Local, State, Federal Advocacy Corner
Small Biz News You Can Use
At the close of the eighth week of the Legislative Session, the House and Senate have passed their deadline to adopt committee reports. The House passed its second reading deadline, with Monday, March 4 being the final day for Senate Bills in the House and House bills on Second reading in the Senate. The session must conclude by March 14, although legislative leaders have set their sights on a March 8 end date. The Week in Review HB 1001, Education and Higher Education Matters (Rep. Chuck Goodrich, R-Noblesville) passed the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday (11-3). The bill would introduce significant additions to work-based learning for high school students. HB 1001's primary fiscal function is to allow money from the 21st Century Scholarship Program or a Freedom of Choice grant to pay for post-secondary training and apprenticeships. Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond) is the principal Senate sponsor. HB 1093, Employment of Minors (Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer), passed the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday (9-4). The bill seeks to allow minors to work longer hours with fewer restrictions, such as letting students work later on school nights. Proponents of the bill argue that it aligns the Indiana Code with federal statute. Sen. Brian Buchanan (R-Lebanon) is the principal Senate sponsor. HB 1199, Economic Enhancement District (Rep. Julie McGuire, R-Indianapolis), passed out of the Senate (42-7). The amended legislation limits the power of the Indianapolis Economic Enhancement District (EED), making it expire after 10 years, excluding residential property, and allowing certain businesses to opt in or out of the program. The oversight board created by this bill would have considerable power to limit the EED. HB 1216, Medicaid Reimbursement for Certain Detainees (Rep. Greg Steuerwald, R-Avon), passed unanimously out of the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday (14-0). The bill would expand health providers' ability to involuntarily detain specific individuals by allowing them to be reimbursed by Medicaid for the expense. The bill would accomplish this by classifying care for mental health emergencies" as “medically necessary.” Sen. Tyler Johnson (R-Leo) is the principal Senate sponsor. HB 1235, Prohibited Causes of Action for Concerning Firearms (Rep. Chris Jeter, R-Fishers) passed the Senate on a third reading on Tuesday, Feb. 27 (33-15). The bill would further protect gun manufacturers from litigation. The bill is specifically aimed at ending a decades-old lawsuit by the city of Gary against gun manufacturers and retailers. The bill would allow the state to reserve the right to sue the gun industry. The principal Senate sponsor is Sen. Aaron Freeman (R-Indianapolis). SEA 1, Reading Skills (Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger), a bill addressing Indiana’s youth literacy crisis, passed the House on Tuesday, Feb. 27 (68-24). The bill was amended in the House to provide increased funding for summer schools and establish exemptions for English learners. The Senate concurred with the amendments on Thursday, which was sent to the Governor for signature. SB 4, Fiscal and Administrative Matters (Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown), was passed and amended by the House (95-0). The House amendments removed the mandates on the Legislative Services Agency and shifted the burden to the Legislative Council. The bill would increase the legislature's power over state agencies and revert funds unused by agencies to the general fund. However, the author dissented from the changes, and the bill is headed to the conference committee. SB 5, Lead Water Line Replacement and Lead Remediation (Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford) passed the House (93-0). The bill would modern Indiana’s lead pipelines and give the state more power to deal with landlords who refuse to cooperate with updating lead pipelines. Its changes were concurred upon in the Senate and are now headed to the Governor. SB 52, Prohibition on use of dedicated lanes (Sen. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis) was not called down on second reading; effectively killing the legislation due to deadlines. Speaker Todd Huston released a statement saying he agreed with city and IndyGo officials to drop the bill in exchange for IndyGo prioritizing the maintenance of two lanes of traffic flow. While this may mean fewer dedicated transit lanes than initially, Indianapolis’s Blue Line can continue as planned. SB 202, State educational institution matters (Sen. Spencer Deery, R-West Lafayette), passed the House (66-31) after being amended to clarify protections for tenured professors. The controversial bill addresses intellectual diversity and freedom of speech on college campuses, and the Senate concurred with the amendments. The governor’s office heads the bill. This Week Ahead The session must conclude by March 14, although legislative leaders have set their sights on a March 8 end date. Below are the upcoming deadlines for both houses in the Indiana General Assembly: February 29th House 2nd Reading Deadline 29th Senate Committee Report Deadline March 4th House 3rd Reading Deadline 4th Senate 2nd Reading Deadline 5th Senate 3rd Reading Deadline 5th Last Day for Senate Adoption of Committee Reports without Rules Committee Approval 8th Anticipated Last Day 14th Last Day to Adjourn View House Schedule View Senate Schedule Conference Committees Next week, we will begin to see the conference committee process play out. As Sine Die quickly approaches, bills returned to their original chamber with changes must either receive a motion to concur or dissent. Once a motion to concur is adopted/voted on legislation’s chamber or origin, the bill heads to the governor for approval. A motion to dissent sends the bill to a conference committee. Click here for more information on the conference committee process. A conference committee grid displaying all of the engrossed bills returned with amendments can be found on the Indiana Assembly's Website.
