2/10/2023 Session Update

By: Anna White

It’s Friday, and we have some legislative updates ready. First, SB 252, which concerns LARCs and Medicaid, passed its committee hearing last week and was referred to the house on Thursday, February 9. This past Tuesday, House Bill 1568, which gives pharmacists the ability to prescribe oral and patch birth control, was heard by the Committee on Health and Provider Services. Due to abundant testimony, the hearing wasn’t completed, but it should resume next week. If you want to tune in to this committee hearing or any other, you can stream them live from the IGA website. 

Lastly, these blog posts have primarily focused on bills we support. But we are tracking bills that go against our mission. If we see any movement on those, we’ll add them to the blog posts. So make sure you check in with us every Friday!

For a more detailed update, you can take a look at the tracker below.

Women’s Health

  • SB 252: Allows for LARCS to be transferred between Medicaid recipients. The aim of this bill is to eliminate medical waste for LARCs that were prescribed for one patient but never actually used (IUDs and arm implants). Missouri, which has less Medicaid recipients than Indiana, has saved $1.8 million from a similar bill. 

    • Status: First reading: referred to Committee on Health and Provider Services on 01/11

    • Adopted and passed by Health Provider Services Committee on 02/02

    • Second reading; ordered engrossed on 02/06

    • Third reading; passed unanimously on 02/07

    • Referred to the House on 02/09

  • SB 311: Reestablishes the licensure of abortion clinics, changes statutes regarding when abortions may be performed; removes eight-week limitation for abortion-inducing drug

    • Status: First reading: referred Committee on Health and Provider Services on 01/12

  • HB 1568: Allows pharmacists to prescribe and dispense oral and patch hormonal contraceptives. Provides that pharmacists who oppose contraceptives on moral or religious grounds are exempt from prescribing them.

    • Status: First Reading: referred to Committee on Health and Provider Services on 01/19

    • The Committee hearing for this bill began on Tuesday, but did not close with a decision. It will continue next week.

  • SB 153: Allows pharmacists to prescribe and dispense oral and patch hormonal contraceptives. Requires healthcare plans to provide coverage for contraceptives and certain services. Grants exemption for nonprofit religious employers. 

    • Status: First reading: referred Committee on Health and Provider Services on 01/09

  • HB 1224: Allows pharmacists to prescribe and dispense oral and patch hormonal contraceptives. Requires healthcare plans to provide coverage for contraceptives and certain services. Grants exemption for nonprofit religious employers. 

    • Status: First Reading; referred to Committee on Public Health on 01/10

Sexual Harassment, Assault, & Consent

  • HB 1066: Provides that if schools provide education on human sexuality or sexually transmitted infections, the school must provide comprehensive sexual education, using appropriate instructors. 

    • Status: First Reading: referred to Committee on Education on 01/09 

  • HB 1364: Elements of Rape: Provides that a person commits rape if the other person submits to sexual intercourse or other sexual conduct under the belief that the person committing the act is someone the victim knows, other than the person committing the act, and the belief is intentionally induced by artifice, pretense, or concealment. 

    • Status: First Reading: referred to Committee on Courts and Criminal Code on 01/17

Economic Stability

  • SB 259: Provides a sales tax exemption for feminine hygiene products

    • Status: First Reading: Referred to Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy on 01/11

  • HB 1137: Provides that it is unlawful practice to: (a) discriminate pay based on sex; (b) discipline or interfere with any employee or other person who inquired about, disclosed, or discussed the employee’s wages; (c) require wage nondisclosure as a condition for employment, or (d) require an employee to sign a waiver or other document denying them the right to disclose wage information. 

    • Status: First Reading: referred to committee on Employment, Labor, and Pensions on 01/10

Voter Access

  • HB 1131: Redistricting Commission: Establishes a redistricting commission to create, hold hearings on, receive public comment on, and recommend plans to re-draw general assembly districts and congressional districts. Provides appointment of 4 commission members by legislative leadership. 

    • Status: First Reading: referred to Committee on Elections and Apportionment

    • Read our latest guest blog on redistricting commissions, here.

W4C