During the General Assembly session so far, both the House of Representatives and the Senate have heard a wide range of bills concerning Indiana and ways to make the state better. We have tried to make sure only the best bills move forward. During the past few days, House committees have been working on Senate bills that have come over to us. A few have already passed second reading in the House. Here are some of the Senate bills that I have agreed to co-sponsor in the House: -Sen. Mike Delph (R-Carmel) authored Senate Bill 39 in order to remove the requirement that a Purple Heart recipient must enter active duty service in the armed forces or the Indiana National Guard after September 10, 2001, to be eligible for an exemption from tuition and fees at a state educational institution. The bill now heads to the House Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee for its first reading. -Senate Bill 338, authored by Sen. Dennis Kruse (R-Auburn), provides that a member of the public employees' retirement fund may choose, at retirement, to make a contribution to the pension segment of the member's retirement benefit using all or a part of the amount credited to the member in the annuity savings account. Senate Bill 338 was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee. -Senate Bill 356, also authored by Sen. Delph, increases the number of eligible family members who can request a military leave from their employer if they meet certain prerequisites. An employee may take a leave of absence while on leave from a qualifying active-duty period, or during the 30 days before or after active duty. The leave of absence is allowed for a maximum of 10 days each year. Sen. Delph's bill was referred to the House Committee on Small Business and Economic Development. .-Senate Bill 492 requires a mortgage company or lender to inform a homeowner with a notice of possible foreclosure. The homeowner will then have the opportunity to obtain assistance from a foreclosure counselor to consider their options. The bill was referred to the House Financial Institutions Committee. After a bill has been considered by the other chamber, three things can happen. First option: If no changes have been made, the bill is sent to the governor to be signed into law. Second option: If the bill is amended in the second house, it must return to the house of origin so the changes can be approved or turned down. If the changes are agreed upon, the bill goes to the governor. If the majority of the original house disagrees with the changes made, the bill is sent to a conference committee for more discussion. A conference committee is made up of two representatives and two senators. These four legislators study the bill and come up with an agreement that is then voted on by both houses. If both houses approve the amended bill, it's sent to the governor. Third option: The bill can be killed. As always, I encourage you to contact me by email at h58@in.gov or by phone toll-free at 1-800-382-9841 or by writing me at the Statehouse, 200 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204. -30-
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