Legislative Update 120Th General Assembly Friday, March 16, 2018
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Legislative Update 120th General Assembly Friday, March 16, 2018 Week Eleven Overview Happy Sine Die! Our team is honored to have represented you this session. Both the Senate and the House adjourned for the last time this year on Wednesday, March 14, 2018. It was a late night at the statehouse on Wednesday as lawmakers rushed to get bills passed and ultimately ended with a number of key bills left on the table. The chaotic close came after the Senate and House spent considerable time in closed door meetings and spending hours on the floor celebrating and honoring retiring lawmakers in the final days of session. The Senate even adjourned for the day on Tuesday afternoon, making it among the first sessions in legislative history where the Senate did not consider any conference committee reports until the final day of session. A Chaotic End to the 2018 Legislative Session With a quickly approaching deadline, lawmakers rushed to finish committee reports in time for a final vote on the floor. As the deadline neared with only five minutes left on the clock, Governor Holcomb entered the Senate chamber and made an unprecedented move proposing to extend the session by one hour to 1:00 a.m. Thursday. While President Pro Tem, David Long initially accepted the extension, he ultimately declined the Governor’s proposal after Minority Leader Tim Lanane objected. With bills still making their way through the House Rules and Legislative Procedures Committee when the clock struck midnight, the House was unable to cast a final vote for the bills that passed out of the Senate just moments before. Among the bill that were still on the table when the clock struck midnight, and therefore died, were measures that would have provided extra funding for school safety, allow for driver-less cars, increase gun rights, and make adjustments to the tax system. Another major bill that died was one that would have allowed Ball State University to take over Muncie schools. 2018 Legislative Session By the Numbers There were a total of 901 bills introduced this session with 130 House bills and 172 Senate bills surviving the first third reading deadline. After the final third reading deadline 112 House bills and 115 Senate bills were still alive. In total 212 bills, 101 House bills and 111 Senate bills, passed the legislature. A total of 23% of all proposed bills will see the governor’s desk. Points of Interest In his 2018 Next Level Agenda, Governor Eric Holcomb outlined his top five priorities he wanted to see accomplished during the 2018 legislative session. Those priorities and the bills addressing those priorities are as follows: Cultivate a Strong and Diverse Economy by focusing on attracting new talent, supporting our growing tech sector, preparing for next generation technologies and opportunities, and encouraging sustainable regional development. Senate Enrolled Act 172, Computer Science, Senator Jeff Raatz, (R), and Senator Dennis Kruse, (R), requires Indiana schools grades K-8 to incorporate computer science classes into the science curriculum and as an elective for grades 9-12. The Act includes funding to train teachers on how to educate students on computer science. During the 2016-2017 school year, only 222 out of 525 Indiana high schools offered any computer science courses. Computer science skills are in high demand for today’s jobs and are critical for the future generations. This Act emphasizes this importance and strives to ensure students are prepared for tomorrow’s job market. The Senate voted on the bill for the last time last week passing by a vote of 35-0. The Act is now making its way to the Governor’s office to be signed into law. Maintain and Build the State’s Infrastructure by better managing the state’s water resources, expanding the global economic presence with a fourth port, and improving broadband access, speed and affordability where it’s needed most. House Enrolled Act 1065, Broadband Grants and High Speed Internet Service, Representative David Ober, (R), connects rural residents of Indiana by defining the standard speed of broadband internet and incentivizing internet service providers to enter rural, typically less profitable, parts of the Hoosier state and authorizes the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to study broadband expansion and tools that may be used to assist in its deployment. The Act’s key focus is on expanding broadband internet services to rural areas. On the last day of the legislative session, the final committee report was adopted by the Senate by a vote of 46-2, and was passed by the House 94-1. House Bill 1267, Water Infrastructure Taskforce, Representative Edmond Soliday, (R), would have established a Water Infrastructure Taskforce to develop a long-term plan for addressing drinking water and wastewater needs in Indiana. The final language was not voted in the Senate, before the deadline, and therefore