Indiana State Chamber Legislative Report
The Corporate Transparency Act, which goes into effect in January 2024, may require your small business to report information about ownership to the government.
Chamber Calls on Business Community to Take 'Health First Indiana' Pledge The Indiana Chamber of Commerce and its Wellness Council of Indiana (WCI) are urging businesses and organizations to engage with their local health departments as a statewide push begins to get Hoosiers healthier. Health First Indiana, passed by the 2023 Indiana General Assembly, provides $225 million in funding over two years to county health departments to prioritize public health and safety. To launch the engagement part of the initiative, which includes a pledge act, we joined the Indiana Department of Health for activities yesterday during Public Health Day at the Statehouse. The Indiana Chamber and WCI believe that health is wealth. We applaud the state’s investment in its public health infrastructure through Health First Indiana, which will lead to a healthier Indiana and ultimately support the state’s ability to attract and retain business. Health First Indiana focuses on offering core public health services, including infant health, chronic disease prevention, trauma and injury prevention, and more. "A healthy, thriving workforce is paramount to the prosperity of the state’s economy,” says State Health Commissioner Lindsay Weaver, M.D., FACEP. “I’m grateful for the partnership with the business community and for the leadership of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce in its support of Health First Indiana.” The Indiana Chamber views the aspiration of having healthy and prosperous communities and citizens so vital that it’s one of the six pillars of its recently released long-term visioning plan for the state, Indiana Prosperity 2035. Two of the organization’s long-term goals are to reduce smoking levels to less than 15% of the state’s population and obesity levels to less than 20%. Businesses are encouraged to be part of the process and take the Health First Indiana Pledge. This entails establishing a series of goals intended to create community partnerships through collaboration and communication with local health departments and more. Employers can find additional information on the Health First Indiana Pledge Act at www.indianachamber.com/healthfirst , while further details on the overall initiative are available at www.healthfirstindiana.in.gov . Bills to Improve Childcare, Education Attainment Pass Out of Committee SB 2, SB 8 / Chamber Supports Senate Bill 2, authored by Sen. Ed Charbonneau (R-Valparaiso), passed the House Family Children and Human Affairs Committee unanimously this week with the Chamber and a broad-based coalition of advocates testifying in support. With employers across Indiana increasingly citing childcare among their top external workforce barriers, the Chamber has made increasing childcare accessibility and affordability a top policy priority for the past two legislative sessions. Senate Bill 2 contains several Chamber-backed provisions that include accelerating efforts to remove regulatory barriers to expanding childcare access while maintaining essential safety standards, creating greater flexibility for innovative childcare models, increasing support for childcare workers and hard-to-serve childcare deserts, and ensuring greater data transparency and return on investment reporting regarding the state’s investments in early learning. The bill now heads to the House Ways and Means Committee for consideration next week. Senate Bill 8, authored by Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg), passed the House Education Committee this week, also via a unanimous vote, with strong support from the Chamber. In a talent-driven economy, there is perhaps no metric that matters more than increasing the number of Hoosiers completing education and training beyond high school. Senate Bill 8 aims to make the attainment of postsecondary credentials easier and more affordable for both Indiana high school students and working-age adults. The bill’s key provisions include 1) requiring high schools to offer the core college-level courses that satisfy the first-year course requirements of most degree programs, 2) streamlining the "reverse transfer" process for granting two-year associate degrees to individuals who completed the requisite credits at a four-year college, and 3) increasing the availability of accelerated bachelor's degree programs that can be completed within three years at the state’s universities. The bill is now expected to return to the full House for consideration on a second reading. Legislation Addressing Nursing Shortage Passes Senate HB 1259 / Chamber Supports Earlier this week, the Senate passed House Bill 1259, authored by Rep. Brad Barrett (R-Richmond), which helps address our lack of nurses, which is a growing crisis in Indiana. This challenge could become a severe impediment to access to health care, which is an important metric in the Chamber’s Indiana Prosperity 2035 plan. Indiana faces a growing nursing shortage with thousands of open positions each year. To address this critical need, HB 1259 seeks to expand the nursing workforce by streamlining licensure for foreign-educated nurses and increasing on-the-ground training opportunities. Building on a 2022 nursing bill, HB 1259 proposes giving hospitals the flexibility to waive an 18-month clinical experience requirement for instructors. Proponents argue this will allow more experienced nurses to mentor student nurses, ultimately increasing the number of graduates entering the workforce. The urgency for action is undeniable. Testimony in both chambers