Statehouse Update
The Indiana General Assembly reconvened for the second half of session this week. After a short break, the bills that made it through their originating chamber have switched sides and will now go through the same process in the opposite body. This Statehouse Update provides a summary of bills the team is tracking and that moved during the ninth week of session.
House Bills
HB 1001: State budget
The House Ways and Means Chair, Rep. Jeff Thompson, presented the House budget to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, March 7th. On the same day, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education presented the overall higher education budget recommendations, followed by the seven state educational institutions (President Whitten presented IU's budget request). The Senate Appropriations Committee continued to hear requests from other state agencies and other executive branch offices this week.
- The House’s biennial budget includes operating funding recommendations for a 4% increase in FY24 and 6% increase in FY25 (equaling $134 million new higher education operating funding over the biennium).
- In FY24, 2% of the funding is run through the legacy outcomes-based funding model and the other 2% is a base support increase.
- In FY25, 2% of the funding is run through the legacy outcomes-based funding model, 1% of the funding is run through the new prospective outcomes-based funding model and the other 3% is a base support increase.
- IU Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, and the health sciences programs at IU Fort Wayne, are funded outside of the formula process and received a 4% increase in FY24 and 6% increase in FY25.
- Higher education line-item funding was held flat in the House budget, except for increasing dual credit funding back to $50 per credit hour from $45 in the previous biennium.
- The House cash funded all state educational institutions’ top priority capital projects (rather than using debt service funding), which included $89.5 million for the Wells Quad renovation at IU Bloomington.
- The House budget fully funds the Repair and Rehabilitation Formula at 0.5%, resulting in a $10.3 million increase in each year of the biennium (which equals a $4.5 million increase each year for Indiana University).
- In FY24, the House budget provides $10 million each for both IU Indianapolis and Purdue Indianapolis in start-up funding.
HB 1449: Twenty-first century scholars program enrollment
Heard in Senate Education and Career Development and held for amendments and committee vote. Indiana University testified on behalf of itself, and the other six state educational institutions, affirming support for the bill and our collective efforts on helping 21st Century Scholars persist year to year and complete a program of on-time study with a degree or credential.
The bill allows the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and the Indiana Department of Education to identify eligible students for automatic enrollment in the 21st Century Scholars program with an opt-out provision.
HB 1528: Transition to teaching
Heard in Senate Education and Career Development and held for amendments and committee vote
The bill allows an individual enrolled in a transition to teaching program to apply for a one-time $10,000 scholarship under the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship program. It requires an applicant to possess a baccalaureate degree, agree to obtain an initial practitioner license and teach at a qualifying school for five years.
Senate Bills
SB 167: FAFSA
Heard in House Education and held for amendments and committee vote
The bill requires all students in their senior year of high school to complete and submit the FAFSA unless certain conditions are met.