passed the House 97-0, the Senate dissented from the House amendments and a conference committee was held. The conference committee report passed both chambers and the act is ready for Governor signature or veto. 
 
This bill creates the artificial intelligence task force to study and assess use of artificial intelligence technology by state agencies. The bill also states that state educational institutions may adopt a (1) technology resources policy; and (2) cybersecurity policy; subject to specified guidelines.

SB 202: State Educational Institution Matters 
Passed both chambers and ready for Governor signature or veto.  
 
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 both chambers and ready for Governor signature or veto. 
 
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.