STATEHOUSE (Feb. 26, 2021) – The Indiana House of Representatives recently voted in support of legislation establishing a new public health grant program, according to State Reps. Cindy Ledbetter (R-Newburgh) and Holli Sullivan (R-Evansville).
"This legislation would provide funding to programs focused on improving the health of Hoosiers across the state," Ledbetter said. "Indiana has struggled with chronic health issues for a while, causing public and private health care spending to increase."
Under the proposed legislation supported by Ledbetter and Sullivan, the grant program would fund initiatives aimed at addressing the most challenging health issues in Indiana. According to the United Health Foundation's 2020 American Health Ranking, Indiana falls at the bottom of several categories, including smoking rates, obesity rates, physical inactivity and multiple chronic conditions.
"We modeled this program after our state's successful Safety PIN program, which was created through a 2015 law I authored, to provide funding to local health organizations aimed at lowering our infant mortality rate," Sullivan said. "The Safety PIN program helped Indiana achieve a historically-low infant mortality rate last year. We now want to use this proven method to target other health concerns to improve Hoosiers' overall health."
The Indiana Department of Health would administer the new grant program, giving preference to proposals seeking to focus on chronic health problems such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease.
Grants could be used for both new and existing programs and initiatives.
House Bill 1007 now moves to the Senate for further consideration. To learn more and watch legislative proceedings online, visit iga.in.gov.
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State Rep. Cindy Ledbetter (R-Newburgh) represents House District 75,
which includes portions of Pike, Spencer and Warrick counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
State Rep. Holli Sullivan (R-Evansville) represents House District 78,
which includes portions of Vanderburgh and Warrick counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
