Statehouse Update 3
Introduction
This week all legislative committee meetings and sessions were cancelled out of an abundance of caution to ensure safety and security as the federal inaugural events proceeded. While staff worked remotely, no floor or committee action was taken on any bills, though the General Assembly is expected to reconvene beginning on Monday.
On Tuesday, Governor Holcomb delivered the first State of the State address of his second term in office. His speech centered on COVID response and recovery (including a regional recovery strategy), the budget, as well as calls for the legislature to address issues surrounding pregnancy accommodation. The Governor also reiterated his commitment to education and workforce development funding.
In total, 1,205 bills have been introduced. Ball State has tagged 225 of those bills for some level of tracking. With all the bills now introduced, committee hearings will begin to ramp up and several bills Ball State is tracking will move on to 2nd and 3rd reading in front of the full House or Senate.
Please see below for a list of bills being tracked by Ball State Governmental Relations that have moved during the last week. As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to our office at gov@bsu.edu.
Bills That Moved
HB 1002 - Civil immunity related to COVID-19: The bill protects health care providers from professional discipline for certain acts or omissions related to the provision of health care services during a state disaster emergency. Provides that the protection applies to the provision of health care services after February 29, 2020, and before April 1, 2022. The bill was assigned to the House Judiciary Committee where it received an initial hearing (and where Ball State testified in support of the bill on behalf of Indiana’s public higher education institutions). It is scheduled for a hearing next week on potential amendments and for a committee vote.
HB 1073 - Nonaccredited nonpublic secondary schools: The bill provides that a high school diploma or credential issued by a nonaccredited nonpublic secondary school that employs less than one employee is legally sufficient to demonstrate that the recipient of the diploma or credential has met the requirements to complete high school. Provides that a state or local agency or institution of higher education in Indiana may not reject or otherwise treat a person differently based solely on the source of a diploma or credential. The bill was assigned to the House Education Committee and is scheduled for a hearing to consider possible amendments and a final committee vote.
HB 1169 - Cybersecurity incidents: The bill provides that the office of technology shall maintain a repository of cybersecurity incidents. Provides that a state agency and a political subdivision shall report any cybersecurity incident to the office without unreasonable delay and not later than two business days after discovery of the cybersecurity incident in a format prescribed by the chief information officer. Allows the office of technology to assist a state agency with certain issues concerning information technology. The bill was assigned to the House Government and Regulatory Reform Committee and is scheduled for a hearing.
HB 1370 - Free speech on college campuses: The bill provides that each postsecondary educational institution that receives funding from the state may not: (1) exclude a student from participating in or receiving benefits from; or (2) subject a student to discrimination or an official sanction under; an educational program, activity, or division of the postsecondary educational institution on the basis of participating in a protected association. The bill was assigned to the House Education Committee and is scheduled for a hearing.
HB 1553 - Next generation Hoosier educators scholarship: The bill changes the eligibility requirements for the next generation Hoosier educators scholarship and provides that a student may qualify for the scholarship by achieving a cumulative grade point average upon graduation of at least a 3.75 on a 4.0 grading scale during grades 9, 10, 11, and 12. The bill was assigned to the House Education Committee and is scheduled for a hearing.
SB 2 - Funding for virtual instruction in public schools: The bill establishes a definition of "virtual instruction" for purposes of determining a school corporation's basic tuition support using the 2021 spring count of average daily membership (ADM). The bill was assigned to the Senate Appropriations Committee and is scheduled for a hearing.
SB 54 - FAFSA requirement: The bill requires all students, except for students at certain nonpublic schools, in their senior year to complete and submit the FAFSA unless: (1) a parent of a student or a student, if the student is an emancipated minor, signs a waiver that the student understands what the FAFSA is and declines to complete it; or (2) the principal of the student's high school waives the requirement due to extenuating circumstances. The bill was assigned to the Senate Education and Career Development Committee and is scheduled for a hearing.
SB 93 - Tuition charges for veterans: The bill provides that a: (1) qualified nonresident veteran; or (2) spouse or dependent of a qualified nonresident veteran; who enrolls in a state educational institution not later than three years after the date of the qualified nonresident veteran's discharge or separation from the armed forces of the United States or the Indiana National Guard is eligible to pay the resident tuition rate at a state educational institution. Establishes requirements for eligibility. The bill received an initial hearing in the Senate Education and Career Development Committee and will be considered by the committee again next week for amendments and a final committee vote.
SB 333 - Education matters: The bill amends the membership of the state board of education (state board). Requires the state board to establish a maximum per diem rate for meetings of members of governing bodies of school corporations, including Indianapolis Public Schools. Removes a provision that provides that, if the members of a governing body is totally comprised of appointed members, the appointive authority must approve the per diem rate before the governing body may make payments to the members. The bill was assigned to the Senate Education and Career Development Committee and is scheduled for a hearing.
Looking Ahead
Next week the Indiana General Assembly will get back to work to begin the third full week of work. They will continue to see an uptick in committee hearings, as well as bills moving out of committee to be heard for 2nd and 3rd readings. The House Ways and Means Committee will hear testimony on the budget bill from state agencies beginning next week, with the Commission for Higher Education and Department of Education making presentations on Wednesday.