mentioned the staggering amount of open nursing positions statewide, a number expected to rise with an aging population requiring more complex care. House Bill 1259 represents a potential step towards alleviating this pressure and ensuring Hoosiers have access to quality health care. We applaud the Indiana General Assembly for focusing on this issue and look forward to continuing to address it in future years. The bill now moves back to the House, where it will be eligible to be concurred upon. Quality of Place Initiative Stalls Out SB 61 / Chamber Supports House Ways and Means Chair Rep. Jeff Thompson (R-Lizton) announced this week that Senate Bill 61 would not be considered by the committee. The bill would allow a community to consider a petition to create a tourism improvement district (TID) and levy assessments from within the district to support local tourism. Until last week, there was little opposition to the proposal. The state director for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) raised concerns over the bill, stating that the organization had surveyed its members and found little support for the idea. The main objection was the level of support required to pursue a TID. The bill requires 65% of businesses within the district as well as the owners of 65% of the assessed value in the district to support the petition. The NFIB argued that this threshold was not sufficient to protect the remaining business owners who may be opposed to paying an assessment or who may not benefit from increased tourism. The Chamber disagrees with this characterization of the bill, however. The 65% threshold is improved from the introduced version of the bill, which required only 50% of the total number of businesses within the proposed district to support the petition. It’s fair to say that not all businesses may directly benefit from the investments in the district. However, the legislation requires the assessments to be levied proportional to the benefits a business might receive from the investments. This provision would protect an insurance agency or auto mechanic that receives little or no benefit from local tourism from contributing to the activities in the district. This is just the second time this legislation has been introduced, and the Chamber looks forward to working during the interim to help resolve these conflicts and build a coalition to support this concept in the next legislative session. PFAS Definition Still Working its Way Through the Legislature HB 1399 / Chamber Supports Legislation authored by Rep. Shane Lindauer (R-Jasper) is intended to clarify the existing Indiana definition of PFAS chemistries. The Chamber supports the bill, which requires the Environmental Rules Board to use the definition in certain rules concerning industrial processes and research and development. There has been confusion over the complex chemical makeup of a class of chemistries that has been lumped into the broad term PFAS. The definition currently in the Indiana Code is based on the more hazardous soluble firefighter foam that degrades and can accumulate/permeate water, soil, and cells. However, non-soluble PFAS is an important product that is safer and used in various industries and products including medical devices, pharmaceuticals, metals, automotive applications, batteries, food packaging, and more. There is no commercially viable alternative chemistry currently available to replace it. In addition, it would take a significant amount of regulatory work and time to get such a replacement approved for use in most products. The bill passed the House Environmental Affairs Committee 7-5 and the full House by a vote of 64-30 during the first half of the legislative session. It was heard in the Senate Environmental Affairs Committee earlier this week; the vote is expected to occur on Monday. Lawmakers Advance Legal Reforms SB 226 / HB 1090 / HB 1160 / Chamber Supports The session of proactive legal reform legislation continued this week – mostly all positive news for business. No need to bury the lede, seatbelt admissibility legislation is one step closer to becoming law after the Senate passed the measure 36-13; the culmination of over 20 years of concerted effort. House Bill 1090, authored by Rep. Jim Pressel (R-Rolling Prairie), will allow juries to hear whether the victim of a vehicle accident was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. Employers are often brought into personal injury lawsuits by victims regardless of how remote their involvement in the accident actually was because they're considered to have "deep pockets." More than 90% of Hoosiers wear seat belts today, and HB 1090 is the result of compromise discussions among the plaintiffs and defense. If successful, there would be no better send-off for the soon-to-retire Rep. Jerry Torr (R-Carmel) than getting this bill across the finish line as he has been working on this and other legal reform issues since joining the Legislature in 1995. Speaking of Rep. Torr, he is the sponsor of Senate Bill 226 on attorney's fees, authored by Sen. Mike Gaskill (R-Pendleton), which took a surprising route to second reading this week. The bill provides a much-needed update to a 1995 statute pertaining to qualified settlement offers that have become practically useless given current-day legal practices. After the House Judiciary Committee passed the bill unanimously last week, a legislative fiscal analyst slapped a $1 million price tag on it, causing it to go to the Ways and Means Committee. Fortunately, on Wednesday, Rep. Torr explained to the budget-oriented committee that the bill might actually save the state money. The committee agreed and passed the bill with bipartisan