As we head into the final stretch of our short session, legislation is advancing through both chambers. In the Indiana House, we are hearing bills from the Senate and vice versa. In fact, House Bill (HB) 1016 – concerning design-build projects – passed through both houses and now awaits the governor’s signature to become law. This is my first piece of legislation this session to pass through the entire legislative process and only the third bill overall to do so. It will save taxpayers money, so it makes sense to pass through the process so quickly. I also authored several pieces of legislation still making its way through discussion in committee and each chamber. Among them are bills relating to our children’s education – a subject of importance to me as a former school teacher. HB 1326 would impose extra steps to safeguard our students by requiring school employees undergo a criminal background check through a fingerprint scan using a national database. Furthermore, the $33 background check would be paid for by the employee – not the taxpayers. Additionally – in alignment with our overall initiative of less government – this legislation would eliminate 19 programs, statutes and committees within the state education system that were deemed duplicative, unnecessary or outdated. HB 1326 is currently being discussed in the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development. A bill that recently passed out of that same Senate committee addresses the “credit creep,” where our state educational institutions may require more than the typical 60 credit hours for an Associate’s Degree or 120 credit hours for a Bachelor’s Degree. This increases the time and cost in receiving college degrees. HB 1220 would require state colleges and universities to review their undergraduate degree programs to prevent and reduce excessive credit hour requirements and outdated programs. This is another step to ensure that our students receive a great degree in a shorter amount of time with less debt on their shoulders. Additionally, it would improve graduation rates throughout our state colleges and universities. Moving along to legislation I sponsored, Senate Bill (SB) 283 would require the Department of Education to waive accreditation standards for accredited nonpublic high schools if they provide alternative educational services for students who were not successful in a traditional public high school. SB 283 passed out of the House Committee on Education where I serve as the Vice Chair. SB 283 would accommodate students who have not succeeded in a traditional high school setting to get them back on track for a high school diploma and on the road to college possibilities. While the end result of not finishing high school could be joblessness or incarceration, this can lead to a good job and a great future. I would also like to update you on legislation promoting transparency at our local government level. Although HB 1005 has been subject to some changes throughout the legislation process, this bill addressing nepotism and conflict of interest in local government is in the final stages of discussion in the Senate chambers. If enacted, it would restrict local government employees from supervising relatives and being elected into a fiscal or governing board overseeing their own salary or agency’s budget. These bills are by no means an exhaustive list of all that is going on at the Indiana Statehouse, so I encourage you to follow other bills at www.in.gov/legislative. The next few weeks are sure to be busy ones, so stay tuned. |
