The IU State Relations team has reviewed every bill that has been introduced at the Statehouse and determined if 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 during the twelfth week of session.
House Bills
HB 1002: Various education matters
Passed Senate Education and Career Development 8-4 and recommitted to Senate Appropriations.
The bill removes and repeals various education provisions and expired education provisions in Indiana Title 20: Education. This will be a multi-year process to “reduce regulations on K-12 schools to increase flexibility and give local communities more control over education decisions.”
HB 1041: Student eligibility in interscholastic sports
Passed Senate Education and Career Development 9-4.
The bill prohibits a male, based on the student's biological sex at birth in accordance with the student's genetics and reproductive biology, from participating on an Indiana public and private colleges’ athletic team or sport designated as being a female, women's, or girls' athletic team/sport. It requires public and private colleges to establish grievance procedures for a violation of the law.
HB 1049: Public service attorney scholarships
Indiana University testified in support of the bill. Heard in Senate Education and Career Development and held for committee amendments and vote.
The bill establishes the county deputy prosecuting attorney and public defender scholarship program; and county deputy prosecuting attorney and public defender scholarship fund. The Indiana Commission for Higher Education shall administer the program and fund.
Senate Bills
SB 365: Education matters
Passed House Education 9-4.
The bill requires the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE), in collaboration with CHE and DWD, to create a combined return on investment report for specified programs, including the 21st Century Scholars program. It also moves the career navigation coaching system developed by CHE to the IDOE to administer and implement and eliminates state educational institutions as an eligible entity to apply for grants to provide career coaching under the system.
SB 480: Prior authorization
Heard in House Insurance and held for committee amendments and vote.
The bill sets forth requirements for a utilization review entity that requires prior authorization of a health care service. The bill provides that a claim for reimbursement for a covered service or item provided to a certain individual may not be denied on the sole basis that the referring provider is an out of network provider.