These bills filed in the Indiana General Assembly could ease burdens for pregnant women
A special session of the Indiana General Assembly in 2022 led to a near-total ban on abortions. In this year's legislative session, lawmakers have filed a few bills that could help support pregnant mothers.
Proposals being discussed include a Republican bill seeking to consider a fetus a dependent — which could have other implications — and bills from both sides of the aisle seeking to ease the financial burden for pregnant mothers and new parents. Here's a look at what's on the list in 2023.
Senate Bill 98: Dependent child exemptions.
A bill in the state senate seeks for the law to consider a fetus a dependent child for the purposes of income tax exemptions.
It's authored by State Sen. Andy Zay, R-District 17. Read the full text of the introduced bill here.
House Bill 1014: Infant formula price gouging.
House Bill 1014 tackles price gouging for baby formula. It would help prevent the sale of infant formula for prices that "grossly exceed" the average price for the same brand around the same time. It also defines civil penalties for retailers.
It's authored by State Rep. Maureen Bauer, D-South Bend. Read the full text of the introduced bill here.
House Bill 1024: Pregnancy accommodations.
A bipartisan house bill seeks to improve accommodations in workplaces for pregnant women.
It's authored by Rep. Sharon Negele, R-Attica, and co-authored by Maureen Bauer, D-South Bend. Read the full text of the introduced bill here.
HB 1028: Medicaid coverage for pregnancy services.
Another bill in the house would require Medicaid services for pregnancy to include reimbursement for both delivery services in a birthing center and at home, if performed by a physician or certified midwife.
It's also authored by Maureen Bauer, D-South Bend. Read the full text of the introduced bill here.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana bills filed for 2024 session tackle issues for pregnant women
