2019 Legislative Session

Indiana University Office of Government Relations

 Statehouse Report 15 

Introduction 

The General Assembly was busy holding final committee hearings to meet this week’s committee report deadlines. The House held its last committee meetings on Tuesday, while the Senate wrapped up committees on Thursday. The House also had its second reading deadline on Thursday, so we saw an increase in second reading amendments at the end of the week.

Budget Update

As committee meetings came to a close for this session, the Senate Appropriations committee released the Senate version of the budget on Thursday. As IU’s top legislative priority for the session, the Government Relations team has been closely monitoring the budget bill. Like the House version, the Senate version of the budget provides operating and capital funding for state educational institutions. For IU, this version of the budget increases operating funds over the FY 2019 appropriation level by 2.3% in FY 2020 and 2.8% in FY 2021. The Senate budget adds $8.1M in funding for regional campus deferred maintenance, and like the House version, funds IU’s first priority capital project for Bicentennial R&R at $62.0M and appropriates $28.7M to IU over the biennium using the state’s long-standing R&R formula. The Senate Appropriations committee amended and passed the budget bill on Thursday morning, so it will be considered by the full Senate next week.

Bills that Moved

HB 1002 – Career & Technical Education: This bill would, among other provisions, allow workforce ready grants to be used for programs approved by the Commission for Higher Education, including programs offered by IU. The bill was amended in the Senate committee to require the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet to conduct a systematic and comprehensive review, analysis, and evaluation of whether Indiana's primary, secondary, and postsecondary education systems are aligned with employer needs and whether Indiana's students and workforce are prepared for success in the twenty-first century economy. The bill also now requires the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet to create a comprehensive strategic plan to ensure alignment between Indiana's primary, secondary, and postsecondary education systems with Indiana's workforce training programs and employer needs. The bill was amended on second reading in the Senate to include the Let Indiana Work for You Program, which was originally in SB 93. The Senate passed this bill on third reading on Thursday. Because it was amended in the Senate, the House may now either concur or dissent on the bill.

HB 1009 – Teacher Residency Grant Pilot Program: This bill establishes a teacher residency grant pilot program and fund. Under the program, the Commission for Higher Education may award grants to school corporations and charter schools to partner with postsecondary education institutions to establish a teacher residency program that provides stipends to program participants and teachers who serve as mentors. The grant award may also be used to pay the approved postsecondary educational institution the school corporation or charter school has partnered with for administrative costs incurred in developing and implementing the program. Funding for this bill was included in the House and Senate versions of the budget. The House concurred with the Senate’s amendments on Wednesday, and now the bill will go to the Governor for his final action.

Looking Ahead

The legislature has a few important deadlines to meet next week. The House has its third reading deadlines on Monday, while the Senate has its second and third reading deadlines on Monday and Tuesday respectively. Conference committees already began meeting this week, so we expect the number of conference committees meeting to increase next week.