Statehouse Update 4
Introduction
This week, the House and the Senate faced committee report deadlines on Tuesday, and Thursday, respectively. The House’s 2nd reading deadline was also this Thursday. Legislation that moved out of committee ahead of committee report deadlines or had a second reading by that deadline will continue to move through the legislative process. Those bills that did not can be considered dead for this session.
On Tuesday, President Mearns traveled to Indianapolis to meet with members of the Senate Appropriations Committee to continue conversation related to higher education funding.
Bills that Moved
House:
HB 1107 - Various education matters: Includes provisions regarding education and career support pilot program. Allows the Commission for Higher Education to apply for funding for the pilot program. Also allows state educational institutions to apply to be a part of the pilot program. HB 1107 passed on third reading and is now eligible for consideration by the Senate.
HB 1134 - Education matters: Contains provisions related to K-12 curriculum. Also includes provisions prohibiting a teacher prep program from including or promoting certain concepts as part of a course of instruction. HB 1134 was amended on second reading to remove provisions related to higher education. HB 1134 passed on third reading and is now eligible for consideration by the Senate.
HB 1190 - Free speech at state educational institutions: Provides that a state educational institution may not: (1) designate an area on campus as an area where protected expressive activities are prohibited; (2) deny any benefit or privilege to, or discriminate against, a religious, political, or ideological student organization for its free expression; and (3) deny a benefit to or discriminate against a religious, political, or ideological student organization based on the expression or a requirement of the student organization. Allows a state educational institution to enforce reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions that comply with certain requirements. Requires a state educational institution to: (1) create and publish free expression policies; (2) submit certain reports to the governor and general assembly; and (3) make certain reports accessible on its Internet web site. Provides that a student or student organization may bring a cause of action for a violation of free speech rights. Allows a court to award compensatory damages, reasonable court costs, and attorney's fees to an aggrieved student or student organization if the court finds that a violation occurred. Provides that a state educational institution is not immune from certain liability. Requires the commission for higher education to create a form for a state educational institution to submit information on an alleged violation of this chapter. Makes conforming changes. HB 1190 passed on third reading and is now eligible for consideration by the Senate.
Senate
SB 89 - Higher education scholarships: Provides that the commission's annual schedule of awards must provide award amounts on the basis of a federal needs calculation. Amends language concerning teacher stipends to teacher scholarships. Provides that the total amount of scholarships or other financial aid received by an individual may not exceed certain total expenses. SB 89 passed out of committee and is now eligible for second reading amendments on the Senate floor.
SB 91 - Accreditation of teacher preparation programs: Allows a teacher preparation program to report the program's admission practices, in accordance with the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) standards, for teacher preparation programs accredited by the AAQEP. Requires the department of education to approve at least two accreditors that: (1) accredit teacher preparation programs; and (2) are recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation; to accredit teacher preparation programs for use in Indiana. SB 91 passed on third reading and is now eligible for consideration by the House.
SB 366 - Higher education funding: Includes requirements for the commission on higher education to create a higher educational operating funding performance based formula and higher educational capital project evaluation metrics in each year prior to a budget session of the general assembly. Provides requirements for the commission to base its recommendations for capital projects based on the evaluation metrics. Also includes reporting and communication-based provisions for the budget committee and the commission upon a biannual third-party audit for the funding formula. SB 366 passed on third reading and is now eligible for consideration by the House.
Looking Ahead
Next week, the General Assembly will face 3rd reading deadlines and the end of the first half of the legislative session. The House’s 3rd reading deadline is Monday, January 31st and the Senate’s 2nd and 3rd reading deadlines are Monday, January 31st and Tuesday, February 1st, respectively. The legislature will then break for the remainder of the week as it prepares for bills to move chambers.
