By: Ashley Bergeron and Mira Costello

Staff-Writer, Editor-in-Chief

While news from the State House might be drowned out by news from the White House, it’s still important to keep up with our legislature. Here are four bills active in the Indiana General Assembly that might affect your life. 

HB 1200: Opioids

Authored by Republican Rep. Robert Benning and co-authored by Republican Representatives Brad Barrett and Becky Cash, HB 1200 is an act to amend the Indiana code concerning professions and occupations. This bill would add that if someone prescribes an opioid, the amount cannot exceed a 180 day supply. It also states that the patient may not be required to have an in-person visit with the prescriber before 180 days unless the prescriber says it is medically necessary.

As of March 24, this bill has been signed by the speaker of the house and the president pro tempore. 

SB 289: DEI

Authored by Republican Senators Gary Burne and Tyler Johnson and co-authored by four other Republican senators, SB 289 would add a new chapter to Indiana code concerning state and local administration.

This chapter prohibits Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs, which it defines as any effort to manipulate or influence employees with a regards to race, sex, color or ethnicity (not including ensuring race-neutral hiring laws in accordance with anti-discrimination laws); to promote differential treatment or special benefits based on those characteristics; to promote policies, trainings or activities designed around those characteristics unless they are approved in writing by the attorney general.

In the bill, DEI doesn’t include programs involving equal opportunity or notice of antidiscrimination laws, as long as they do not promote differential treatment.

Government agencies would be prohibited from using any source of income to support a DEI office or hire a DEI officer. The bill also says that it does not prohibit hiring discrimination based on “bona fide qualifications based on sex.”

Schools would be prohibited from forcing any beliefs about a particular race, sex, ethnicity, religion or national origin, such as that one is inherently superior or inferior, that someone should be blamed for actions of others with the same characteristics, or that an individual’s moral compass is determined by those characteristics. 

School corporations would not be allowed to require students or faculty to take training sessions involving the topics above. They would be prohibited from having a DEI office, internal DEI audits or DEI consultants, and they could incur a fine of up to $250,000 for each violation if they do not remedy it in 30 days. 

The bill allows departments to make a complaint form that constituents can use if they believe the bill has been violated, and complaints can be appealed all the way up to the attorney general. 

Similar guidelines would exist for government agencies. 

SB 289 was sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 13. 

HB 1002: Education

(Not to be confused with HB 1200 above.) Authored by Republican Rep. Robert Behning, the HB 1002 is sponsored by six Republicans, including coauthor and St. Joseph County Rep. Jake Teshka. With the latest text at 162 pages, the bill affects over 60 Indiana Code education provisions, including issues like mental health, grant programs, curriculum, enrollment and oversight. 

HB 1002 would remove a wide range of state regulations on K-12 schools. Rep. Behning held up a copy of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy at the State House to illustrate his opinion that the current education code is too long; his proposal would reduce regulations in the code by about 10%, including: 

• Allowing districts to operate charter schools only (currently they must provide non-charter options)
• No longer requiring Secretary of Education to have education experience
• Allowing schools to schedule under the minimum number of instructional days
• Allowing schools to eliminate transportation without notice
• Prohibiting students from transferring to another district for accommodations
• Removing teacher training requirements in social-emotional learning, trauma and cultural competency

Four amendments to the bill have passed since its introduction on Jan. 13. It passed the House on third reading and was referred to the Senate, where it is pending with a favorable report in the Committee on Appropriations.

SB 166: Cannabis advertising

Authored by Republican Senators Spencer Deery and Tyler Johnson, SB 166 would prohibit any advertising cannabis products or businesses “by any medium within the borders of Indiana.” The bill would make cannabis advertising a civil offense punishable by fees, injunctions or other costs. 

The bill was referred to the Senate Commerce & Technology Committee after first reading on Jan. 8 and is still pending there.