The 2018 legislative session began Jan. 3 with a call to civility toward others and concludes on Wednesday, March 14. State policymakers will be vetting proposals for new laws in a process designed to ensure fairness and transparency. The excitement of working on behalf of our community is held in stark contrast to the task at hand: a three week timeline to have a bill heard in committee, pass out to the floor of the respective chamber and ultimately move to the opposite side of the Statehouse before the second week of February.
Ideas for a bill are typically generated by being attentive to constituents and community, but may also be the nexus of a statewide issue. For example, a local issue might be as simple as looking at how 911 call center revenue is divided in our county, to the opioid crisis that is crippling Hoosiers across the state. As legislators, we will be working on behalf of our constituents to bring reasonable, commonsense solutions to issues like these and many more that will arise.
In the Indiana House of Representatives, as legislators file bills, the speaker assigns a bill to a specific committee for review. The assigned committee will typically encompass the scope of the content of the bill. I have the privilege of serving as vice chairman of the House Committee on Commerce, Small Business and Economic Development. Each legislator typically is assigned to two or three committees, which in most instances reflect to some degree that individual’s area of expertise or interest. I am also a member of the House Committee on Environmental Affairs, Government and Regulatory Reform and the House Committee on Local Government. Committee meetings are open to the public, industry or issue-related experts, and impacted groups and individuals can testify on a specific bill. These meetings and session of the General Assembly are live-streamed at iga.in.gov. At this juncture, the bill may be amended with the permission of the author. If the bill receives the support and vetting of the committee with a majority vote, it moves to second reading on the House floor.
A couple of possibilities can occur on second reading: it can simply move forward without amendment or it can be amended after discussion. In addition, if the bill meets certain criteria, it may be recommitted to another committee for review and then if approved, make its way through the House floor process. Amended bills must pass with a simple majority before moving to third reading.
Third reading bills provide the entire House the opportunity to discuss every aspect of the legislation before voting one last time. A majority vote of 51 members of the House of Representatives is the requirement for final passage (51 of 100 votes). Upon passage, the legislation moves to the Senate where the entire process is repeated. The caveat is that while House members continue to move their bills through the Senate, as the House sponsors a Senate bill, our charge is to shepherd those bills through the corresponding process in the House. At the end of the day, every idea (i.e. legislation) has 150 pairs of eyes reviewing every bill before it becomes law.
If the bill is amended in the Senate, the House has to approve the changes. If mutual agreement of the changes to the legislation are not supported in the House, the bill then moves to conference committee. Conference committees are made up of two members of the House and two members of the Senate. When all four members agree to the final changes to the bill, each member must sign off on the bill language. At that time, the bill returns to the House and Senate and must pass by a constitutional majority.
The next step in the process is verifying the appropriate signatures on the bill before it heads to the governors’ desk. Two events can occur: either the bill is vetoed or it can be signed into law. If the bill is on the governor’s desk for seven days without a signature, it becomes law.
One of my proposals originated in our community. House Bill 1064 is currently in the legislative process on first reading and has been assigned to committee. I’ve worked with many entities this fall to enlist their support and hear any changes they may want. This proposal will help law enforcement perform their job efficiently and effectively at crime scenes and emergencies by adding enhancers for crossing a police or emergency line intentionally without permission. I agreed to author this bill to help ensure the safety of law enforcement and emergency personnel across the state without disruption to their respective efforts.
Session is 10 weeks long this year. A proposed bill must move through the legislative process methodically and efficiently. Some ideas require multiple attempts, for a variety of reasons, to become a law. It’s very much like farming or gardening. The ground must be tilled, fed with nutrients and watered before the grain or fruit will result in yields.
It’s my privilege to serve our great community. Please contact me at 317-234-2993 or by email at h48@iga.in.gov with any questions, thoughts, or input on issues facing the state. I am looking forward to a great 2018 session.
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State Rep. Doug Miller (R-Elkhart) represents House District 48, which includes portions of Elkhart County
A high-resolution photo of Miller can be downloaded by clicking here.
