Statehouse Update 6
Introduction
The General Assembly continued legislative activities this week as policymakers moved bills in their originating chambers ahead of important deadlines, including the February 17 committee report, February 19 second reading, and February 20 third reading deadlines. Bills that do not make these deadlines will not survive this legislative session. The total amount of introduced bills remains around 1,250, and our office continues to monitor over 250 bills that could have an impact on University operations.
The House Ways and Means Committee is expected to publish its version of the state budget (HB1001) this afternoon. The bill is scheduled for a hearing on Monday and will be voted out of committee in time for the February 17 committee report deadline. The next step in the budget’s legislative process is for the Committee to amend and report the bill out for second reading amendments on the House floor.
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 1032 – Foreign Interests: Prohibits a prohibited person from entering into a contract for the provision of goods or services with the state, a state agency, and a political subdivision. Requires agents acting on behalf of certain countries of concern to register with the attorney general. Establishes the foreign adversary enforcement fund. Requires schools and school corporations in Indiana to disclose certain foreign gifts and contracts. Requires public and private postsecondary educational institutions in Indiana to disclose certain foreign gifts and contracts. Prohibits certain individuals and business entities from acquiring: (1) an interest in business entities governed under Indiana law; and (2) real property located in Indiana. Requires certain individuals and business entities to divest their ownership of any interests in business entities or real property not later than January 1, 2026. Repeals existing statutes regarding foreign ownership of real property. This bill passed the House Judiciary Committee (Yeas: 12, Nays: 0) and the House Ways and Means Committee (Yeas: 16, Nays: 7) and is now eligible for second reading amendments on the House floor.
HB 1041 – Student Eligibility in Interscholastic Sports: Requires, for purposes of interscholastic athletic events, state educational institutions and certain private postsecondary educational institutions to expressly designate an athletic team or sport as one of the following: (1) A male, men's, or boys' team or sport. (2) A female, women's, or girls' team or sport. (3) A coeducational or mixed team or sport. 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 athletic team or sport designated as being a female, women's, or girls' athletic team or sport. Requires state educational institutions and certain private postsecondary educational institutions to establish grievance procedures for a violation of these provisions. Establishes a civil action for a violation of these provisions. Provides that state educational institutions and certain private postsecondary educational institutions are not subject to liability in a civil, administrative, disciplinary, or criminal action for acting in compliance with these provisions. This bill passed the House Education Committee (Yeas: 12, Nays: 1) and is eligible for second reading amendments on the House floor.
HB 1235 – Military and Veteran Matters: Expands the eligibility requirements for admission to the Indiana Veterans' Home. Adds a definition of an "eligible person" for purposes of administering grants for veteran services (GVS). Provides that a qualified entity may receive a GVS to provide certain services to support an eligible person. Makes changes to the qualifications to receive a veteran's burial allowance. Establishes the Medal of Honor license plate. Restores a provision of current law concerning certain disability ratings, as determined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and educational cost exemptions. Provides that the disability ratings and educational cost exemptions apply to an individual whose parent enlisted in the armed forces after June 30, 2017 (instead of June 30, 2011). Updates references throughout the Indiana Code relating to the armed forces of the United States or uniformed services to include the United States Space Force. Replaces references to an honorable discharge with references to a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable. Makes technical changes to various references relating to the components of the armed forces of the United States. Makes technical corrections. This bill passed out of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and Public Safety (Yeas: 11, Nays: 0) and the House Ways and Means Committee (Yeas: 19, Nays: 0) and is eligible for second reading amendments on the House floor.
HB 1326 – Student and Teaching Scholarships: Provides that a student must be at least three years of age to qualify for a scholarship granting organization scholarship and removes income eligibility requirements. (Currently, the student must be at least four years of age to qualify and be a member of a household with a certain annual income.) Provides that applicants enrolled in a transition to teaching program after June 30, 2024, may qualify for certain scholarships if the applicant is a member of a household with an annual income of not more than 400% of the amount required for the applicant to qualify for the federal free or reduced price lunch program. (Currently, the annual income threshold is $100,000 or less.) Permits the commission for higher education to use the remaining balance allocated to certain teaching scholarships or in certain teaching scholarship funds to fund additional specified teaching scholarships. This bill passed the House Education Committee (Yeas: 6, Nays: 4) and the House Ways and Means Committee (Yeas: 15, Nays: 8) and is eligible for second reading amendments on the House floor.
HB 1634 – Math Education: Requires each school corporation and charter middle school to automatically enroll a student who meets certain conditions in a middle school advanced math course. Allows a parent of a student to opt out of automatic enrollment. Allows a parent of a student who does not meet the conditions for automatic enrollment to opt the student into a middle school advanced math course. Establishes requirements regarding: (1) mathematics screening, evaluation, and intervention; and (2) teacher preparation program math curriculum and content. This bill passed the House Education Committee (Yeas: 11, Nays: 0), second reading amendments, third reading vote (Yeas: 90, Nays: 0), and was referred to the Senate.
Senate Bills (SB)
SB 120 – DNA Samples at Time of Arrest: Requires a sheriff to take a DNA sample of a person taken into custody for a felony. Provides that it is a Class C misdemeanor if a person refuses to provide a DNA sample to a sheriff. This bill passed the Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee (Yeas: 7, Nays: 0), second reading amendments, third reading vote (Yeas: 40, Nays: 9), and was referred to the House.
