3/10/2023 Session Update

By: Anna White

It’s Friday again, and time for some legislative updates. Most of the movement this week has been first readings and committee assignments for the bills that made it into the crossover phase. We’ll spare you the crossover details and let you know about the rest.

HB 1334, Absentee Voting, is a bill that creates additional barriers to voting by mail. It requires identification - through certain identification numbers or a photocopy of a valid government-issued ID - to request an absentee ballot. Currently, you only have to be a registered voter to request an absentee ballot and have a valid excuse to skip going to the polls in person. (First-time voters must include proof of residency, such as a utility bill, with their ballot materials.) While the identification request might seem like a small shift to some, it targets people (mainly seniors, but also low-income people) that are less likely to have valid government identification, such as a driver’s license. It is one of many bills nationwide that uses election security as an excuse to disenfranchise voters and reduce turnout. There is no evidence of widespread election fraud anywhere in the United States. The true problem we’re facing is low voter turnout. The best way to remedy that is to expand voter access by reducing unnecessary identification requirements and discarding our excuse-based vote-by-mail system in favor of one that allows anyone to vote by mail if they decide it works best for them. The bill, which made it through the first half of the session, had its first Senate hearing on Monday, March 3, but was not concluded. Testimony will likely continue next week. 

HB 1009: Court-Ordered Pregnancy and childbirth expenses, is a bill that is likely reactionary to the strict abortion laws that Indiana adopted during the special session last summer. It allows child support to begin before birth, and fathers may be required to pay at least 50% of the costs associated with prenatal care, delivery, hospitalization, and other necessary expenses incurred in connection with the child’s birth, postpartum expenses, and postnatal care. It passed its public hearing for the Senate judiciary committee on Wednesday, March 8.  

That’s a wrap for this week! 

Bill Tracker

  • 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. 

    • 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

    • 02/28: First Reading: Referred to Committee on Public Health

  • SB 376: Provides Medicaid eligibility for certain individuals who have immigrated and are lawfully residing in the United States and meet other Medicaid eligibility requirements. Specifies eligibility for the children’s health insurance program (CHIP) for lawfully residing individuals under 19 years of age. 

    • First Reading: referred to Committee on Family and Children Services on 01/19

    • Passed and Adopted by Committee on 02/06; reassigned to Committee on Appropriations

    • Passed & Adopted by Committee on Appropriations 02/23

    • Second Reading: ordered engrossed 02.28

    • Third Reading: Passed 02/28

    • Referred to House: 03/01

  • HB 1009: Court-Ordered Pregnancy and Childbirth Expenses: Specifies what a court shall order a father to pay for pregnancy and childbirth expenses.

    • First Reading, assigned to committee on 01/12

    • Passed & Amended by committee on 02/09

    • Second Reading, ordered engrossed on 02/13

    • Third Reading: Passed on 02/14

    • Referred to Senate on 02/15

    • First Reading, Referred to Committee on Judiciary on 02/27

    • Amended and passed by Senate Judiciary Committee on 03/8

  • HB 1334: Absentee Voting: Provides that an agency of the state or a political subdivision may not provide an individual with an application for an absentee ballot unless requested by the individual or member of the individual’s family. Provides that an absentee ballot must include: (1) certain identification numbers, or (2) a photocopy of: (A) the applicant’s Indiana’s driver’s license , (B) the applicant’s Indiana identification card number for nondrivers, or (C) other specified proof of identification. 

    • First Reading: Referred to Committee on Elections and Apportionment on 01/12

    • Amended and Passed by Committee on 02/16

    • Second Reading: Amended, Ordered Engrossed on 02/21

    • Third Reading: Passed 02/22

    • Referred to Senate on 02/23

    • In Committee 03/06, TBC

  • 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.

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

    • The Committee hearing for this bill began on 02/07 but did not close with a decision until the hearing continued on 02/14.

    • It passed its hearing on 02/14, but with an amendment that prohibited pharmacists from prescribing abortion-inducing drugs.

    • Second Reading: Amended, ordered engrossed 02/16

    • Third Reading : Passed, 02/20

    • Referred to the Senate on 02/21

    • 02/16: Second reading: ordered engrossed

    • 02/21: Third Reading, passed, referred to Senate

    • 03/01: First Reading, referred to Committee on Health and Provider Services

    • First reading, referred to committee on elections 03/06

W4C