support 22-0. Finally, the Senate Judiciary Committee amended and then passed unanimously House Bill 1160, authored by Rep. Matt Lehman (R-Berne), on civil proceeding advance payment contracts and commercial litigation financing. As covered in previous Legislative Reports, the bill expands the third-party lawsuit lending statute to commercial litigants. At issue was the extent to which lawmakers would permit foreign funds from being invested in Indiana lawsuits. After its amendment, HB 1160 precludes foreign adversaries from investing in lawsuits filed in the state but will allow “friendly” countries to fund plaintiffs’ claims. The bill now heads to the full Senate, but Rep. Lehman and the Chamber are unconvinced it is in an acceptable form. The Chamber has communicated to legislators that all parties – and the court – should know at the outset via automatic disclosure whether any foreign money is involved in the lawsuit. Third-party funding is a means to increase claims against employers. While the Chamber is not opposed to the practice in principle, we feel that maximum transparency about who has a financial interest in the lawsuit’s outcome is in the best interest of all parties and the judicial system as a whole. Senate Passes Dangerous Assignment of Benefit Legislation SB 132 / Chamber Opposes in Part After a pair of amendments to remove Chamber-opposed language failed on tie votes, the House Insurance Committee passed Senate Bill 132, authored by Sen. Liz Brown (R-Fort Wayne). This bill contains a provision regarding the assignment of benefits (AOB) for dentists that runs contrary to the Chamber’s longstanding position opposing such legislation. The Chamber testified in opposition to the dental AOB provisions of SB 132 along with the Indiana Manufacturers Association, Indiana Insurance Institute, and the National Association of Business and Insurance Professionals. The Chamber believes AOB could weaken or destroy healthcare networks that negotiate on behalf of employers, individuals, and other private payers with medical providers to provide health care at reasonable rates. As a reminder, AOB is the practice by which insurers would be compelled to make reimbursements directly to out-of-network medical providers, eliminating much of the incentive for providers to agree to reduce rates to join a network. Non-contract/out-of-network care providers insist they find it difficult to collect payment for insured individuals after the patient has been reimbursed by the health plan. Some dentists want the ability to receive direct payment (a benefit of joining the network) without joining the network and adhering to the patient protections/cost savings it provides. Currently, there is little way for an individual to negotiate prices directly with a medical provider. Without health networks to negotiate rates on behalf of an individual, there are few economic forces to regulate prices set by medical providers. Maintaining the integrity of health insurance networks is critical to the employer’s ability to be able to provide employee benefits at a reasonable cost to attract and retain quality employees. This legislation now moves to the full House, where the Chamber will continue to work with legislators and allies to amend this dangerous language.
Please click here to view a new economic conditions slide deck from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Economic Policy Division. This deck has been updated with the latest inflation numbers. For questions about the presentation, please contact Curtis Dubay at CDubay@uschamber.com .
Chamber-Backed Reading Bill Clears House Education Committee SB 1 / Chamber Supports Senate Bill 1, a Chamber policy priority aimed at boosting declining reading and literacy rates, passed out of the House Education Committee this week with a 9-4 party-line vote. With nearly one in five Indiana students struggling to read by the end of third grade and roughly the same ratio of working-age Hoosiers lacking basic literacy skills, there’s little disagreement that this issue is cause for concern and general agreement, with one notable exception, on policy remedies being considered this session. Most of the language in SB 1 has been greeted with broad bipartisan support, including earlier identification of student reading deficiencies in early grades, more proactive summer school and tutoring support for at-risk students, and an emphasis on evidence-based instructional strategies grounded in valid science of reading research. Policymakers have parted ways, however, when it comes to SB 1’s provisions about whether students who can’t read by the end of third grade should be held back, or “retained.” During nearly three hours of committee testimony this week, retention dominated the discussion with Democrat lawmakers and those testifying in opposition to SB 1 arguing that the retention language should be removed altogether or delayed until the science of reading reforms adopted last session have more time to take effect. Senator Linda Rogers (R-Granger), the bill's author, and the Indiana Department of Education maintain that retention is a last resort option with multiple “good cause” exemptions for English learners, students with disabilities, and students who have been held back previously. To mitigate the risk of struggling students falling further and further behind, the Chamber and other SB 1 advocates contend that reading policies that combine proactive intervention with selective retention are preferable to social promotion practices that advance students to the next grade level regardless of skill level. Senate Bill 1 is now headed to the House Ways and Means Committee, where it’s expected to be heard next week.
