Statehouse Update 8
Introduction
The General Assembly started the second half of the 2025 Legislative Session this week with a focus on first readings, committee hearings, and even a few second reading amendments for bills that survived and crossed chambers after the first half of session. While some committees passed a few bills out for second reading amendments, others heard bills for the first time as testimony only and held them for amendments and committee votes next week. The total amount of active bills remains about 350, of which our office continues to monitor almost 80 that could impact University operations.
President Mearns will present the University’s budget proposal next week to the Senate Appropriations Committee. In addition to our budget proposal, he has the opportunity to highlight some of our institution’s recent accomplishments and initiatives. Other state agencies, including the Department of Education, will also present their proposals to the committee as it begins to draft its version of the budget. Similar to the legislative process of the House-passed budget (HB 1001), the Senate’s version will pass out of committee and then second reading amendments and third reading in the full chamber. After Senate passage, the fiscal leaders of each of the four caucuses will reconcile the differences in the House and Senate-passed bills in conference committee before it returns to the House and Senate floors for a final vote. The engrossed bill will then move to Governor Braun for signature before coming law.
Below is a sampling of bills being tracked by Ball State Governmental Relations that moved during the last week. If you have questions about these or other bills that you may have heard about, please contact the Office of Governmental Relations at gov@bsu.edu.
Bills That Moved
House Bills (HB)
HB 1002 – Various Education Matters: Removes and repeals various education provisions and expired education provisions, including provisions concerning the following: (1) Secretary of education criteria. (2) Certain department of education (department) requirements. (3) The advisory committee on career and technical education. (4) Use of hearing examiners by the state board of education (state board). (5) Credit for retaking a virtual course during certain time periods. (6) Family friendly school designations. (7) The Indiana civic education commission. (8) Discretionary directives to the department. (9) The program for the advancement of math and science. [Digest shortened]. Makes technical and conforming changes. This bill was heard by the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development as testimony only. The committee held the bill and will reconsider it next week.
HB 1111 – Indiana National Guard: Increases, from $8,800 to $20,000, the amount that shall be paid by the state if a member of the Indiana National Guard dies in the active service of the state. Provides that a spouse or dependent of a member of the Indiana National Guard is eligible for a state employee death benefit if the member dies while serving on state active duty. Provides that the adjutant general may procure a medical insurance plan for members of the Indiana National Guard who are ordered to state active duty. Adds awards and decorations that may be awarded by the Indiana National Guard. Provides that members of the Indiana National Guard, while serving on state active duty, shall be considered state employees for purposes of receiving worker's compensation. Provides that a scholarship applicant of the National Guard tuition supplement program may use the scholarship for a credential-certifying program, licensing program, trade certification program, or apprenticeship program for an in-demand occupation as identified by the adjutant general and the department of workforce development, in consultation with the commission for higher education. Provides that if a scholarship applicant of the National Guard tuition supplement program receives a twenty-first century scholars program scholarship, the scholarship applicant may use a National Guard tuition supplement program scholarship awarded to pay for qualified program and educational expenses approved by the commission for higher education and room and board for two years. Makes technical corrections. This bill passed the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs and the Military (Yeas: 7, Nays:0) and is eligible for second reading amendments on the Senate floor.
HB 1515 – Education and Higher Education Matters: Provides that accredited nonpublic schools are eligible to participate in the following: (1) The establishment of police departments. (2) The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teacher recruitment grants. (3) The principal institute. Provides that charter schools are eligible to receive science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teacher recruitment grants. Allows a parent of a choice scholarship student or an eligible choice scholarship school on behalf of a parent to petition the department of education to reconsider the eligibility of a choice scholarship student enrolled in the school if the parent has reason to believe that the student was determined ineligible due to enrollment data inaccuracies reported by a school. Provides that a student must be withdrawn from enrollment in a school corporation's virtual education program if the student accumulates 10 consecutive or 18 cumulative unexcused absences (instead of the number of unexcused absences sufficient to result in the student's classification as a habitual truant). Amends eligibility requirements for the high value workforce ready credit-bearing grant. Restricts a county, city, or town (unit) in using the unit's planning and zoning authority to regulate a school corporation's or charter school's use of school property. Provides the following regarding a charter school: (1) A charter school is a permitted use in all zoning districts. (2) A charter school's land use application must be processed by a unit on a first priority basis. This bill was heard by the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development as testimony only. The committee held the bill and will reconsider it next week.
Senate Bills (SB)
SB 365 – Education Matters: Requires the department of education (department), in collaboration with the commission for higher education (commission) and the department for workforce development, to create a combined return on investment report for specified programs. Requires the department, in collaboration with the commission and the department for workforce development, to collect and maintain certain data concerning the specified programs. Requires the department to publish the return on investment report on the department's website and submit the report to the governor's workforce cabinet and the legislative council. Provides that the department shall administer and implement the career navigation coaching system developed by the commission. Establishes the career coaching fund (fund) and provides that the department shall administer the fund. Provides certain requirements for an eligible entity to receive a grant from the fund. Requires the department to prepare a report concerning career coaching and submit the report to the governor and legislative council. Requires the department of workforce development to update wage threshold data used to categorize career and technical education programs for use in the subsequent school year. Makes conforming changes. This bill was heard by the House Education Committee as testimony only. The committee held the bill and will reconsider it next week.
Looking Ahead
Next week we can expect the General Assembly to increase committee activity and hold second and third readings. We will continue to monitor important legislation and provide weekly updates.
