The Arc of Indiana

Legislative Action Alert

Friday, January 22, 2016

The Indiana Legislature continues to be hard at work hearing bills in committee until the deadline late next week.  Next week is expected to not only be a busy week but a tense one as the bills regarding expanding civil rights protection are scheduled to be heard.  In addition, there are potential abortion related bills that may get heard as well.  That will lead to a lot of people at the state house and tempers flaring. 

There is a lot of action taking place on the issues we care about as well.  Below are updates and calls to action.

ACTION NEEDED!

SB 11 – ABLE Act, introduced by Senator Luke Kenley (R-Noblesville).  Creates the “achieving a better life experience” (ABLE) authority.  Established the ABLE Board of the authority.  Requires the authority to establish a qualified ABLE program under which a person may make contributions for a taxable year for the benefit of an eligible individual with a disability to an ABLE account to meet the qualified disability expenses of the designated beneficiary in compliance with federal law.  

The bill was heard in committee this week and passed out 12-0.  There will be an amendment presented next week which will allow for both a family member of someone with a disability as well as a person with a disability themselves to hold a seat on the ABLE Board. 

The bill will be eligible for second reading(amendments) on Monday and then a vote by the full Senate by Tuesday. 

Please contact your local Senator and urge their support of the amendment to increase the Board members and also urge their support of SB 11 on third reading.

Also, please take a moment to send a very special “thank you” to State Treasurer Kelly Mitchell who is very passionate about this issue and leading the charge on the legislation.  She can be reached at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

SB 220 – Bias Crimes.  Permits the state to seek a sentencing enhancement against a person who commits a crime against an individual with the intent to harm or intimidate the individual due to certain characteristics of the individual.  Specifies that the sentencing enhancement is: (1) for a felony, the lesser of the advisory sentence or 10 years; and (2) for a misdemeanor, not more than ½ of the maximum sentence for the misdemeanor.

The bill will receive a hearing next Tuesday at 9:00 in the Senate Corrections and Criminal Law committee.  Please contact the members below to urge their support of SB 220:

Chairman Mike Young; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Senator Bray; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Senator Glick; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Senator Raatz; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Senator Steele; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Senator Tomes; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Senator Waltz; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Senator Taylor; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Senator Lanane; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Senator Tallian;  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

SB 278 – Employment of Individuals with Disabilities.  Provides that the policy of the state is to promote competitive and integrated employment, including self-employment, as the first and preferred option when providing services to individuals with disabilities who are of working age.  Provides that the policy applies to programs and agencies that provide services and support to help obtain employment for individuals with disabilities.  Provides that the primary objective and preferred outcome of transition services provided as part of a special education program or related services to a child with a disability who is at least 14 years of age is to assist the child in obtaining competitive and integrated employment.  Makes other provisions.

Please contact Chairman of the Senate Pensions and Labor Committee, Senator Phil Boots to urge his to hear SB 278.  He can be reached at:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

HB 1019 – Developmental Disability Identification Card.  Requires the state department of health, upon request, to issue an identification card indicating that an individual has been medically diagnosed with a developmental disability.  Allows the department to charge a fee for the identification card.  Provides that the information collected by the department is confidential. 

The intent of the card is to help people with disabilities be identified in emergency situations and to help first responders realize that the situation may need to be handled in a sensitive manner. 

This bill passed the House this week 93-0 and will move to the Senate for consideration.  Please contact Representative Eric Kock (R-Bedford) and thank him for his leadership and support.  He can be reached at:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

HB 1219 – High School Diplomas. Requires: (1) a charter high school; (2) a high school operated by a school corporation; and (3) a high school that is eligible to receive choice scholarships; to offer the high school’s students the opportunity to earn any type pf state diploma approved by the state board of education.  Provides that a student with a disability shall not be required to complete local requirements that exceed state requirements to receive a diploma.

This bill will be heard in the House Education Committee on Monday morning at 8:30 a.m.   There will be an amendment to the bill making it only apply to traditional public schools.  Though this is somewhat disappointing, it is needed to move the bill along and help those students who attend traditional public schools which is where most of our problem exists.

Please contact members of the House Education Committee and urge their support of HB 1219.  Members are:

Chairman Bob Behning; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Rep. Rhonda Rhoads; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Rep. Mike Braun; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Rep. Woody Burton; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Rep. Tony Cook; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Rep. Dale DeVon; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Rep. Bill Fine; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Rep. Jim Lucas; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Rep. Jeff Thompson; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Rep. Vernon Smith; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Rep. Terri Austin; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Rep. Sue Errington; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Rep. Justin Moed; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

HB 1257 – Applied Behavior Analysis Programs.  Urges the legislative Council to assign the study, during the 2016 legislative interim, of the appropriate regulatory structure and agency to regulate independent centers that provide applied behavior analysis services.

Please contact Chairwoman of the House Public Health Committee, Representative Cindy Kirchhofer, and urge her to hear HB 1257.  She can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Other Bills Being Watched:

HB 1003 – Teacher Evaluations

HB 1005 – Career Pathways Program

HB 1030 – Administration of Standardized Tests

HB 1114 – ISTEP

HB 1121 – Newborn Screenings

HB 1183 – Guardianship, Department of Child Services

HB 1234 – Law Enforcement Training and Education

HB 1268 – Bias Motivated Crimes

HB 1286 – Bias Motivated Crimes

HB 1347 – Mental Health Matters

HB 1394 – Various Education Matters

HB 1395 – ISTEP Matters

SB 30 – Accident and Sickness Insurance Claim Denials

SB 93 – Various Education Matters

SB 165 – Healthy Indiana Plan

SB 196 – Accountings by Guardians and Attorneys in Fact

SB 206 – FSSA Matters

SB 220 – Bias Crimes

SB 261 – Bias Crimes

SB 263 – Bias Motivated Crimes

SB 301 – Workforce Education

SB 313 – Abortion Matters

SB 318 – Developmental Delay

SB 331 – Adult Permanent Guardianship Cases

SB 350 – Criminal History Background Checks for Home Health Workers

SB 363 – State Board of Education

SB 364 – Medicaid Provider Audits

SB 368 – Student Discipline; Students with Disabilities

SB 369 – Minimum Wage for Certain Indiana Employees

SB 371 – Probate Matters

SB 377 – Removal of Asset Limits for SNAP

SB 397 – Special Education Scholarship Accounts

Other Information

The Arc of Indiana has several legislative priorities identified on its 2016 Public Policy agenda which can be found at:  www.arcind.org/up-content/uploads/2015/1/2016-Public-Policy-Agenda.pdf