Here's a look at Deery's first two bills to pass Indiana Senate, on taxes and transcripts

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — On Tuesday, Indiana Sen. Spencer Deery, newly elected to represent West Lafayette, accomplished his first major achievement after being sworn in as a member of the General Assembly.

Deery saw two of his bills pass the Indiana Senate.

The two bills were Senate Bill 243 and Senate Bill 404.

Senate Bill 243 would require the Indiana Department of Revenue to provide taxpayers who paid adjusted gross income taxes with a receipt that explains how their taxes are being used.

Senate Bill 404 would prohibit public colleges and universities from withholding a transcript if a student paid at least $100 to $300 toward their debt within the past year, depending on how much the individual owes.

After he got his first bill passed in the Senate, Sen. Ron Alting, who represents Carroll County and parts of Tippecanoe County, congratulated Deery on the Senate floor for achieving his first steps as an Indiana lawmaker.

“I just want to congratulate my colleague,” Alting said.

“He represents West Lafayette, Ind., that I used to represent for a lot a lot of years. I know campaigning I told everybody over there that this was going to be a very good, compassionate, caring state senator to represent them. And he’s fulfilled all that, so good luck to you, my friend, and you’ve kicked the first ball through the goal right now. And I’m sure there are many to come.”

Both bills now move to the Indiana House of Representatives for further consideration.

Senate Bill 243: Giving taxpayers receipts

The goal of Senate Bill 243 is to create a new system in which Indiana residents with either an INTIME electronic account or those who have filed their taxes with the state can receive a taxpayer receipt.

The receipt would provide an estimated breakdown of how an individual’s taxes were being allocated in the general fund and how they were being appropriated by the General Assembly.

“Senate Bill 243 is a relatively simple bill, which takes roots from my time as a candidate as I spoke to many individuals and recognized how few Hoosiers really understood how we were spending their tax dollars,” Deery said.

“It’s based in the concept of every day we go to a grocery store or Starbucks, and you get a retail receipt that says here’s what you bought line by line.

“SB 243 asks the (Indiana) Department of Revenue to provide a simple easy to read report to INTIME users, to those that have an email for, as well as to create an easy to understand and easy to find a website that provides such a service.”

In order to make this information accessible to taxpayers, the bill would also require the Indiana Department of Revenue to create a webpage where people can find an estimated breakdown of statewide spending, as well as an individual taxpayer's contribution.

The estimate would showcase a percentage breakdown of the following categories: public education, higher education, social services, infrastructure, criminal justice, economic development, environment and natural resources, elected officials, and general government.

During the Senate hearing, Deery received some pushback regarding specific details of the bills from State Sen. Mike Bohacek, a fellow Republican representing Indiana District 8.

Bohacek highlighted two aspects of the bill that he believed went unaddressed.

He first asked Deery: How will Hoosiers who may not have access to the internet or who may be digitally illiterate gain access to this information?

Deery explained that those people could potentially reach out to their local senator’s office and that the staff could potentially assist them with gaining access to this information.

The bill does specify that this information cannot be sent to an individual via the mail.

Bohacek also highlighted how, within the bill, there are no specific deadlines or repercussions if the department does not complete the creation of the webpage.

Deery noted that he would put his trust in the people of the department to complete the webpage if the bill is voted into law.

“I think your bill doesn’t do a whole lot of stuff, other than just tell people to maybe do some things when they get the chance to maybe do it,” Bohacek said.

Bohacek voted in favor of the bill, and it was unanimously passed out of the Senate.

Senate Bill 404: Addresses student concerns over withheld transcripts

This bill aims to address an issue that primarily affects Hoosiers who have withdrawn from a university with some college credit and no degree.

Deery explained that this issue primarily affects students who may have received a Pell Grant or subsidized federal loans.

After withdrawing from the institution, the university will normally return the money it received from the federal government and bill the student for the amount owed.

Most students are unaware of this debt, and because of that, if those individuals ever decided to resume their education, the university can withhold their transcripts from the student due to the debt.

Students may only gain access to their transcripts once their debt is paid to the university, which leads to students either restarting their educational journey or giving up entirely.

“What the bill does is, it says as long as you are making a good-faith effort to pay down your debt, then there are certain parameters, which the university then must give you the transcripts even if you haven’t paid off the complete amount that you owe,” Deery said.

Specifically, the bill notes that if a current or former student owes less than $1,000, the institution cannot refuse to provide them their transcripts as long as the student pays $100 of their debt within the past year.

If the student owes more than $1,000, they must pay at least 10% of their debt or up to $300 of their debt within the past year.

If an institution violates this law, students will be allowed to sue the institution in civil court.

"This bill was designed to allow current and former students at public colleges in Indiana to continue to make progress toward their academic goals," Deery said.

"It would allow students who have made a good faith effort to pay down their debts to return to another institution and complete their education."

SB 404 passed out of the Senate by a vote of 47-2.

Noe Padilla is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. Email him at Npadilla@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter at 1NoePadilla.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Deery's first two bills on taxes, student transcripts pass the Senate