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Bills We Are Following
Bills that directly impact non-public schools:
HB 1149 Pre-K Care SGO Tax Credit will not move forward in this session because it carries a fiscal burden. The author introduced the bill with hopes to gain momentum towards next year's session. It could benefit our stand-alone preschool programs as well as daycare programs for school staff.
HB 1176 Education Matters would remove the income cap from the SGO tax credit scholarship program and also notify parents if a student is at risk of not achieving grade level proficiency in mathematics. It now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee where it will face a stiff challenge.
HB 1266 Department of Education and Education Matters should be voted on in the Senate education committee next week. It is a very large bill that does many things, including:
- Moves the date when IDOE can process choice scholarships without income documentation from July 1, 2026 to May 1, 2026.
- Makes non-public schools eligible for the teacher residency grant.
- Limits emergency permits to three consecutive years.
HB 1325 Behavioral Intervention and Special Education would create a group to study behavior interventions for special education students. It moves to the Senate education committee.
SB 161 Education Matters would require Indiana to opt into the federal tax credit scholarship program. Gov. Braun has already said he will do this, but this bill would codify it. This bill has been referred to the House Education Committee.
SB 199 Various Education Matters changes the literacy cadre threshold for all types of schools. Language about social media restrictions for minors has been removed from the bill but it is possible that this language could be included somewhere else. This bill has moved to the House Education Committee.
SB 239 Various Education Matters contains language about parental notification if students did not show grade level proficiency in mathematics. This bill has been referred to the House Education Committee.
Bills that do not directly include non-public schools, but could have an indirect impact:
HB 1004 Various Education Matters is a deregulation bill. Referred to the Senate Education and Career Development Committee.
HB 1102 Applied Behavioral Analysis Therapy Services has received a great deal of support - we expect a vote in the Senate education committee next week. It is good to be aware that this will be the norm in public schools for students who transition to a school from an ABA center.
HB 1137 Foods and Beverages on School Property will likely be voted on next week in the Senate education committee. Although it does not include non-public schools, it is good for our schools to be aware that this will become the new norm for school lunch programs in Indiana.
SB 78 Wireless Communication Device Policy is the bell to bell cellphone ban bill that would indirectly affect our schools. We expect a vote in the House Education Committee next week.
SB 159 School Technology Plans and Policies would give parents more control over what students can access on their school-issued devices while at home. It only pertains to public schools, but we are keeping an eye on it. We expect a vote in the House Education Committee next week.
SB 204 Various Education Matters is focused on public and charter schools and allows more flexibility for charter school teachers to become licensed.
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