Today is Friday, February 16, 2024. Today concludes the 6 th week of the 2024 Legislative Session. It was a busy week for the Indiana General Assembly. Lawmakers began the second half with over 20 committee meetings. Bills have now switched chambers; House bills are being heard in Senate Committees and vice versa. Education legislation continues to take center stage as the General Assembly with the House and Senate Education Committees having full calendars of the Majority’s agenda bills. House SB1, Reading Skills (Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger) passed the House Education committee on Wednesday in a 9-4 vote along party lines. The bill was amended in committee to require summer school courses for struggling second graders and to allow them to be taught by tutors and teachers trained in reading. Similar to its hearing in the Senate, the bill continued to see controversy over the retention portion of the bill; however, the remaining provisions saw widespread support. The bill has been recommitted to the House Ways and Means Committee. SB5, Lead Water Line Replacement and Lead Remediation (Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford) passed the House Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committee 12-0. The bill has been recommitted to the House Ways and Means committee. SB 29, Town Party Conventions (Sen. Stacey Donato, R-Logansport) passed the House Committee on Elections and Apportionment 11-0 after being amended to change the deadline for nominating conventions to the same date as nominee for circuit courts and realign dates to be uniform across the state for small towns under a population of 3500. SB 58, Restaurant carryout sales (Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle) which would exempt a specialty or gourmet market holding a retailer's permit with carryout privileges from the gross retail income requirements to sell alcoholic beverages for carryout, passed the House Public Policy Committee 12-0. It passed on second reading with no amendments and has been ordered to engrossment. The General Assembly is moving forward on the long-requested topic of a thirteenth check; however, the two chambers have different ideas on how to address it. The House is advocating for a one-time 13 th check, while the Senate is pushing for a more long-term approach featuring guaranteed bonuses. Despite these differences, the House moved forward with SB 275, Pension Matters (Sen. Brian Buchanan, R-Lebanon) provides that a state employee may elect to enroll in deferred compensation plan. It passed the House Employment, Labor and Pensions committee 12-0, and has been recommitted to House Ways and Means. Senate HB 1412, Canine Standard of Care (Rep. Beau Baird, R-Greencastle) passed the Senate Agriculture Committee (6-2) on Monday. The bill has received significant attention because of its impact on pet stores, allowing them to sell live puppies and kittens. The bill was amended to exclude hobby breeders, who aren’t required to meet the state standards of animal care, from selling to pet stores. HB 1284, Deposit Account Agreements (Rep. Kyle Pierce, R-Anderson) passed the Senate Insurance and Financial Institutions Committee (6-3) on Wednesday. The bill would allow banks and credit unions to send customers a written notice of a change or addition to their contract, and then, if the customer didn’t respond, interpret the customer’s silence as consent. HB 1102, Child Care (Rep. Dave Heine, R-Fort Wayne) passed the Senate Health and Provider Services Committee (6-2) on Monday. The bill would expand the number of child care facilities that are exempt from state licensure requirements. The bill loosens restrictions specifically on child care providers based in a home or school. HB 1102 aims to allow child care providers who do not hold a license to be able to care for more children for longer periods. The Senate Education Committee unanimously passed several pieces of House legislation: HB 1042, Transition to Teaching Scholarships (Rep. Dave Heine, R-Fort Wayner), HB 1104, School Safety (Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland), and HB 1233, Robotics Competition Program (Rep. Chuck Goodrich, R-Noblesville). These bills were all non-controversial and had bipartisan support. The House agenda bill HB 1001, Education and Higher Education Matters (Rep. Chuck Goodrich, R-Noblesville) was also heard in Senate Education. Testimony only was heard on the bill in committee, amendments and vote were held for a later meeting date. Election Filings Please click here to view the finalized list of election filings for Statehouse seats, as the deadline is now closed. There are 33 incumbent primaries, which can be viewed here . The Week Ahead The House and Senate will each convene on Monday at 1:30 pm for session. Please click here for the full Senate Committee schedule and here for the House Committee schedule . The following committees are scheduled for Monday: Senate Family and Child Services at 9:00 am Senate Environmental Services at 10:00 am Senate Natural Resources at 10:00 am House Agriculture and Rural Development at 10:30 am House Veterans Affairs and Public Safety at 10:30 am Senate Elections upon adjournment of the Family and Child Services committee
To View the UDO Draft, Please Click on the Image Above.
First Half of the 2024 Legislative Session We have officially completed the first half of the Indiana 2024 Legislative Session! All legislation has either been passed on a third reading vote in its chamber of origin or is now considered to be dead and no longer eligible for passage. The House has passed 111 House bills and 1 House Joint Resolution, and the Senate has passed 109 bills and 1 Senate Joint Resolution. Lawmakers have headed home for the long weekend and will return on Monday, February 12 th to continue the legislative process by beginning the consideration of bills from the opposite chamber. Once the bills have switched chambers, legislators in the receiving chamber act as “sponsors” (rather than authors) for legislation arriving from the other chamber. The sponsor acts on behalf of the author to get the legislation passed by their chamber. Senate Republican Agenda Indiana Senate Republicans initially laid out a 2024 Legislative Agenda at a press conference on Thursday, January 11 th , focused on literacy, child care access, fiscal