Indiana bill tracker: Bills on immigration, anti-DEI advanced last week. Here's what else.

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27-01-2025

Lawmakers wasted no time advancing some of the more controversial topics of the legislative session this past week, from DEI initiatives to immigration reform.
IndyStar is tracking the prominent bills that are actually moving through the legislative process and that would impact a wide variety of Hoosiers.
Here are some of the major bills that have already advanced, and what happened to them last week.
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Lead author: Rep. Garrett Bascom, R-Lawrenceburg
What it does: The bill requires law enforcement officers to report individuals to their county sheriff if the person is arrested for a felony or misdemeanor and the officer has probable cause to believe the person lacks permanent legal status. It then requires county sheriffs to report the person to proper authorities.
Status: Passed the House Veterans Affairs and Public Safety committee on Jan. 23 by a vote of 9-2. It now heads to the House floor.
More: Indiana lawmakers push illegal immigration crackdown, days after Trump's executive orders
Lead author: Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores
What it does: The bill requires parental consent for social media use for people under age 16, and allows Indiana's attorney general to sue social media operators that don't comply.
Status: Passed by the full Senate by a 42-7 vote on Jan. 23. It now goes to the House for consideration.
More: Should kids need parental consent to use social media? Here's what this bill would do
Lead authors: Sen. Tyler Johnson, R-Leo, Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville
What it does: This bill bans all state spending on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives — from trainings to diverse hiring initiatives — at state agencies, educational institutions and health profession licensing boards.
Status: Passed the Senate Judiciary committee by an 8-2 vote on Jan. 22.
Lead author: Sen. Justin Busch, R-Fort Wayne
What it does: Lawmakers tried in 2023 to outlaw noncompete agreements for Indiana doctors — contracts that prevent doctors from taking jobs at competing hospitals within a certain radius. The compromise that year was to only apply this to family doctors. This year, Senate Bill 475 attempts the ban for all physicians, again, hoping it will encourage competition and reduce prices in the health care market.
Status: Passed the Senate Health and Provider Services committee by a 10-2 vote on Jan. 22. It now heads to the Senate floor.
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Authors: Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle, and Sen. Scott Baldwin, R-Noblesville
What it does: The bill would further decrease Indiana's individual income tax rate if state revenues grow by more than 3% compared to previous years.
Status: The bill unanimously passed through the Senate's Tax and Fiscal Policy committee on Jan. 21. It's now awaiting final approval from the Senate.
Lead author: Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis
What it does: The bill aims to loosen restrictions for Indiana schools and education systems, including by nixing the education credential requirement for the Indiana secretary of education, changing the timing of when teachers are paid and removing certain training and professional development requirements.
Status: Voted out of the House Committee on Education on Jan. 22. Lawmakers make several changes to the bill in committee, including to eliminate a provision nixing economic disclosure requirements for charter schools. The bill now moves to the House floor for consideration.
Lead author: Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis
What it does: The bill prohibits a public school from expelling or suspending a student because they are chronically absent or habitually truant and expands the number of days for a school to hold an attendance conference about a student's absences from five days to 10. It also requires the Department of Education to establish best practices for student discipline on chronic absenteeism.
Status: Voted out of the House Committee on Education on Jan. 22, with some amendments. The bill now moves to the Senate floor for consideration. A bill that similarly addresses absenteeism, Senate Bill 482, also was heard in committee.
More: Proposed bill would ban expulsion for missing school, study absenteeism
Lead Author: Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne
What it does: The bill restricts government entities, including school districts and the Indiana Department of Child Services, from intruding on parental rights or keeping information from parents, unless there is a compelling governmental interest.
Status: Passed by 9-2 vote in Senate Judiciary Committee on Jan. 15. Lawmakers passed a minor amendment to the bill on the Senate floor, and it now awaits a vote in the full Senate.
Lead author: Sen. Ryan Mishler, R-Mishawaka
What it does: The bill adds far more stringent and regular government reviews of the eligibility of Medicaid recipients and adds work requirements in order for someone to be eligible for the Healthy Indiana Plan, the state health plan for non-Medicaid recipients. In addition, it limits enrollment in the Healthy Indiana Plan. HIP is not Medicaid, but uses Medicaid funds.
Status: Heard in committee on Jan. 16. The next step is a committee vote.
Lead author: Sen. Jim Tomes, R-Wadesville
What it does: It makes intentional and reckless skidding while driving, known as 'spinning', a Class B misdemeanor and increases the penalties further if the spinning endangers, injures or kills another person. If the bill becomes law, a person found spinning could have their vehicle seized in a civil forfeiture.
Status: Heard in the Senate's Corrections and Criminal Law committee on Jan. 14. It's awaiting a committee vote.
More: Indiana lawmakers revive fight to combat 'dangerous' street takeovers
Lead author: Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford
What it does: The bill prohibits the construction, operation, purchase, sale and lease of a long-haul water pipeline unless the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission signs off on it. However, the Citizens deal to provide water to the LEAP district in Lebanon is exempted from those rules.
Status:Heard in Senate's utilities committee on Jan. 16. The bill now awaits a committee vote.
Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Kayla Dwyer at [e-mail] or follow her on Twitter @kayla_dwyer17.
Contact senior government accountability reporter Hayleigh Colombo at [e-mail] or follow her on X at @hayleighcolombo.
Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at [e-mail] or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Statehouse: Immigration, anti-DEI bills advance