The Indiana House agreed to the Senate’s amendments to 20 bills Thursday. All of these bills will now make their way to the governor's desk to be signed into law.
The representatives met at 10 a.m. to pass the first 15, then met over three hours later to pass six more bills.
10 a.m. session
House Bill 1008 would create a commission to research the feasibility of annexing the 33 Illinois counties that want to merge with Indiana. The bill has been criticized by many in the Statehouse as a waste of time, taking away from serving Hoosiers.
The author of the bill, House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, spoke in a press release about HB 1008’s passing.
"Indiana is a great place to live, work, raise your kids and enjoy a high quality of life," Huston said. "We welcome our neighbors in Illinois seeking lower taxes and more opportunity to join us in the Hoosier state. House Enrolled Act 1008 starts that conversation, and I'm eager to see it become law."
HB 1008 passed 64-23 after brief discussion of its validity.
Five bipartisan bills passed with zero votes against them: House Bills 1113, 1197, 1453, 1616 and 1634. HB 1113 creates specific districts across the state for fire prevention, with the goal being to more effectively prevent and fight fires.
HB 1197 says if someone wants to temporarily fill a government job, they have to follow the same rules as if they were running for that job in an election. The bill should make it easier to remove local officials from office if they do something wrong.
HB 1453 lets Indiana’s health department create grant programs to support breast cancer and pediatric cancer research. It sets up special funds for each and says money for kids’ cancer should focus on new and promising treatments. The bill also requires a yearly report about the pediatric program to be shared with the governor and posted online.
HB 1616 creates rules for what to do when taxes aren’t paid on mineral rights. It sets a $10,000 limit on a tax credit for fixing up historic homes and says no new credits can be approved for future years. It also lets the state create rules around submerged land preserves and asks lawmakers to study how valuable public land is for recreation in Indiana.
HB 1634 says schools must automatically put certain students into advanced middle-school math, unless a parent opts out. It sets rules for how students are tested and updates what future math teachers need to learn. The state also must report how many students are in advanced math classes.
Afternoon session
Six bills passed through the House in its second meeting of the day and will go to the governor's desk: House Bills: 1006, 1052, 1457, 1461, 1474 and 1641.
HB 1006 creates a Prosecutor Review Board to investigate complaints about prosecutors who aren’t doing their jobs. It also updates who can be on a state legal commission.
HB 1052 requires the Indiana Department of Health to update rules on sewage systems and changes how the Technical Review Panel votes and operates. The bill sets conditions for approving local sewage ordinances and ensures rule changes follow standard procedures.
HB 1457 updates health regulations by covering rules for nursing home discharges, hospital design standards, and who can work in home health care. It sets rules for WIC program vendors, death record procedures, child and maternal fatality reviews, and epinephrine training courses. The Indiana Department of Health is responsible for enforcing these updates.
HB 1461 changes Indiana’s transportation laws by creating a tax credit for railroad projects. The bill raises certain vehicle taxes in Indianapolis and changes how road funds are used based on pavement quality. The bill changes grant rules, increases the I-465 speed limit, and requires townships to make road improvement plans.
HB 1474 makes changes to Indiana’s Medicaid programs and services for the elderly and disabled. The bill updates rules for the Pathways for Aging program, requiring managed care organizations to follow specific payment, contracting and reporting rules.
HB 1641 makes several changes to county governments. It allows private legal meetings (executive sessions) with attorneys, updates rules for golf carts, burial permits, and off-road vehicles, and lets schools use public-private partnerships for building projects. It also limits inmate lawsuits over jail conditions until internal complaints are tried first. County employees face new contract rules, and property and fee definitions are updated in certain districts and offices.
All bills now head directly to Gov. Mike Braun as the end of the legislative session, April 29, rapidly approaches. He can choose to sign them into law, allow them to pass into law without his signature or veto them.