Rep. Crouch pens bills to cut costs, protect children STATEHOUSE - State Representative Suzanne Crouch (R-Evansville) had several of her bills make progress this week. One of Rep. Crouch's bills is up for third reading on the House floor, another for second reading, and a third is in committee for further discussion. House Bill 1255 would require that any official document or communication that is state-related be printed solely in English. Should it pass, the bill provides exceptions for documents required by federal law that must be bilingual. The bill will now be sent for third and final reading on the House floor. Two other bills penned by Rep. Crouch, House Bills 1047 and 1083, also made progress this week. HB1047 would require the Family and Social Services Administration division of disability and rehabilitative services to do a survey to find a way to streamline their auditing processes. Currently, multiple audits are made every year to the entities providing services to the disabled. HB 1047 would help them find a way to reduce the number of government regulations. The Public Health Committee reviewed the bill on Wednesday, where they voted 11 -0 to pass the bill on for second reading on the House floor. HB1083 deals with the solicitation of minors and expands the current state laws regarding the matter. If passed, the bill would bring a more severe punishment for adults 21 years of age or older soliciting a child under 14 years of age. The bill was reviewed by the Public Policy Committee on Wednesday but was not voted on to allow more time for discussion. "House Bills 1047 and 1255 would both help save money and cut costs, something we are looking to do whenever possible," said Rep. Crouch. "Adopting a balanced budget and not raising taxes are a top priority this session and every little bit helps." "We are most appreciative that Rep. Crouch has taken this issue to heart," said Southern Indiana Resource Solutions' President and CEO Kelly Mitchell. "It is truly key in making significant changes in the industry that would allow us to focus our energy and resources to providing services to the disabled, rather than putting our resources toward duplicate audits that do not help them." -30- |
