Here are the bills local legislators have filed as session begins in the General Assembly
The Courier & Press will update this list as more bills are filed. This article was updated Jan. 8 to add newly filed bills by Becker and Tomes; Jan. 9 to add newly filed bills by McNamara and Tomes; and Jan. 17 to add newly filed bills by all local lawmakers.
EVANSVILLE — The Indiana Statehouse is underway, and local lawmakers have been busy filing bills they hope to see become law.
This session is a short one, with adjournment expected sometime in March.
Here are the bills local lawmakers had filed as of Jan. 17.
Rep. Ryan Hatfield, D, District 77
HB 1022 - Automated tractor-trailers - Co-Author - An automated tractor-trailer cannot be operated on a highway to transport passengers or goods unless a human operator is physically present in the automated tractor-trailer to monitor and take control of all or part of the automated tractor-trailer's operation if necessary.
HB 1079 - Craft hemp flower - Co-Author - Defines "work in progress hemp extract" for purposes of the statute concerning industrial hemp. A licensed hemp handler can possess, manufacture, store, transport or sell work in progress hemp extract.
HB 1416 - Eating disorder council - Author - Establishes the Indiana eating disorder council.
Rep. Matt Hostettler, R, District 64
HB 1027 - Fire department work schedule - Author - States a fire department can deviate from the required maximum work hours for members of the fire department only if authorized by a collective bargaining agreement or other similar written mutual agreement with an exclusive recognized representative of employees of the fire department.
HB 1231 - Service of safety orders and penalty assessments - Co-author - Allows the commissioner of labor or the commissioner's representative to serve safety orders or penalty assessments by electronic mail.
HB 1411 - Elimination of state individual income tax - Co-author - Eliminates state individual adjusted gross income tax.
Rep. Cindy Ledbetter, R, District 75
HB 1015 - Health care staffing - Author - States a hospital has to establish a nurse staffing council or assign the functions of the council to an entity in the hospital to develop a nurse staffing plan and review any reported deviations from the plan.
HB 1022 - Automated tractor-trailers - Author - An automated tractor-trailer cannot be operated on a highway to transport passengers or goods unless a human operator is physically present in the automated tractor-trailer to monitor and take control of all or part of the automated tractor-trailer's operation if necessary.
HB 1043 - Gold and silver as legal tender - Author - Coin having gold or silver content issued by the United States government are legal tender.
HB 1059 - Advanced practice registered nurses- Author - States advanced practice registered nurses no longer have to have a practice agreement with a collaborating physician.
HB 1382 - Retirement of electric generating units - Amends the descriptions of "reliability" and "resiliency" as attributes of electric utility service in the Indiana Code.
HB 1054 - Screening for scoliosis - Co-author - Requires a health care provider serving children at least nine years of age but less than 13 years of age to take certain actions concerning a scoliosis screening.
HB 1284 - Study of nutritional support Medicaid waiver - Co-author - Asks to assign an appropriate committee during the 2024 legislative interim the issue of applying for and implementing a Medicaid waiver to include nutrition supports for certain Medicaid recipients.
HB 1426 - Long acting reversible contraceptives - Co-author - A hospital that operates a maternity unit has to ensure a Medicaid recipient giving birth in the hospital has the option of having a long acting reversible contraceptive implanted.
Rep. Wendy McNamara, R, District 76
HB 1132 - Investigators employed by the attorney general - Author - The attorney general won't designate more than four investigators employed within the state Medicaid fraud control unit to be law enforcement officers of the state.
HB 1182 - Regulation of controlled substances - Author - Makes certain changes to the lists of controlled substances.
HB 1194 - State administration - Author - Changes the name of the northwest Indiana law enforcement academy and the northwest Indiana law enforcement training center, among other items.
HB 1238 - Competency to stand trial - Author - Allows certain licensed individuals to examine a defendant and testify as to whether they can understand the criminal proceedings.
HB 1216 - Medical services for certain detainees - Co-author - Requires Medicaid reimbursement for services required to be covered by the office of the secretary of family and social services while the individual is involuntarily committed to a facility for mental health services.
HB 1240 - Criminal law issues - Co-author - Making changes to criminal law like removing and replacing the organized theft statute, increasing the penalty for fraud and battery and more.
HB 1354 - Release from department of corrections and parole - Co-author - Establishes an additional sentencing modification procedure for certain individuals.
HB 1418 - Forensic diversion and drug courts - Co-author - A pregnant woman charged with a drug crime may be referred to a forensic diversion program or a drug court at an initial hearing
Rep. Tim O'Brien, R, District 78
HB 1300 - Deadline to apply for standard deduction - Author - Sets deadline rules for applying for the homestead standard deduction.
HB 1301 - Income tax deduction for recent graduates - Author - Provides an adjusted gross income tax deduction for Indiana residents with a bachelor's or an associate degree from a postsecondary educational institution.
HB 1302 - Emergency medical services - Author - No later than May 15, 2024, the county executive will give the department of homeland security certain information relating to each emergency medical services provider in the county.
HB 1205 - Community mental health center reporting - Co-author - Specifies information that must be reported by a community mental health center in its annual report.
HB 1387 - Housing development - Co-author - Makes changes to the residential housing infrastructure assistance program.
Sen. Vaneta Becker, R, District 50
SB 22 - Notice of debt collection - Author - A health facility has to send notice to a resident who owes a debt to them before the debt is assigned to a collection agency. It must be sent by certified mail that includes a return receipt and must be sent to the resident and the resident's legal representative.
SB 23 - Damage to a fire suppression system - Author - States a person who recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally damages or defaces a component of an automatic building fire suppression system commits criminal mischief, a Level 6 felony.
