As the Indiana General Assembly’s 2025 legislative session moves forward, Northwest Indiana representatives have filed bills addressing mental health, higher education and water infrastructure and a resolution to change the Indiana Constitution.
During the 2025 legislative session, legislators will work with Governor Mike Braun and his administration for the first time. It’s also a budget session, and legislators will face a nearly $1 billion shortfall in the state’s Medicaid funding because of state budget reversions and unexpected growth of services for aging and disabled Hoosiers.
Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, said the legislature will also address property taxes, which will require working with mayors and school officials. As the Republican majority looks to decrease property taxes, Smith said municipal services could be impacted.
“They are expected to do more with less,” Smith said.
Rep. Michael Aylesworth
Aylesworth, R-Hebron, filed seven bills as well as a resolution about town and city court judges. The resolution would change the Indiana Constitution to allow city or town judges to live in the bordering Indiana county of their courthouse.
The resolution would help smaller cities and towns attract more judges, Aylesworth said. The resolution was approved by the legislature two years ago, he said, and has to pass by a newly-elected legislature one more time. If passed this session, the resolution would be placed on a ballot for voters to decide, he said.
“It’s one of those things that we needed to modernize our Constitution,” Aylesworth said.
House Bill 1078, authored by Aylesworth, would increase the maximum speed limit for a truck with a gross weight of more than 26,000 pounds from 65 miles per hour to 70 miles per hour when driving on interstate highways near cities or towns with a population of at least 50,000.
Aylesworth has filed the bill every session but it hasn’t been heard in committee, he said. But, Aylesworth said the bill should be considered because it’s a safety issue and 45 other states have higher speed limits for trucks.
“We’re one of five states that don’t have equal speed limits for trucks and I think that’s wrong,” Aylesworth said.
“I always live in eternal hope,” Aylesworth said about House Bill 1078’s chances of passing this session.
House Bill 1187, authored by Aylesworth, would allow a county representative to join a watershed development commission board if any part of the designated watershed lies within the county. The bill would also expand the permitted uses for funds collected by the commission.
The Maumee River Basin Commission approached Aylesworth about the bill, he said, and he agreed it was important.
Aylesworth authored House Bill 1421, which would ensure that money in the water infrastructure grant fund could be used to provide grants, loans or other financial assistance toward planning, designing or acquisition, construction, renovation, improvement or expansion of residential onsite sewage system.
Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond, authored and Aylesworth co-authored House Bill 1411 that would require the entity with authority over a school building to test the drinking water in the school building. The bill would make it a Level 6 felony if someone intentionally fails to have the building water tested.
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Rep. Carolyn Jackson
Jackson filed seven bills, including House Bill 1410, which would prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco products and their components including cigarettes, electronic cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. Under the bill, anyone who sells a flavored tobacco product would be committing a Class C misdemeanor and be at risk of losing his or her tobacco sales certificate.
Jackson authored and Rep. Earl Harris, D-East Chicago, co-authored House Bill 1352, which would establish the Indiana first responders mental health wellness fund and program. The bill would ensure that first responders could apply to cover the costs of active mental health treatment and compensation if the first responder is unable to work.
Jackson authored and Smith co-authored House Bill 1350 which would include judges to the list of people immune from civil liability for certain acts or omissions that occur in connection with the statute establishing electronic monitoring standards.
Rep. Earl Harris
Harris filed 13 bills, including House Bill 1070, which would establish a hunger-free campus grant program that would provide grants to state educational institutions to address food insecurity among students.
During a National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials conference a few years ago, Harris said he learned how prevalent hunger and homelessness are on college campuses.
“We have students that drop out not because they can’t hack it, not because they don’t want to do the work, but because they’re sleeping in their car or they’re maybe eating once a day or every other day,” Harris said. “So it’s really to help out.”
House Bill 1069, which Harris authored, would require the Commission for Higher Education to determine a tuition rate and mandatory fee cost of living adjustment for specified postsecondary educational institutions.
Further, House Bill 1069 would require the tuition rate and mandatory fees to remain the same, except for cost of living adjustments, from the time the student enrolls through graduation.
Pursuing higher education is expensive and financing the degree plays a major role in a person’s decision to pursue a degree, Harris said. House Bill 1069 would maintain the tuition set upon the first year, he said.
“This will help a lot of people look at getting into college and staying in college if they know that they will pay a locked-in rate throughout those four years,” Harris said. “I really believe we should do whatever we can to support our young people to continue their education.”
Harris co-authored House Bill 1224, which would allow for driving privilege cards for undocumented immigrants living in Indiana. The bill states the card could not be used as identification for any state or federal purpose, including voting or verifying employment.
The state has many undocumented immigrants who are working toward citizenship and contributing to their communities through their jobs, schooling and tax payments, Harris said. To help them, Harris said driving privilege cards would help them travel to work or school.
“This is something we’ve been working on for years, and hopefully we can get something done this year,” Harris said. “We make progress every year, so hopefully this is the year.”
Rep. Vernon Smith
Smith filed six bills, including House Bill 1317, which would require someone who has been convicted of domestic violence and knowingly or intentionally possesses a firearm a Class A misdemeanor.
House Bill 1317 would ensure that anyone convicted of domestic battery or domestic violence wouldn’t be allowed to possess a firearm and would be required to surrender any firearms he or she already owns.
Smith authored House Bill 1318 that would establish the Hoosier scam prevention board. He also authored House Bill 1316, which would establish billing procedures for municipal sewage or storm water user fees assessed for real property that is occupied by someone other than the owner.
Constituents who rent out property have come to the legislature to raise their concerns about the fees, Smith said. In some cases, a tenant doesn’t pay the fee and then the owner is marked delinquent on the payments, he said.
