After a special legislative session with public testimony, committee debates and final votes, Indiana is now among one of the first states to strengthen protections for the unborn while boosting support for new and expectant mothers.
The new law limits abortions to cases of rape and incest, lethal fetal anomalies, and for the life of the mother. We made sure that women will not be criminalized and physicians face no new criminal penalties. Abortion procedures will be moved to hospitals or hospital-owned ambulatory centers where women will receive the best possible care. During testimony at the Statehouse, many said this measure will stop 95% or more of abortions in our state.
As a father and grandfather, I understand that support and resources are important when caring for and raising a family. That's why I joined legislators to invest about $74 million to proven government and nonprofit programs that will help increase maternal and infant health. These programs will increase the access to and affordability of child care services, support community programs helping babies and families, and provide resources for families and moms in crisis.
About $45 million of the total funding will go toward the Hoosier Families First Fund, which the state will use to bolster agencies that support healthy pregnancies, babies, families, and foster and adoptive families. Other investments include $5.5 million for the Safety PIN grant program, which supports local health departments, hospitals, nonprofits and other health care-related entities focused on reducing infant mortality.
We also directed significant funding to the Child Care Development Fund that helps low-income families obtain child care so that they can continue to work, attend training or school. To learn more about child care assistance, visit the Family and Social Services Administration website at in.gov/fssa/carefinder and click on "child care assistance" or click here.
The Nurse Family Partnership will receive $10 million to continue supporting low-income families by having trained nurses regularly visit first-time moms starting early in pregnancy and through the baby's second birthday. To learn more about having a free personal nurse, visit nursefamilypartnership.org, or call or text 844-637-6667. Also, Real Alternatives, a nonprofit that operates the Indiana Pregnancy and Parenting Support Program, will receive $2 million to help care for more women from the moment they are pregnant through the first year of their babies' lives. If you or someone you know has an unplanned pregnancy, you can visit www.realalternatives.org or call 1-888-LIFE-AID for free, caring, and confidential pregnancy and parenting support services.
I'm also excited that lawmakers approved $1 million to help communities install and promote Safe Haven Baby Boxes. The state's Safe Haven Law allows parents in crisis to safely and unanimously surrender an infant less than 30 days old without prosecution. A last resort option for a mom to surrender their newborn and maintain anonymity is to use a Safe Haven Baby Box. These boxes are temperature-controlled incubators monitored 24/7 and installed in an exterior wall of a designated fire station or hospital. Currently, there are 88 baby boxes in Indiana, which is more than any other state, with several located in our area. The Safe Haven Baby Box organization staffs a 24-hour hotline (1-866-99BABY1) to give women the opportunity to talk to a trained professional as they consider safely surrendering their baby.
In addition, we also wanted to do more to support foster and adoptive families. Indiana's adoption tax credit will be increased from $1,000 to $2,500, and we created a $3,000 income tax exemption for adoptive families. Lawmakers also exempted children's diapers from the sales tax, saving a family about $66 each year per child.
Throughout the special legislative session, many Hoosiers from all walks of life shared their personal stories. Some publically testified, others called, emailed and shared their opinions via a letter, and their voices were heard. As a pro-life advocate, I'll continue to work on ways Indiana can protect the unborn, and supporting women and families in crisis. Please continue reaching out to me on this or other topics important to you and your family by emailing H67@iga.in.gov or by calling 317-234-9450.
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State Rep. Randy Frye (R-Greensburg) represents House District 67,
which includes all of Ohio and Switzerland counties, as well as portions
of Dearborn, Decatur, Jefferson, Jennings and Ripley counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