SB 57 - Automated commercial motor vehicles - Author - Provides that an automated commercial motor vehicle may not be operated on a highway to transport passengers or goods unless a human operator is physically present in the automated tractor-trailer to monitor and take control of all or part of the automated tractor-trailer's operation if necessary.
SB 130 - Deadline to grant or deny an order for protection - Author - Requires a court to issue an ex parte order either granting or denying an order for protection not later than one day after a petition for an order for protection is filed.
SB 166 - Behavioral health and human services professionals - Author - Specifies that statutes concerning behavioral health and human services professionals may not be construed to limit social work or clinical social work services performed by an employee of a community mental health center.
SB 167 - Division of mental health and addiction matters - Author - Requires the division of mental health and addiction to establish a work group to discuss specified issues concerning audits and requires a report to be submitted before November 1, 2024.
SB 260 - Neighborhood and individual development incentives - Author - Defines a "community based organization" and states an organization is eligible to administer, through a financial institution, an individual development account.
SB 273 - Biomarker testing coverage - Author - Requires a health plan to provide coverage for biomarker testing.
SB 1 - Reading skills - Co-author - Requires certain schools to offer summer school courses for students who are not reading proficient.
SB 3 - Prior authorization - Co-author - A utilization review entity can only use prior authorization requirements on less than 1% of any given specialty or health care service and 1% of health care providers overall in a calendar year.
SB 8 - Higher education matters - Co-author - Requires, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, each high school to offer the Indiana college core or submit a college core implementation plan.
SB 93 - Mixed beverages - Co-author - Adds a definition of "mixed beverage."
SB 110 - Social work licensure compact - Co-author - Creates the the social work licensure compact.
SB 178 - Hospital assessment fee - Co-author - A physician owned hospital ineligible to receive certain Medicaid or Medicare reimbursement is not a hospital for purposes of the hospital assessment fee.
SCR 2 - Recognizing the USS Indianapolis (LCS 17) and its crew - Co-author - A resolution recognizing the ongoing military efforts of the USS Indianapolis and its crew.
HCR 8 - Recognizing South Bend Police Officer Brian Meador - Co-author- A resolution recognizing South Bend Police Officer Brian Meador.
Sen. James Tomes, R, District 49
SB 14 - Right of a state officer to carry a handgun in the capital - Author - "State officer" is the elected office of attorney general, secretary of state, state comptroller or treasurer of state. Provides that a state officer who meets certain requirements has the right to carry a handgun within the state capitol building and on the property of the state capitol complex.
SB 15 - Veterans' benefits and services poster - Author - Requires that the Indiana department of labor consult with the Indiana department of veterans' affairs to create and distribute a veterans' benefits and services poster. Requires that Indiana employers with more than 50 full-time employees display the poster.
SB 19 - Proof of insurance and license suspension - Author - The bureau of motor vehicles has to send a copy of a request for proof of financial responsibility to the insurance carrier identified in the most recent registration for a vehicle involved in an accident.
SB 22 - Notice of debt collection - Author - A health facility has to send notice to a resident who owes a debt to them before the debt is assigned to a collection agency. It must be sent by certified mail that includes a return receipt and must be sent to the resident and the resident's legal representative.
SB 28 - Discriminatory financial services practices - Author - Prohibits a financial services provider from discriminating in providing financial services to a consumer by using a social credit score as a basis for directly or indirectly declining services, or offering less favorable terms.
SB 32 - Tax and fiscal control over libraries - Author - Eliminates the authority of public libraries to impose an ad valorem property tax as a "taxing unit." Requires a public library to prepare and submit an annual budget in the same manner as other departments of county or municipal government. Prohibits public libraries from providing a service that is not a "core public function" of the library, unless the specific function or service is included as a line item request in the public library's budget and is approved and funded by the county or municipality.
SB 49 - Catastrophically disabled veteran hunting - Author - Catastrophically disabled veterans may hunt on the same free hunting days designated for youth hunters by the director of the department of natural resources.
SB 57 - Automated commercial motor vehicles - Author - Provides that an automated commercial motor vehicle may not be operated on a highway to transport passengers or goods unless a human operator is physically present in the automated tractor-trailer to monitor and take control of all or part of the automated tractor-trailer's operation if necessary.
SB 65 - Salvage motor vehicles - Author - Allows an auto salvage recycler to purchase, accept, or dispose of a motor vehicle without a certificate of authority if its at least 15 model years old; the vehicle is solely intended for dismantling or wrecking and the automotive salvage recycler records all required information.
SB 144 - Firearm matters - Author - Discusses a variety of matters related to firearms, including allowing a child to travel with a firearm to or from certain activities where the child is permitted to possess the firearm only if the child is accompanied by the child's parent or legal guardian who is eligible to purchase or otherwise receive from a handgun from a dealer.
SB 287 - Internet safety curricula for schools - Author - A school corporation may include instruction regarding Internet safety in the school corporation's curriculum
SB 17 - Age verification for material harmful to minors - An adult oriented website operator that displays material harmful to minors to use a reasonable age verification method.
SB 129 - Police officer basic training cost reimbursement - Co-Author - Provides that a county, city or town is entitled to reimbursement of police officer employment and training costs.
SB 296 - Administrative proceedings - Co-author - The office of administrative legal proceedings is the ultimate authority for agencies subject to its jurisdiction.
SB 297 - Administrative rules - Co-author - Requires the office of management and budget to determine if the implementation and compliance costs of a proposed rule is at least $1,000,000.
SCR 2 - Recognizing the USS Indianapolis (LCS 17) and its crew - Co-author - A resolution recognizing the ongoing military efforts of the USS Indianapolis and its crew.
HCR 8 - Recognizing South Bend Police Officer Brian Meador - Co-author- A resolution recognizing South Bend Police Officer Brian Meador.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: 2024 session: Here are the bills local Indiana legislators have filed