is dead. House Bill 1341, Autonomous Vehicles, Representative Soliday, (R), would have established safety guidelines and regulations for self-driving vehicles in Indiana. Currently, fully autonomous cars are illegal in the Hoosier state; HB 1341 would have allowed their production and use on public roads as long as the vehicle complies with state and federal laws. The House and Senate were unable to reach a compromise before the deadline and the bill died. Develop a 21st Century Skilled and Ready Workforce to provide Hoosier children with an education that prepares them for life after high school, ensures that students graduate from high school set on a pathway that prepares them for college, career training or a quality job, and connects working-age adults to education and training that leads them directly to employment aligned with industry needs. Senate Enrolled Act 50, Governor’s Workforce Cabinet, Senator Douglas Eckerty, (R), Senator Randall Head, (R), and Senator Chip Perfect, (R), replaces the state’s Workforce Innovation Council with a new Governor’s Workforce Cabinet, which will oversee job training efforts throughout the state and would create a career navigation and coaching system that all Indiana high school will be required to participate in. It also makes certain grants for job training immediately available. Governor Holcomb believes the bill will strengthen tools to quickly prepare Hoosiers for high-demand, high-wage jobs. After concern was raised, regarding the make-up of the board and that Indiana’s statute might not conform with federal grant requirements, lawmakers inserted language into the bill giving Governor Holcomb additional leeway to meet federal requirements if the state cannot obtain a waiver. With this language, the final committee report was adopted by the Senate by a vote of 39-9, and was passed by the House by a vote of 67-30. House Enrolled Act 1002, Workforce Funding and Programs, Representative Todd Huston, (R), strengthens Indiana’s workforce by adding financial support for students who wish to complete training in technical career fields. After re- evaluating Indiana’s work-force related programs using return-on-investment metrics in 2017, Governor Holcomb and lawmakers made a push towards creating opportunities for students in technical fields, which are in high-demand across the state. The Act expands the governor’s workforce ready grant program and allows the Legislative Services Agency to regularly review the State’s workforce programs and increase training grants. HEA 1002 went to conference committee last Thursday after the author filed a dissent on Senate amendments that had been added to the bill. On Wednesday, conference committee reports for the Act were filed and adopted in both chambers. The house adopted the Act by a vote of 99-0, and passed by the Senate 48-0. House Enrolled Act 1426, Education Matters, Representative Robert Behning, (R), combines Indiana’s four diplomas into a single diploma with four “designations” that mirror current diploma tracks. Additionally, it changes the requirements for getting a graduation waiver and creates an “alternate diploma” for students with severe special needs. The Act allows the State Board of Education to consider alternatives to Algebra 2, and makes several changes to state tests. Both chambers adopted the Conference Committee Report on Wednesday, and the Act awaits a signature from Governor Holcomb before its passage into law. Attack the Drug Epidemic by strengthening enforcement, expanding recovery options, and making it easier for Hoosiers to access treatment. Most importantly, focus on accurately assessing the scale of the epidemic, statewide, through improved reporting of drug overdose deaths across the state. Senate Enrolled Act 221, INSPECT Program, Senator Erin Houchin, (R), Senator Ed Charbonneau, (R), and Senator Joseph Zakas, (R), requires prescribers to check INSPECT, Indiana’s prescription drug monitoring system, before prescribing opioids to a patient. The Act intends to prevent patients from doctor shopping and prevent pharmacies from dispensing opioids after a prescription has been dispensed at another pharmacy. The Act was returned to the Senate and the original author concurred to the House changes and passed the Act by a vote of 49-0. Senate Enrolled Act 139, Investigation of Overdose Deaths, Senator James Merritt, (R), Senator Ed Charbonneau, (R), and Senator John Ruckelshaus, (R), requires a coroner to obtain information about the deceased from INSPECT if they reasonably suspect that the death was caused by an accidental or intentional overdose of a controlled substance. The Act requires coroners to forward test results from the deceased to the Indiana Department of Health providing notice of the death and information about the controlled substance that may have been involved. The measure passed out of the House with amendments by a vote of 95-0 and was concurred by the Senate, passing 46-3. The Act now awaits the Governor’s signature.