responsibility and Hoosier health. Of the 5 caucus priority bills, all but SB 3 will head to the House for further consideration in the second half of the session. SB 1, Reading skills (Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger), the Senate’s attempt to tackle Indiana’s mounting literacy crisis and further the science of reading, passed third reading on Thursday. During second reading, the bill saw bipartisan amendments adopted that seek to increase parental rights, create an appeals process for students and require schools to notify parents about the possibility of retention early. Despite these amendments, the retention portion of the bill remained controversial through third reading, ultimately passing with a 36-13 vote. SB 1’s primary House sponsor is Rep. Jake Teshka (R-South Bend). SB 2, Child care (Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso) would roll out multiple new policies to help more individuals become childcare workers and cut certain regulations that drive up the cost of operating a childcare facility. SB 2 previously passed the Senate Health and Provider Services Committee (12-0) and passed the Appropriations Committee unanimously, before passing the floor 48-1. SB 2’s primary House sponsor is Rep. Dale DeVon (R-Granger). SB 3, Prior Authorization (Sen. Tyler Johnson, R-Leo) would overhaul prior authorization; banning prior authorization for routine and emergency services, and common prescription drugs. It also puts limits on both the number of prior authorizations insurers can require and the time it takes to approve services. The bill saw widespread support in the committee meeting, with only insurance companies testifying against it. Despite SB 3 passing committee unanimously, the bill was not discussed again after being recommitted to the Senate Appropriations Committee. SB 3 is now dead. SB 4, Fiscal and administrative matters (Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown, Sen. Ryan Mishler, R-Mishawaka, and Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle). SB 4 would require the State Budget Agency to biennially prepare a list of dedicated funds not used in the previous two fiscal years. After which, the funds would return to the state general fund. The bill passed the Senate unanimously (48-0). SB 4’s primary House sponsor is Rep. Jeff Thompson (R-Lizton). SB 5, Lead water line replacement and lead remediation (Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford) intends to allow utility companies to replace lead pipes more efficiently. SB 5 previously passed both the Senate Utilities and Appropriations Committees unanimously and passed the floor unanimously and unamended. The primary House sponsor will be Rep. Ed Soliday (R-Valparaiso). House Republican Agenda Indiana House Republicans released a 2024 Legislative Agenda on Monday, January 8 th with a focus on supporting Hoosier students and taxpayers. All four of the caucus’ priority bills will head to the Senate for further consideration in the second half of the session. HB 1001, Education and Higher Education Matters (Rep. Chuck Goodrich, R-Noblesville) focuses on removing financial barriers and creating more opportunities for Hoosier students who wish to pursue a work-based or technical education. The bill would allow for some dedicated scholarships and grant money to be applied towards training costs, obtaining a driver’s license, or an apprenticeship program. HB 1001 was amended in committee and on the House floor, ultimately passing on third reading with a vote of 80-17. In the Senate, the bill is assigned to the Education and Career Development Committee and will be carried by its Senate sponsor, Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond). HB 1002, Enforcement of Equal Educational Opportunity (Rep. Chris Jeter, R-Fishers) aims to define and eliminate antisemitism in public schools and universities. HB 1002 passed the House on January 18th (83-0). The bill has been assigned to the Senate Education and Career Development committee but has yet to be scheduled for a hearing. As one of the most controversial bills this session, HB 1002 has drawn significant media attention. Senators Aaron Freeman (R-Indianapolis) and Stacey Donato (R-Logansport) are the Senate sponsors. HB 1003, Administrative Law (Rep. Greg Steuerwald, R-Avon) is a bill that seeks to reform the appeals process presided over by administrative law judges in relationship to state agencies. The bill would remove some authority from state agencies to interpret laws. It passed the House on January 23 rd (85-10). The bill was passed on third reading in the House (85-10) and will be sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Cyndi Carrasco (R-Indianapolis). HB 1003 has been referred to Senate Judiciary Committee. HB 1004, Thirteenth Check (Rep. Bob Cherry, R-Greenfield) would provide a thirteenth retirement check to public retirees such as teachers, state police officers, and state employees. HB 1004 was unamended throughout the legislative process and passed out of both the House Ways and Means Committee and the House floor unanimously. On its first reading in the Senate, the bill was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee. The primary Senate sponsor is Sen. Brian Buchanan (R-Lebanon). Education Legislation SB 202, State educational institutions measures (Sen. Spencer Deery, R-Lafayette) would change how state universities handle diversity, free speech, and academic freedom. It requires promoting both cultural and intellectual diversity, sets up policies for faculty conduct regarding these topics, and allows students and employees to report violations. It also prohibits discrimination based on personal views and mandates institutions to promote free speech surveys and report on diversity spending. Additionally, the bill modifies alumni representation on certain boards of trustees. The bill passed the Senate 39-9 and is being sponsored by Rep. Michelle Davis (R-Whiteland). SB 211, Various education matters (Sen. Jeff Raatz, R-Richmond) would establish a civics education program, make changes to the collective bargaining date for teachers, and define a charter school corporation. While the first two provisions saw widespread support, the last proved controversial; with concerns over the process of auditing charter schools. The bill’s author and chairman of the education committee, Senator Raatz, stated that these would be addressed in an accompanying house bill. These assurances did not assuage some, and the bill passed 38-10. Its House sponsor is Rep. Bob Behning (R-Indianapolis). SB 270 Various education matters (Sen. Linda Rogers R-Granger) clarifies language from the 2023 legislative session over a state law requiring districts to sell closed school buildings to charter schools. 