“That needs to be separated or fixed,” Smith said.
Rep. Hal Slager
Slager, R-Schererville, authored four bills, including House Bill 1023, which would set work requirements for certain people in order to be eligible for Medicaid. The bill states that, unless exempt, people would have to work at least 20 hours per week to receive Medicaid.
House Bill 1023 exempts anyone medically certified as physically or mentally unfit for employment, pregnant, a parent or caretaker who is responsible for the care of a dependent child under six years old or has a serious medical condition or disability, receiving unemployment benefits or in a substance use disorder or rehabilitation program.
Slager authored House Bill 1110, which would make it a Class A misdemeanor if someone offers a payment to a public servant as a reward for an official act taken by the public servant or for a public servant to solicit or accept a payment as a reward for performing an official act.
Slager co-authored Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster, House Bill 1304 that would make intentionally taking another person’s car a robbery, a Level 4 felony.
Rep. Mike Andrade
Andrade filed 11 bills, including House Bill 1305, which would require each school corporation and charter school to develop a plan to conduct developmentally appropriate evidence-based mental health screening and substance use disorder screening.
Andrade authored House Bill 1306, which would increase the maximum amount of the income tax credit for teachers for classroom supplies from $100 to $300 per taxable year.
House Bill 1307, authored by Andrade, would establish a sensory kit grant program to provide public safety agencies with sensory kits that could be used during an emergency to help those with autism or a cognitive disorder.
Andrade authored House Bill 1309, which would establish the pediatric mental health professional recruitment pilot program. The purpose of the program would be to increase the availability of pediatric mental health care services to Indiana students who agree to work with children after becoming mental health professionals.
Rep. Ed Soliday
Soliday, R-Valparaiso, authored House Bill 1007, which would provide a credit against state tax liability for expenses incurred in the manufacture of a small modular nuclear reactors in Indiana.
A recent Purdue University study, which was financed by the state, examined multiple sites across the state for their feasibility and NIPSCO’s R.M. Schahfer Generating Station in Wheatfield was identified as being a good candidate. NIPSCO is in the process of closing Schahfer and aims to replace it with sustainable sources like wind, solar or battery storage. NIPSCO said it didn’t received any SMR project proposals at several request for proposal events last year.
House Bill 1007 would establish procedures for energy utilities to request from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission an expedited generation resource plan to meet customer load growth that exceeds a specific threshold; a generation resource submittal for the acquisition of a specific generation resource in accordance with an approved EGR plan; and a project to serve one or more large load customers.
Under the bill, the project development costs for a public utility should recover 80% of the approved project development costs under the approved rate schedule and defer the remaining 20% of approved project development costs for recovery as part of the utility’s next general rate case before the IURC.
Rep. Julie Olthoff
Olthoff, R-Crown Point, authored seven bills, including House Bill 1055, which would require the person managing a property on behalf of a homeowners association to obtain a broker license.
Olthoff authored House Bill 1123 which would appropriate money to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute to disburse to entities eligible to receive victim assistance grants under the federal Victims of Crime Act.
Olthoff co-authored House Bill 1412 would require staff members of a medical institution, a medical facility, or any other health care facility have a duty to report child abuse immediately to both the Department of Child Services and a local law enforcement agency.
The bill states if a report alleges that a staff member, youth coach or volunteer is the abuser, then local law enforcement shall investigate to determine whether the institution, school, facility or organization knew that the alleged abuse was happening and failed to report it.
Rep. Chuck Moseley
Moseley, D-Portage, filed six bills, including House Bill 1179, which would establish a blue envelope program for the purpose of enhancing effective communication between law enforcement and drivers with autism.
Moseley authored House Bill 1180, which would require the Indiana Department of Veterans’ Affairs to administer the returning Hoosier warrior mental health wellness pilot program. Through the program, service members would receive financial assistance from the military family fund to treat posttraumatic stress disorder.
The program would be funded through a $10 million fund from insurance premiums tax collected from the Department of Insurance.
Moseley authored House Bill 1182 which would permit an employee to choose an attending physician after an employment injury or occupational disease.
Rep. Pat Boy
Boy, D-Michigan City, authored 11 bills, including House Bill 1373, which would establish a procedure for a tenant to withhold rent from a landlord and deposit it with a court if the landlord does not fulfill the landlord’s obligations or fails to remedy a violation that affects the health or safety of the tenant.
Boy authored House Bill 1374, which would repeal the Right to Work law chapter requiring labor organization membership, payment of dues or fees to a labor organization or payment to a charity of third party of an amount equivalent to dues or fees required by a labor organization as a condition of employment.
House Bill 1377, authored by Boy, would prohibit an automated tractor-trailer from driving on a highway unless a human operator who meets all state and federal qualifications is physically in the vehicle.
Rep. Ragen Hatcher
Hatcher, D-Gary, filed seven bills, including House Bill 1647, which would grant employees at least 36 hours of paid mental health leave per calendar year. The bill states unused mental health hours could roll over into the next year, but that companies don’t have to pay out unused mental health hours when the employee leaves the company.
House Bill 1566, authored by Hatcher, would prohibit a judge from requiring an arrestee to pay bail as a condition of pretrial release unless the arrestee is a flight risk or danger, charged with murder or treason, on pretrial release for another case or on probation, parole or supervision.
House Bill 1567, authored by Hatcher, would remove the requirement of probable cause for battery and domestic battery for protection orders. If signed into law, an officer would have to provide someone who requests forms for a protection order with the paperwork and help fill it out.
akukulka@chicagotribune.com
Northwest Indiana representatives file bills addressing mental health, higher education and Constitution change
