Bills Receive Committee Assignments, Including HB 1373 (120 to Sit Bill)
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SESSION – WEEK 9 Legi March 5, 2021 Sess Upd INCPAS Weekly Update Click here for current Bill Track: INCPAS https://tinyurl.com/INCPAS2021Session INCPAS Priority https://tinyurl.com/INCPASPriority2021Session INCPAS ‐ TAX https://tinyurl.com/INCPASTax2021Session It was a very slow week as we began the second half of session. Your bill track link above now only contains bills that have passed their Chamber of origin. Committee activity will pick up next week. HB 1373, the 120 to sit bill, has been assigned to the Senate Pensions and Labor Committee. INCPAS lobbyists will be meeting with the Senate Sponsor of the bill, Sen. Andy Zay, on Tuesday morning. The discussion will be the preparation of an amendment that extends the period of time that the Board of Accountancy has to promulgate the rule regarding exam windows that was required in legislation that passed last Session. Due to Covid restrictions, the Board was unable to complete the rule. Eric Sears from the Professional Licensing Agency will also be reaching out to Sen. Zay to express the need for the amendment. INCPAS lobbyist continue to work with Sen. Linda Rogers on SB 234, the payroll withholding bill. There are currently no bills moving that are a threat to licensure. Senate Bill 141 – Central Indiana public transportation projects, Lawmakers returned to the passed the Senate 32-17. Statehouse this week after a Authored by Senator Aaron quick halftime break. It was a Freeman (R-Indianapolis), SB 141 relatively slow week as bills – dubbed the “IndyGo bill” by received committee assignments many – would require the State and committee schedules were Budget Agency to withhold local set. The Senate changed some of income tax revenue from its COVID-19 protocols to allow counties if they fail to meet testimony to occur in person in certain revenue requirements for the same room as committee their public transportation members. The House released a systems. It would also prohibit detailed committee schedule. As Marion County from creating bills get assigned to committees additional bus lines if these local regulations regarding and begin the process anew, revenue requirements are not project installation, setback several hot topics bear watching. met. Current law requires IndyGo requirements, height restrictions, to raise 10% of its operating and aesthetics. The bill passed House Bill 1001 – State budget, expenses from private entities the House 58-38. Representative authored by Representative Tim and at least 25% from fares and Ed Soliday (R-Valparaiso) is the Brown (R-Crawfordsville), charges. author of the bill. Joining him on comprises the biennial spending the bill as Senate sponsors are plan for the state. It outlines the House Bill 1369 – Firearms Senator Mark Messmer (R- programs and priorities for state matters, authored by Jasper) and Senator Eric Koch government over the next two Representative Ben Smaltz (R- (R-Bedford). years. Senator Ryan Mishler (R- Auburn) would repeal the law Bremen) is the Senate sponsor of requiring a person to have a Senate Bill 352 – Broadband HB 1001, which passed the permit to carry a handgun. If development, authored by House 65-30. passed, HB 1369 would allow Senator Erin Houchin (R-Salem), people to carry a handgun passed the Senate 47-0. As it House Bill 1005 – School choice without a permit, something stands, SB 352 would shift the matters, authored by proponents call “constitutional priorities for projects funded by Representative Bob Behning (R- carry.” The bill passed out of the the state’s Rural Broadband Fund. Indianapolis), changes some House 65-31 and the Senate It says that the Office of eligibility requirements for the sponsors are Senators Erin Community and Rural Affairs state’s K-12 voucher program Houchin (R-Salem), Mark (OCRA) will prioritize broadband and would establish a new Messmer (R-Jasper), Eric Koch service to areas where internet Indiana Education Scholarship (R-Bedford), Aaron Freeman (R- speeds are less than 25 megabits Account (ESA) Program. The Indianapolis), and Chris Garten per second downstream. Senate sponsors are Senators (R-Charlestown). Representative Ethan Manning Brian Buchanan (R-Lebanon), (R-Logansport) is the House Mark Messmer (R-Jasper), Eric House Bill 1381 – Commercial sponsor. Bassler (R-Washington), and Liz wind and solar standards and Brown (R-Fort Wayne). HB 1005 siting would create statewide House Bill 1365 – Various passed the House 61-38. standards for commercial wind election matters, authored by and solar projects, preempting Representative Timothy Wesco (R-Osceola) is a comprehensive bill updating several election moves to the Senate floor and is The Texas storm was at a level provisions. It covers everything eligible for further debate and that few could have predicted in from date and definition changes amendment as early as next a state that typically receives little to candidate information and week. to any snow. absentee voting. HB 1365 passed the House 83-13. Its Senate Indiana is not reliant on a single sponsors are Senator Jon Ford type of energy generation. MISO, (R-Terre Haute) and Senator The Senate Utilities Committee the Regional Transmission Greg Walker (R-Columbus). met this week for a discussion Organization covering most of Chairman Eric Koch (R – Indiana and a small sliver of As session ramps back up, we Bedford) called “Lessons from Texas, and PJM, which also anticipate lawmakers working to Texas.” The committee heard covers a small part of Indiana, compromise with each other to presentations about the wide- both said that Indiana is well- turn their bills into law. spread power outages in Texas served by its energy resources after a severe snow event. The mix. This mix includes coal and purpose of the discussion was to natural gas, renewables like wind review Indiana’s power- and solar, and nuclear energy. producing capabilities and capacity if a similar event were to Utilities, policymakers, and House Bill 1004, authored by occur. stakeholders indicated that they Representative Shane Lindauer intended to apply the lessons (R-Jasper) and sponsored by The key takeaways were that learned from Texas to ensure Senator Ryan Mishler (R- Indiana and its electric grid are Indiana is better prepared now Bremen), would establish the better positioned to withstand and in the future. Hoosier Hospitality Small weather-related events because Business Restart Grant Program Indiana utilities are prepared and to provide grants to eligible have contingency plans in place. entities that have been impacted by COVID-19 restrictions and public-health emergency lockdowns. The goal of the bill is to accelerate economic recovery from the pandemic, especially in the state’s hospitality sector. Chris Gibson Sydney Moulton Managing Principal Senior Associate HB 1004 bill passed the House Lou Belch Steve Wolff Chamber 93-3. The Senate President Senior Associate Appropriations Committee heard Carlin Yoder Cory Martin and amended it on Thursday, Vice President Director, Assoc Management March 4 passing it on a unanimous 12-0 vote. The Kim Williams Calleigh Smith Vice President, Assoc Management Associate legislation enjoys broad bipartisan support. Testimony in Cam Carter Cassie Denney Vice President, Communications Associate committee focused on large entertainment venues that have Rachel Gibson Will Buetow been ineligible for past federal Vice President, Operations Legislative Intern aid and do not meet current Morgan Perrill criteria in the bill. The bill now Sr Director, Strategic Initiatives .