270 would require all school districts in Indiana to share revenue from voter-approved tax increases for operating and safety expenses passed with charter schools. Currently, this requirement only applies to some counties. This comes on the heels of a court case by Attorney General Todd Rokita in which the courts found that Indianapolis Public Schools qualified for the exemption. Its House sponsor is Rep. Bob Behning (R-Indianapolis). HB 1243, Various Education and Workforce Related Matters (Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis) is an omnibus education measure that makes changes to state assessments, establishes new diploma requirements, adds computer science as a graduation requirement, and streamlines Career Scholarships Accounts and work-based learning programs. The bill passed after being amended with two technical amendments by a vote of 96-0. HB 1234 now heads to the Senate where it will be sponsored by Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond). Indianapolis Legislation SB 52, Dedicated lanes (Sen. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis) passed out of the Senate on Monday by a vote of 35-14 following a lengthy and heated floor debate. SB 52, directed at the City of Indianapolis, would prevent a consolidated city from installing dedicated lanes for public transit. It was amended on second reading to direct that the city could not install any more no-turn-on-red signs until July 1, 2025 and create a Task Force that would assess and report to the legislature the impact of dedicated lanes and no-turn-on-red restrictions in Indianapolis. The House sponsor will be Rep. Julie McGuire (R-Indianapolis). HB 1199 (Rep. Julie McGuire, R-Indianapolis) and HB 1121 (Rep. Jeff Thompson, R-Lizton) passed out of the House by votes of 65-29 and 67-29 respectively. HB 1199 eliminates the City of Indianapolis’ unique ability to impose a tax on downtown property owners (with no threshold of consent by property owners) pay for the operating costs of a homeless shelter and various improvements in the city’s Mile Square. The legislature authorized the mechanism without public input or debate in the final budget amendment on the final night of session last year. HB 1121 would provide the city with an alternative way to pay for improvements and service projects in Mile Square. The proposal would allow the Indianapolis City-County Council to increase the countywide local income tax by .02%. Both measures now head to the Senate for further consideration. Other Notable Legislation SB 9, Notice of health care entity mergers (Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown) would require health care entities to provide notice of certain mergers or acquisitions to specified members of the general assembly and the Attorney General. It saw widespread support on the grounds that increased competition would reduce healthcare prices but drew some concern from healthcare entities who worried it would hurt their business and slow down mergers. It passed the Senate Health and Provider Services Committee by a unanimous 10-0 vote. After being amended to require notification to the affected companies on second reading, SB 9 passed third reading unanimously (49-0). Its primary House sponsor is Rep. Donna Schaibley (R-Carmel). SB 234, Disaster Emergency (Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown) provides checks and balances to the authority of Indiana’s governor during a state of emergency. The legislation prohibits the following: state of emergency declarations from lasting more than 30 days; the governor from renewing a state of emergency declaration; and the governor from declaring a new state of emergency upon expiration of an emergency unless it is wholly unrelated to the first one. The bill’s author successfully amended the legislation with language concerning federal funds during a state of emergency. SB 234 passed the Senate by a vote of 38-10 and will be sponsored by Rep. Matt Lehman (R-Berne) in the House. SB 295, Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) (Sen. Brian Buchanan, R-Lebanon) passed the Senate 44-5 on Thursday. SB 295 adds two nonvoting members appointed by the General Assembly to the IEDC’s board and requires that IEDC give notice before purchasing land over 100 acres for development. The legislation stems from scrutiny related to a proposed LEAP development district in Boone County initiated by the IEDC. SB 295 will be sponsored by Rep. Jeff Thompson (R-Lizton) in the House. HB 1086, Alcoholic Beverage Sales (Rep. Jake Teshka, R-South Bend) would bring back “Happy Hour” for Indiana’s food and beverage retailers and legalize the sale of carry-out alcohol. Since 1985, there has been a ban on happy hours for Indiana establishments, requiring instead that any drink specials be offered all day long. During its third reading vote on the House floor, the bill saw both bipartisan support and opposition with a final vote of 75-21. The bill will be sponsored by Sen. Kyle Walker (R-Indianapolis) and Sen. Ron Alting (R-Lafayette) and has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. HB 1183, Foreign Ownership of Agricultural Land (Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer) would prohibit “foreign adversaries” from owning or leasing Hoosier farmland. This includes purchasers from countries such as China, North Korea, Iran, Cuba, Russia, and Venezuela. The bill passed unanimously on third reading (96-0) and will be sponsored by Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg). HB 1183 has not yet been referred to a Senate committee. HB 1383, Wetlands (Rep. Alan Morrison, R-Brazil; Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell) is the first bill this session to pass through both the House and Senate chambers. HB 1383 clarifies various wetland definitions, eliminates certain wetland rulemaking requirements, provides that certain wetland activity requires state authorization, and