2019 Legislative Session
Indiana University Office of Government Relations
Statehouse Report 7
Introduction
With committee report deadlines set for next week, this was the last week for many committees to meet during the first half of the legislative session. The IU Government Relations team was busy addressing many key bills in committees and on the floor of the House and Senate. On Monday, the IU Government Relations team and the other university representatives hosted the Senate Education and Career Development Committee for lunch to discuss issues impacting state educational institutions. On Wednesday, the same group also jointly met with Rep. Bob Heaton, the House Ways & Means Higher Education Subcommittee Chair, to generally discuss university funding in the state’s biennial budget.
Bills that Moved
SB 93 – Let Indiana Work for You Program: This bill requires the Commission for Higher Education to establish a program to provide college and universities with information for their students concerning workforce opportunities in Indiana and other benefits of residing and working in Indiana after graduation. The bill passed the Senate Education and Career Development committee on Wednesday.
SB 158 – Indiana Youth Service Program: This bill establishes the Indiana Youth Service Program to provide high school graduates the opportunity to learn various skills and participate in nine months of service at host sites throughout Indiana. The program would be administered by Ivy Tech, and individuals selected for the program would receive a stipend during their time of service. This bill moved through second reading in the Senate on Thursday.
SB 374 – Veterans Education Benefits: This bill would: (a) provide that a student who is eligible to receive a tuition and fee exemption because the student is a child of a veteran must maintain at least a cumulative grade point average that the eligible institution determines is satisfactory academic progress, which may not be less than a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 grading scale or its equivalent as established by the eligible institution; (b) provide that if the Indiana Department of Veterans' Affairs approves a request for a determination of eligibility for a person after the person initially enrolls in a state educational institution and while the person is attending the institution, the determination of eligibility shall be made retroactive to the date of submission to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs of the application to recognize the person's mother's or father's service related death or disability, and provides that the applicant may receive a refund equal to the amount of the tuition and fees paid to the institution by the applicant; and (c) repeal a provision that limits the tuition exemption amount for a child of a veteran who served in the armed forces after June 30, 2011, based on the percentage of the parent's disability rating. On Tuesday, the bill passed the Senate Veterans Affairs and the Military committee. It was then reassigned to the Senate Appropriations Committee for further consideration of its fiscal impact.
HB 1097 & SB 394 – Advanced Practice Registered Nurses: These bills provide that an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) may operate without a practice agreement if the APRN has prescriptive authority, has operated under a practice agreement with a practitioner for at least three years, and the practitioner has reviewed a specified percentage of the APRN’s charts during that time. The bills also amend the hospital governing board requirements for the manner in which an advanced practice registered nurse who operates in the hospital will interact with other practitioners. The House bill passed the House Public Health committee on Wednesday, and the Senate bill passed the full Senate on third reading on Tuesday.
Looking Ahead
The General Assembly has plenty to keep them busy next week, with both chambers facing committee report deadlines. The House second reading deadline is scheduled for Thursday, so there will likely be an increase in amendments filed next week on the House floor. We also expect the House to release its version of the biennial budget on Tuesday, which is a highly anticipated hearing for everyone receiving state funding, including universities.