STATEHOUSE (June 9, 2021) – Legislation establishing a state health improvement plan and a $50 million grant program targeting Hoosiers' most critical health challenges is now law, according to Northwest Indiana lawmakers.
"Indiana's public health issues are concerning and steps must be taken to improve our state's overall health," said State Rep. Julie Olthoff (R-Crown Point), a member of the House Public Health Committee. "This grant program will help the state tackle the serious health issues that are negatively affecting Hoosiers."
Under the new law, the Indiana Department of Health and the Family and Social Services Administration will prepare a plan on how to best improve the physical and behavioral health of Hoosiers. State Rep. Hal Slager (R-Schererville) said the grant program will help improve Indiana's declining public health by allocating $50 million over two years to initiatives addressing health disparities.
"The current health rankings for our state are not where we want them to be, and we are making strategic investments to target our most pressing health concerns, like chronic illnesses, obesity and substance abuse disorders," Slager said. "The money being allocated by this grant will help implement new programs our communities can use to address these growing health issues."
State Rep. Michael Aylesworth (R-Hebron) said the grant program will be modeled after Indiana's successful Safety PIN program, which helped lower the state's infant mortality rate through providing funding to local health organizations. After the Safety PIN program was implemented, Indiana reached a record-low infant mortality rate last year for the first time in our state's history.
"The need to improve our overall public health was highlighted by the pandemic," Aylesworth said. "It showed work needs to be done to ensure Hoosiers dealing with health issues have the access to much-needed resources. That's why I supported this legislation, and I hope we can put Indiana on a healthier track."
House Enrolled Act 1007 will take effect July 1.
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State Rep. Michael Aylesworth (R-Hebron) represents House District 11,
which includes portions of Lake and Porter counties.
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State Rep. Julie Olthoff (R-Crown Point) represents House District 19,
which includes a portion of Lake and Porter counties.
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State Rep. Hal Slager (R-Schererville) represents House District 15,
which includes portions of Lake County.
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