clarifies the compensatory mitigation that must be offered to offset certain wetland activity. The bill was passed in the Senate on third reading (32-17) on Tuesday and was signed by the Speaker of the House yesterday. HB 1383 will soon land on the Governor’s desk to be signed into law. HB 1412, Canine Standard of Care (Rep. Beau Baird, R-Greencastle) puts forth new regulations concerning the retail sale of dogs. The bill would establish a random inspection program for retail pet stores, commercial breeders, and commercial dog brokers. Among its provisions, the bill also voids local ordinances which prevent cities from banning the sale of dogs at pet stores. HB 1412 was a contentious bill as it moved through the house, attracting lots of testimony from animal welfare advocates, city officials, and legislators. The bill passed on third reading in the House (59-36) and will be sponsored by Sen. Blake Doriot (R-Goshen) and Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg). HB 1412 was referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture where it has already been scheduled for a hearing this coming Monday, February 12. Dead Bills SB 201, Minor use of mobile devices and social media (Sen. Spencer Deery, R-West Lafayette) would have created sweeping protections aimed at protecting minors online: including requiring mobile devices sold in Indiana to have adult content filters, mandating social media platforms to verify a minor’s age and obtain parental consent before creating a count, and prohibiting social media platforms from releasing minor’s data. It was referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce and Technology, where it did not receive a hearing. Marijuana continued to be a hot topic of debate in the legislature legislation, with multiple bills and amendments on the topic filed by both Republicans and Democrats. Among these are HB 1146 , 1282 , 1349 , 1350 , 1410 , SB 99 , 107 , 126 , and 294 . None of the bills regarding the topic moved forward in the legislative process. SB 249, Major ground water withdrawal facilities (Sen. Spencer Deery, R-West Lafayette) and HB 1305, Major ground water withdrawal facilities (Rep. Sharon Negele, R-Attica) both aimed to protect natural groundwater sources in Indiana and restrict the use of pipelines to pump that water to industrial areas both died in the respective House and Senate committees. HB 1386, Medicaid matters (Rep. Brad Barrett, R-Richmond) was a Family and Social Service (FSSA) agency bill intended to update Medicaid policy. The legislation passed out of committee with a unanimous vote but after 10 amendments were filed on the bill, HB 1386 was not called down before the second reading deadline effectively killing the proposal. Primary Election Update The state's Republican and Democratic primaries will both occur on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. The following information is not final, as the filing window does not close until noon on Friday, February 9 th . Currently, the following will not be seeking reelection: Sen. John Crane (R-Avon), Senate District 24 Rep. Donna Schaibley (R-Carmel), House District 24 Rep. Chuck Goodrich (R-Noblesville), House District 29 Rep. Jerry Torr (R-Carmel), House District 39 Rep. Dennis Zent (R-Angola), House District 51 Rep. Bob Cherry (R-Greenfield), House District 53 Rep. Randy Lyness (R-West Harrison), House District 68 Rep. Ryan Hatfield (D-Evansville), House District 77 Rep. Mike Speedy (R-Indianapolis), House District 90 Multiple Indiana Congressional districts will be open seats. Rep. Jim Banks (R-3) is running for Indiana Senate. Rep. Greg Pence (R-6) and Larry Bucshon (R-8) have announced their retirements. Reps. Victoria Spartz (R-5) had indicated that she would retire from Congress but has since announced her intention to run for reelection. In the wake of these shakeups, the following General Assembly members have filed to run for Congress: Sen. Andy Zay (R-Huntington) has filed to run in CD-3 Rep. Chuck Goodrich (R-Noblesville) has filed to run in CD-5 Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond) has filed to run in CD-6 Rep. Mike Speedy (R-Indianapolis) has filed to run in CD-6 Sen. Mark Messmer (R-Jasper) has filed to run in CD-8 Second Half of Session The House and Senate will both reconvene at 1:30 pm on Monday, February 12. They plan to get off to a quick start with multiple committee meetings already scheduled for Monday: Senate Elections at 9:00 am Senate Agriculture at 10:00 am Senate Family and Children Services upon adjournment of Senate Elections The second half of legislative sessions, particularly the conference committee period, produces some of the most dramatic developments in the legislative session. During a conference committee, language can be quickly inserted or deleted from a bill until an agreement is reached between the conferees. Generally, only language that passed out of a chamber previously during the same session can be inserted into a conference committee report. The contents of legislation can change dramatically during this final stage, with certain bills having their entire contents stripped and completely new language inserted during conference committee. Other bills may fail in their conference committee due to irreconcilable differences between the two chambers’ bill versions. We will continue to provide you with the most up-to-date information throughout the second half and recommend that you track your bill lists closely. On behalf of Team Catalyst, thank you for allowing us to be your advocate in the Indiana General Assembly. We are excited to begin the second half of the legislative session and will fight tirelessly to ensure your voice is heard! Important DatesFebruary 27, 2024 - House Committee Report Deadline for Senate bills February 29, 2024 - Senate Committee Report for House bills February 29, 2024 - House Second Reading Deadline for Senate bills March 4, 2024 - Senate Second Reading for House bills March 4, 2024 - House Third Reading Deadline for Senate bills March 5, 2024 - Senate Third Reading Deadline for House bills March 14, 2024 - Sine Die (statutory)
Useful links
Contact info
(260) 463-2443
info@lagrangechamber.org
901 S. Detroit Street, LaGrange, IN
Follow us
© 2024 LaGrange County Chamber of Commerce. All Rights Reserved. Powered By Chamber Nation. | Member Services by Pippily.Ai