JUSTIN GROENERT Director, Public Policy & Government Relations www.swinchamber.com @SWINChamber #TogetherWeThrive 2018 Indiana General Assembly LEGISLATIVE REPORT This short session has wrapped up with a flurry of late activity and some general chaos. After some clock mismanagement, there will be a special session called by Governor Holcomb in May to address the tax bill and school safety bills that remained after the clock struck midnight on March 15. The autonomous vehicles bill is among the bills that died due to lack of action before midnight. It is likely Governor Holcomb will do some things by executive order to implement parts of the bill. The House and Senate workforce bills were passed by both chambers and were sent to Governor Holcomb’s desk. The Governor’s opioid plan also passed without controversy and headed down to his desk. The Governor has signed the Sunday sales bill into law. The Chamber’s efforts on regional quality of place paid off and will be added to the roster for an interim study committee. While we were unable to completely fix a bill that reforms the Economic To follow is a breakdown of the specific legislation we are Improvement Districts, we were able to make the bill considerably better working on during this session. For further information or to than originally proposed. Also, in a late deal, those with DACA status now answer questions, please contact Justin Groenert, Director of have 17 more licenses they are eligible to attain through the state, giving Government Relations & Public Policy; (812) 589-1650; jgroenert@ them more options to find jobs in Indiana. swinchamber.com. WORKFORCE BILLS HB 1002: REORGANIZATION OF WORKFORCE FUNDING AND PROGRAMS *PRIORITY BILL Authors: Rep. Todd Huston (R- Indianapolis), Rep. Holli Sullivan (R-Evansville) SUMMARY: Requires an annual workforce related program review by the legislative services agency. Requires information on workforce related programs as part of the bi- ennial budget report that is submitted to the governor and budget committee for preparation of the governor’s proposed budget bill. Establishes the next level jobs employer training grant program. Revises eligibility criteria for applicants for high value workforce ready credit-bearing grants. Provides that if the demand for high value workforce ready credit-bearing grants exceeds the appropriation, the commission for higher education shall prioritize applicants who are classified as independent. Transforms Ivy Tech Community College’s regional boards of trustees to campus boards of trustees. Adds provisions concerning the appointment, number, and terms of trustees serving on the state board of trustees of Ivy Tech. Provides that an emancipated student or the parent of a student enrolled in a career or technical course may voluntarily release information, on a form prescribed by the department of education, pertaining to the student’s enrollment in the career and technical education course to potential employers that contact the school to recruit students with particular career and technical skills. Requires the state board of education, when establishing an apprenticeship as a graduation pathway requirement, to establish as an apprenticeship only an apprenticeship program registered under the federal National Apprenticeship Act or another federal apprenticeship program administered by the United States Department of Labor. Specifies that an individual who is enrolled as a part-time postsecondary student, regardless of whether a part-time student is qualified to receive an adult student grant, may participate in the employment aid readiness network (EARN) Indiana program. Requires at least 25% of the money appropriated by the general assembly for adult education or the work Indiana program to be used: (1) to reimburse an eligible provider for adult education that is provided to individuals who need education in basic skills or necessary to receive a high school diploma or an Indiana high school equivalency diploma; or (2) for adult education grants to employers. Provides that an employer is eligible for an adult education grant equal to the lesser of $500 or the employer’s out-of-pocket expenditures for each eligible employee who obtains a high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma through a program organized or funded by the employer. Specifies criteria for an individual to be an eligible employee of an employer that is eligible for an adult education grant. Requires educational institutions offering programs subject to approv- al by the Indiana state board of nursing to obtain approval from the board for proprietary education. Exempts those educational institutions from obtaining accreditation as postsecondary proprietary educational institutions from the department of workforce development. Provides that until July 1, 2021, certain individuals with a bachelor’s degree may serve as a nursing faculty member in an associate degree nursing program without yet having obtained a master’s degree. Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services and the Indiana department of transportation to perform a coordinated study on leveraging money for transportation to workforce related pro- grams. Urges the legislative council to assign to an appropriate interim study committee the question of whether the state should submit a combined state plan instead of a unified state plan to the United States Department of Labor when the state submits a new Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act plan. Makes conforming amendments. CHAMBER POSITION: SUPPORT STATUS: Conference Committee Passed both House and Senate Chambers, send to Governor Holcomb Delegation: Sen. Becker YES Sen. Messmer YES CHAMBER ACTION: Sen. Tomes YES Did not testify on the bill due to the ever-changing nature of the legislation process in Rep. Bacon YES getting to the final bill. Worked with the delegation and committee chairmen to ensure Rep. Hatfield YES our thoughts and support were heard. Rep. McNamara YES Rep. Sullivan YES Rep. Washburne YES SB 50: GOVERNOR’S WORKFORCE CABINET *PRIORITY BILL Authors: Sen. David Long & Doug Eckerty SUMMARY: Governor’s Workforce Cabinet (Long, D) - Establishes the governor’s workforce cabinet (cabinet). Specifies the membership and duties of the cabinet. Pro- vides that the cabinet shall serve as the state advisory body required under certain federal laws. Provides that subject to the approval of the chairperson, the state personnel department, and the budget agency, the cabinet may employ professional, technical, and clerical personnel necessary to carry out its duties. Specifies that the cabinet is subject to the allotment system administered by the budget agency and financial oversight by the office of management and budget. Requires the cabinet to develop, not later than July 1, 2018, a comprehensive career navigation and coaching system for Indiana and requires all high schools to participate in the career coaching program. Requires the cabinet to conduct a regular review, analysis, and evaluation of all workforce related programs. Requires the cabinet to conduct a college and career funding review and submit, not later than November 1, 2018, to the governor and the legislative council a report concerning the results of the review. Requires the cabinet to study the advisability of establishing one or more real world career readiness programs that combine the theory of a particular career with workforce practice or application in order to provide students with career and technical education credentials necessary to transition from school to the workforce and submit, not later than November 1, 2018, to the governor and the legislative council a report concerning the results of the study. Repeals the state workforce innovation council (council). Assigns the council’s duties and obligations concerning postsecondary proprietary educational institution accreditation to the department of workforce development and all other council duties and obligations to the cabinet. Makes conforming amendments. Repeals obsolete definitions. CHAMBER POSITION: SUPPORT STATUS: Passed both House and Senate and has been sent to the Governor’s desk. Delegation: Sen. Becker YES CHAMBER ACTION: Sen. Messmer YES Did not testify on the bill due to the ever-changing nature of the legislation process in Sen. Tomes YES getting to the final bill. Concerns were expressed by the IMA, who ultimately opposed Rep. Bacon YES the bill, and the State Chamber who did support the bill pertaining to the change from Rep. Hatfield EXCUSED the State Workforce Cabinet to this board. We worked with the delegation and Rep. McNamara YES committee chairmen to ensure our thoughts and support were heard. Rep. Sullivan YES Rep. Washburne YES SB 297: EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS CURRICULUM Authors: Sen. Jeff Raatz, Sen. Dennis Kruse SUMMARY: Employability skills curriculum. Provides that the department of workforce development will establish standards that provide students with career and college planning resources under the Indiana career explorer program and standards. (Current law provides that the department of workforce development will establish curriculum under the Indiana career explorer program and curriculum.) Provides that, not later than July 1, 2019, each school within a school corporation shall include interdisciplinary employability skills standards established by the department of education (department), in conjunction with the department of workforce development and approved by the state board of education, in