2019 Legislative Session

Indiana University Office of Government Relations

 Statehouse Report 3 

Introduction

We are now three weeks into the 2019 legislative session, and the pace continues to pick up. This week, both the House and Senate were busy with committee meetings, and several bills being tracked by IU were scheduled for hearings. At this point, just over 1,200 bills have been introduced.

Work on the state’s biennial budget is also underway. The House Ways and Means Committee held budget hearings for universities on Tuesday and Wednesday. President McRobbie presented IU’s budget request on Wednesday morning. He emphasized that as a public institution, IU exists to serve the students of the state, and since its founding in 1820 IU has become a leading research institution. He emphasized that preparing to meet the state’s workforce demand will remain a key priority going forward. President McRobbie then discussed IU’s operating and capital requests for the upcoming biennium.

On Tuesday evening, Governor Holcomb delivered the annual State of the State address which outlined his legislative priorities for this session. On Wednesday afternoon, Chief Justice Rush delivered the State of the Judiciary address by reviewing the work of the judicial branch.

This week, the Government Relations team also jointly hosted two more lunches with Chancellors from regional campuses – this time for legislators representing areas near IUS and IUN. Once again, these lunches were well attended and highlighted IU’s involvement in local communities and we discussed potential new opportunities for IU to further its work with businesses, government, and community institutions in the IUS and IUN service areas.

Introduced Bills

House Bills

HB 1298 – National Guard Tuition Supplement Program Fund: This bill provides that money in the National Guard tuition supplement program fund may be used to provide annual scholarships for scholarship applicants to attend programs recommended by the adjutant general of the Indiana National Guard and approved by the Commission for Higher Education.

HB 1300 – Reservist Scholarship Program: This bill establishes the armed forces reservist tuition scholarship program fund to provide scholarships to certain individuals actively serving in a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States. It also provides that the Commission for Higher Education may use money appropriated to the Commission for any other purpose to award scholarships under the armed forces reservist tuition scholarship program.

HB 1328 – Repayment of Federal Student Loans: This bill establishes the Indiana resident federal student loan repayment program and fund. It also requires the Commission for Higher Education to administer the program.

HB 1480 – Disabled Veterans Benefits: Among other things, this bill allows a nonresident disabled veteran to attend a state educational institution at an in-state tuition rate.

HB 1529 – Military Family Matters: Among other things, this bill allows a spouse or child of an active member of the armed forces of the United States who is assigned to duty elsewhere immediately following assignment to duty in Indiana to be eligible for the resident tuition rate.

Senate Bills

SB 5 – Military Family Matters: Among other things, this bill requires a school corporation to allow a spouse or child of an active member of the armed forces of the United States who is assigned to duty elsewhere immediately following assignment to duty in Indiana to be eligible for the resident tuition rate.

SB 520 – College Grant Pilot Program: This bill establishes the higher education grant pilot program for the purpose of defraying the cost of attending Indiana state postsecondary institutions. Indiana high school graduates who have resided for at least one year in Allen, Jackson, Lake, Marion, or Vanderburgh Counties are eligible for a grant under the pilot program. The bill provides the method for calculating the grant award and eligibility requirements. Grant recipients must reside in Indiana for at least two years following graduation from the recipient’s undergraduate program.

SB 538 – Postsecondary Education Awards: This bill provides that, if an individual: (1) is awarded a state funded scholarship, grant, stipend, or tuition and fee remission; and (2) uses the award to attain a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent; the individual may not receive any amount of award remaining, including any renewals or extensions, from the scholarship, grant, stipend, or tuition and fee remission to use for any additional postsecondary education.

SB 544 – Financial Aid for Military Reservists: This bill provides that a student may apply to participate in the twenty-first century scholars program before or during enrollment in grade 12 without meeting family income requirements if the student agrees to enlist in a reserve component of the armed services.

Bills that Moved

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. This bill previously passed through the House Education Committee, was recommitted to the House Ways and Means Committee for further deliberations on the bill’s fiscal impact, and then passed unanimously through House Ways and Means this week.

SB 158 – Indiana Youth Service Program: This bill establishes the Indiana youth service program to provide high school graduates with the opportunity to learn various skills and participate in nine months of service at host sites throughout Indiana. Individuals selected for the program would receive a stipend during their time of service. This bill passed the Senate Pensions and Labor Committee and was reassigned to the Committee on Appropriations to consider the bill’s fiscal impact.

Looking Ahead

We expect another busy week of committee hearings and floor votes as we enter the fourth week of the legislative session. We are also looking forward to one more regional campus lunch with legislators in the IUK service area.