SB 285 – Comparative College and Career Information: Tasks the commission for higher education (commission) and the department of workforce development with collecting and compiling certain information concerning: (1) postsecondary education; (2) career and technical education; (3) workforce qualifications; (4) workforce earnings; and (5) workforce debt. Requires the commission to create an interactive website known as the student horizon dashboard to provide public access to certain collected and compiled information. Requires the commission, with assistance from the department of education and the department of workforce development, to create a report known as the student graduate horizon scorecard (scorecard) for annual distribution. Specifies that the scorecard must contain certain information concerning high paying civilian and military careers and in demand jobs. Requires the commission to prepare an annual report for the legislative council. Requires state educational institutions and career and technical education centers to collect and provide information as requested by the commission. This bill passed the Senate Education and Career Development Committee (Yeas: 12, Nays: 1) and Senate Appropriations Committee (Yeas: 13, Nays: 0), second reading amendments, third reading vote (Yeas: 49, Nays: 0), and was referred to the House.
SB 289 – Nondiscrimination in Employment and Education: Requires a school corporation, charter school, state agency, and political subdivision to post on its website certain training and curricular materials concerning nondiscrimination, diversity, equity, inclusion, race, ethnicity, sex, and bias. Provides that a school corporation, charter school, state agency, or political subdivision may not: (1) require or otherwise compel a student of the school corporation or charter school or an employee to affirm, adopt, or adhere to certain beliefs or concepts; or (2) use public funds to contract with, hire, or otherwise engage consultants, trainers, or other persons to take certain actions to promote the beliefs or concepts. Provides that a school corporation, charter school, state agency, political subdivision, or an employee of a school corporation, charter school, state agency, or political subdivision may not, in the course or scope of public service or employment, promote, embrace, or endorse stereotypes. Establishes a process for an employee, a parent, or an emancipated student to file a complaint of a violation. Allows the attorney general to file an action for mandate to compel a school corporation, charter school, state agency, or political subdivision to comply with certain requirements. This bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee (Yeas: 7, Nays: 3), second reading amendments, third reading vote (Yeas: 34, Nays: 13), and was referred to the House.
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 passed the Senate Education and Career Development Committee (Yeas: 10, Nays: 3), second reading amendments, third reading vote (Yeas: 49, Nays: 0), and was referred to the House.
SB 448 – Higher Education and Workforce Development Matters: Requires the Indiana management performance hub, in collaboration with the department of education (department), to: (1) collect and compile certain student income data; and (2) report certain credential information on the department's website. Requires the secretary of education to establish a plan to develop a market driven stackable credentials and qualifications framework and submit the plan to the general assembly. Provides that the commission for higher education (commission) shall (instead of may) approve or disapprove certain branches, campuses, centers, new colleges, new schools, degrees, or programs. Provides that before the commission approves or disapproves a degree or program, a state educational institution shall provide, and the commission shall consider, certain information regarding the degree or program. Requires the commission to: (1) review each degree or program for approval or disapproval at least one time every 10 years; (2) outline a process for degree and program monitoring, improvement, suspension, and closure; (3) publish certain information; and (4) take official action regarding the approval or disapproval of certain requests within 90 days. Requires the commission to prepare and submit an annual report to the legislative council regarding certain student enrollment data. This bill passed the Senate Education and Career Development Committee (Yeas: 13, Nays: 0) and Senate Appropriations Committee (Yeas: 12, Nays: 0) and is now eligible for second reading amendments on the Senate floor.
SB 472 – Cybersecurity: Requires political subdivisions, state agencies, school corporations, and state educational institutions (public entities), with the exception of specified categories of hospitals, to adopt not later than December 31, 2027, a: (1) technology resources policy; and (2) cybersecurity policy; that meet specified requirements. Requires the office of technology (office) to develop: (1) standards and guidelines regarding cybersecurity for use by political subdivisions and state educational institutions; and (2) a uniform cybersecurity policy for use by state agencies. Requires the office to develop, in collaboration with the department of education: (1) a uniform technology resources policy governing use of technology resources by the employees of school corporations; and (2) a uniform cybersecurity policy for use by school corporations. Requires: (1) a public entity to biennially submit to the office the cybersecurity policy adopted by the public entity; and (2) the office to establish a procedure for collecting and maintaining a record of submitted cybersecurity policies. Establishes: (1) the cybersecurity insurance program (program) for the purpose of providing coverage to a participating government entity for losses incurred by the government entity as a result of a cybersecurity incident; and (2) the cybersecurity insurance board (board) to administer the program. Provides that coverage for losses incurred by a participating government entity as a result of a cybersecurity incident are paid under the program from premiums paid into a trust fund by participating government entities. Specifies that claims from the fund shall not be paid until the balance in the fund reaches $10,000,000. Provides that the board shall contract with cybersecurity professionals who can be dispatched by the board to assist a participating government entity in the event of a cybersecurity incident. Provides that fines recovered by the attorney general for any of the following violations are deposited in the trust fund: (1) Failure of an adult oriented website to implement or properly use a reasonable age verification method. (2) Failure of a data base owner to safeguard personal information of Indiana residents. (3) Failure of a data base owner to disclose or provide notice of a security breach. (4) Violation of consumer data protection law. Makes an appropriation. This bill passed the Senate Commerce and Technology Committee (Yeas: 11, Nays: 0) and Senate Appropriations Committee (Yeas: 12, Nays: 0) and is eligible for second reading amendments on the Senate floor.
Looking Ahead
Next week we can expect the General Assembly to finalize committee reports, hold second and third readings, and continue to pass bills from one chamber to another. We will continue to monitor important legislation and provide weekly updates.
