April 9th: Here’s what happened at the Statehouse this week
This was the fourteenth full week of the Indiana General Assembly’s 2021 session. Below are updates on a section of the bills that W4C is following.
Indiana Statehouse Updates
Below are updates on a selection of bills that W4C is following closely.
House Bill 1200, Human trafficking, has been passed by the Senate and returned to the House with amendments. The House has since dissented from the amendments, but no advisors or conferees have been appointed. This bill creates stronger protections for victims of human trafficking, especially for underage victims.
House Bill 1309, Pregnancy accommodations, has been passed by the Senate and returned to the House without amendments.
Why does W4C oppose HB 1309? This bill does not match the pregnancy accommodation bills that other Midwest states have passed. HB 1309 only allows for women to ask for pregnancy accommodations, which is already legal. We strongly believe that pregnancy accommodations should be required, not optional.
House Bill 1365, Various election matters, has been rejected by the House after undergoing Senate amendments. The bill will undergo discussion by the two chambers, with Senators Greg Walker (R, District 41), Fady Qaddoura (D, District 30), Jon Ford (R, District 38), and J.D. Ford (D, District 29) acting as Senate advisors and conferees and Representatives Ethan Manning (R, District 23), Zach Payne (R, District 66), Matt Pierce (D, District 61), Timothy Wesco (R, District 21), and Tonya Pfaff (D, District 43) acting as House advisors and conferees. HB 1365 outlines several vote count and voting policies.
House Bill 1479, Early voting, has been signed by both the Speaker and the President pro Tempore. The bill has already passed through both the House and the Senate with bipartisan support in each. HB 1479 gives the circuit court clerk permission to establish voting sites on the third Saturday before an election, allowing for more opportunity to cast early ballots.
House Bill 1577, Telemedicine and abortion related services, has been passed by the Senate and returned to the House with new amendments.
Why does W4C oppose HB 1577? We believe that mental health services should be accessible to all, regardless of a patient’s history with abortion. We also believe that telemedicine services should be accessible, especially during a pandemic. HB 1577 would dictated who is allowed to access mental health and telemedicine services and who is not.
Senate Bill 6, State house monument to suffragists, has been signed by the governor and made law.
Senate Bill 81, Training for investigators of sexual assault cases, has been signed by the governor and made law. This bill will create a standardized training program for professionals who investigate sexual assault cases.
Senate Bill 353, Absentee ballot applications, has been passed and adopted by the House Committee on Elections and Apportionment.
What happened to this bill in committee? After long discussion, the House Committee on Elections and Apportionment made changes to the bill which removed confusing, strict restrictions on absentee ballot applications and the Election Commission’s ability to allow for more voting opportunities. W4C supports the changes the bill has gone through as we believe that voting should be accessible and encouraged for all eligible voters. Read more about what voting restrictions SB 353 included here.
New Authors (Who are my state legislators?)
Senators James Tomes (R, District 49), James Buck (R, District 21), Dennis Kruse (R, District 14), and Jeff Raatz (R, District 27), have been added as cosponsors of House Bill 1577, Telemedicine and adbortion related services.
Senator Andy Zay (R, District 17) has been added as the third sponsor of House Bill 1309, Pregnancy accommodations. Senators Mike Bohacek (R, District 8), Blake Doriot (R, District 12), Dennis Kruse (R, District 14), and Lonnie Randolph (D, District 2) have been added as cosponsors.
Senator Jack Sandlin (R, District 36) has been added as the third sponsor of House Bill 1200, Human trafficking. Senators Mike Bohacek (R, District 8), Karen Tallian (D, District 4), Lonnie Randolph (D, District 2) have been added as cosponsors.
Statehouse Deadlines
April 8th was the last day for all bills to receive a public committee hearing. Bills that did not receive a public committee hearing will be heard by full chamber for a vote sometime next week. As we are approaching the end of the legislative session, bills will then be discussed in Conference Committees, where the specific language of bills will be solidified.
Other Indiana news
Bills await possible death if committees don’t make a decision before Thursday - the Statehouse File
Hoosiers 16 and older are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Click here to find out how to register!