The Indiana House Ways and Means Committee convened Wednesday to discuss an array of bills, including ones dealing with school safety, cosmetology and license plates.
House Bill 1104—“School safety”
House Bill 1104, authored by Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland, would allow school resource officers to receive additional benefits while creating additional focus on the mental health of staff and students, among other provisions. It would also offer accommodations for students who have mobility restrictions, sensory needs or visual limitations.
The bill passed 23-0 and heads to the House floor.
House Bill 1135—“Cosmetology licensure and apprenticeships”
House Bill 1135 is authored by Rep. Timothy Wesco, R-Osceola, and would establish a cosmetology apprenticeship program overseen and administered by the State Board of Cosmetology. The bill would also establish an interstate cosmetology licensure compact allowing licensed cosmetologists to operate between states.
Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis, asked Wesco if licensed cosmetologists were in support of his bill, and Wesco said the issue came to him from a cosmetologist.
Pryor also asked about training, mentioning the chemicals and mixtures used in perms and the identification of certain diseases and scalp issues.
Wesco said all those concerns would be covered in the apprenticeship program, and to complete it, the apprentice would be required to take the same state board examination to demonstrate their knowledge.
Rep. Tonya Pfaff, D-Terre Haute, offered an amendment, saying it would not replace Indiana’s current system but would add another avenue to become a cosmetologist: completing 1,500 hours of training as an apprentice within certain time parameters and conditions.
It was adopted, and the bill passed committee 22-1.
House Bill 1274—“Indiana semiquincentennial license plate”
House Majority Leader Rep. Matt Lehman, R-Berne, authored House Bill 1274, which would create a new license plate for the United States’ semiquincentennial and establish a semiquincentennial trust fund.
2026 will be the 250th celebration of the Declaration of Independence and the United States, otherwise known as a semiquincentennial.
Lehman said the plates would be available to buy starting January 1, 2025, through 2026; however, following 2026, they would no longer be available. He said there would be a $25 fee for the plate that would be collected by the BMV.
“I know there's some concern about this creating kind of a shortcut, as we've tried to rein in some of these specialty plates. The reality of it is this is not an interest group, it's not a separate interest group. It is all of us,” Lehman said.
The bill passed committee 22-0.