The Indiana General Assembly is in the second half of this year's legislative session. This means the House of Representatives will now review and consider bills that have passed the Senate, while the Senate will do the same for House legislation.
House Republican priority bills for the 2025 legislative session, which all advanced to the Senate, are aimed at protecting taxpayers, streamlining government and empowering Hoosiers. Of the 689 House bills that were filed, 179 passed the House and are now in the Senate. More than 90% of the bills passed by the House received bipartisan support, with 53% of them passing unanimously.
As a member of the House Ways & Means Committee, I worked closely on crafting our state budget bill. The House-passed version of the budget, House Bill 1001, protects taxpayers while funding critical priorities including education and public safety. The proposed budget allows the state to continue cutting the income tax rate for the next two years. It also increases K-12 education funding more than 4% over the biennium, removes the remaining income limit for Choice Scholarships and funds Career Scholarship Accounts to expand work-based learning opportunities and Education Scholarship Accounts to support students with special needs. To enhance public safety, it would create a public prosecution fund to provide needed financial support for county prosecutors. It would also expand the Residential Housing Infrastructure Assistance Program to help local governments pay for infrastructure projects to support more housing.
I also supported House Bill 1002, which reduces regulations on K-12 schools to increase flexibility and give local communities more control over education decisions. These changes would reduce unnecessary bureaucracy in state education, allowing teachers to spend more time focused on educating future generations of Hoosiers, rather than worrying about oppressive reporting requirements that waste valuable school resources, while still maintaining rigorous academic standards.
Additionally, this session I authored House Bill 1064 to ensure greater accessibility at school extracurricular activities or events, including athletic events, by requiring that a cash payment option be available to attendees starting in July 2025. The bill would also remove restrictive language from Indiana Code on school athletic transfers, giving student athletes and families more flexibility to choose a school that's best for them. The bill would also give the Indiana High School Athletic Association the authority to create rules that deal with transfers. I am grateful for the support from my colleagues in the House and hope to see this bill move forward in the Senate.
There is still a long way to go before the end of the session, which must conclude by April 29. I look forward to reviewing Senate bills in the second half and continuing to represent the Hoosiers of House District 54. As we start hearing bills from the Senate, I encourage you to ask me any questions you may have. You can contact my office at 317-232-9850 or visit in.gov/h54.
To follow these bills and others as they go through the legislative process, visit iga.in.gov.
-30-
State Rep. Cory Criswell (R-Middletown) represents House District 54,
which includes portions of Hancock, Henry, Rush and Shelby counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
