House Two House Republican priority bills tackling healthcare costs were heard in their respective committees this week and await votes next week. The House Insurance Committee heard testimony on HB 1003, Health matters (Rep. Brad Barrett, R-Richmond), which is focused on improving transparency in healthcare pricing and billing. The House Public Health Committee discussed HB 1004, Nonprofit hospitals (Rep. Martin Carbaugh, R-Fort Wayne). HB 1004 attempts to lower the cost of healthcare services. This bill has several provisions that seek to ensure that nonprofit hospitals focus on delivering services without seeking to make exorbitant profits. HB 1005, Housing and building matters (Rep. Doug Miller, R-Elkhart) was heard in House Government and Regulatory Reform . The bill hopes to combat the lack of housing options available to Hoosiers. HB 1005 seeks to finance infrastructure projects that support residential housing. This will be done by expanding the Residential Housing Infrastructure Assistance Program (RIF). The bill was amended , passed out of committee 11-1, and was referred to the Ways and Means Committee for further consideration. The House Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committee met on Thursday to amend and vote on priority bill HB 1007, Energy Generation Resources (Rep. Ed Soliday R-Valparaiso) which heard testimony in the committee last week. Chairman Soliday passed an amendment that, among other things, provides a 20% tax credit to build SMRs in the state of Indiana and allows Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to qualify for an expedited process. The amendment also noted that investor-owned utilities regulated by the IURC will be subject to review if they’re not producing 85% of peak demand. Amendment 3 was adopted via voice vote, which would change the duty to notify the utilities if the demand reaches 20 Megawatts rather than at any level of requirement. The bill was passed out of committee 9-4 and will now be referred to the Ways and Means Committee for a discussion on its fiscal impact. HB 1002, Various education matters (Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis) was amended on second reading on Thursday and will be up for a final vote in the House on Monday. This bill eliminates outdated language, seeks to lessen the amount of administrative work performed by educators, and attempts to reduce costs and establish more local control of the K-12 education system. Although four amendments failed, four other amendments were adopted on second reading yesterday, each linked below: Amendment 5 (Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary) Amendment 6 (Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary) Amendment 8 (Rep. Jake Teshka, R-North Liberty) Amendment 9 (Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis) HB 1461, Road funding (Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie) was brought before the House Roads and Transportation Committee this week. This bill provides an array of new or expanded options for state and local road funding. Among its various provisions, HB 1461 creates incentives for improvements, raises county transportation tax limits, allows bonds for road construction, allows potential tolling of interstate lanes, and adjusts grants and matching funds based on local needs. The committee heard extensive testimony yesterday and expects to amend and vote on the bill at a later date. House Public Policy Committee discussed two pieces of gaming legislation. HB 1432, Various gaming matters (Rep. Ethan Manning, R-Logansport) is a robust bill that includes provisions authorizing iGaming and iLottery, establishing a new responsible gaming program through the state, and making changes to casino revenue sharing. HB 1432 was amended multiple times, including an increase to the sports wagering tax, and passed out of committee 9-2. The second, HB 1433, Charity gaming (Rep. Manning), allowed for electronic pull tabs and electronic raffle systems to be used for charity gaming. The bill was also amended multiple times in committee and now also includes the ability for bars and taverns to use e-pull tab devices (language that was removed from its original home in HB 1432). HB 1433 was unanimously approved 13-0. Both bills will be referred to the Ways and Means Committee for a discussion on their fiscal impact. The House Ways and Means Committee hosted members of Governor Braun’s cabinet for presentations on their proposed budgets for the next fiscal period, beginning with Lisa Hershman, Indiana’s Secretary of Management and Budget. Her presentation with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) covered the Governor’s recommended budget ( HB 1001, State budget ), which is another key step in the budget approval process. Senate Earlier in the week, the Senate adopted SJR 21, Terms of members of Congress (Sen. Andy Zay, R-Huntington) by a 31-18 vote. SJR 21 allows for an Article V convention on term limits for federal legislators. The resolution will be sponsored in the House by Rep. Dave Hall (R-Norman). On Monday, SB 10, Voter registration (Sen. Blake Doriot, R-Goshen) was heard in Senate Elections yesterday and passed out of committee by a 6-3 vote. SB 10 makes changes to the voter registration, voter identification, and voter list maintenance process. The bill excludes school IDs as valid proof of identification, mandates voter list maintenance for inactive voters, and enhances death record sharing with voter offices. After second reading amendments were defeated, SB 10 moved on to a final third reading vote next week. Senate Republican priority bill SB 5, State fiscal and contracting matters passed the chamber unanimously, 49-0. SB 5 will be shepherded in the House by Rep. Matt Lehman (R-Berne) and Rep. Craig Snow (R-Warsaw). The Senate also passed SB 74, Extension of lifeline law immunity , which would give protection from prosecution to underage individuals who have a medical emergency from drinking too much alcohol. After rigorous discussion, SB 74 passed for a final time in the Senate by a vote of 43-6 and will be carried by Rep. Wendy McNamara (R-Evansville). Yesterday, Senate Republican priority legislation SB 4, Water matters (Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford) was among the bills being discussed in the Senate Utilities Committee . As written, this bill will require long-haul water pipelines are only allowed for water utilities with a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the Indiana utility regulatory commission. Transferring water outside a basin requires a permit from the department of natural resources, obtained through an application process. Transfer permits do not expire but can be renewed, revoked, or modified, and violations may result in civil penalties. The Committee passed the bill 7-1 . After a robust discussion, the Senate Health and Provider Services Committee amended and voted on Senate Republican priority bill SB 3, Fiduciary duty in health plan administration (Sen. Justin Busch, R-Fort Wayne). This bill passed unanimously out of the committee 11-0 and will continue its legislative journey. This legislation requires that any third-party administrator, pharmacy benefit manager, employee benefit consultant, or insurance producer acting on behalf of a plan sponsor owes a fiduciary duty to the plan sponsor. Amendments were added excluding insurance producers compensated on a flat fee basis ( amendment 1 ) and defining fiduciary duty ( amendment 2 ). Senate Public Policy heard testimony on SB 293, Relocation of riverboat gambling operation (Sen. Andy Zay, R-Huntington). The legislation would allow the licensed owner of a riverboat casino in Rising Sun to relocate gaming operations to a casino in New Haven. It also outlines the distribution of wagering tax revenue after the relocation and establishes the Together for Tomorrow Commission, defining its membership and purpose. The committee amended the bill to increase the transfer fee but did not take a final vote. Joint Sessions of the General Assembly: State of the Judiciary & State of the State On Wednesday, Chief Justice Loretta Rush addressed a Joint Session to present her State of the Judiciary address. The Chief Justice highlighted the court system’s impact, emphasized problem-solving courts, technological advancements, and family protections. She noted that Indiana’s trial courts handle more cases than all U.S. federal courts combined and praised treatment courts for their success in reducing the tendency for an individual to recommit a crime. Rush also showcased efforts to improve efficiency, including AI-generated transcripts and long-overdue updates to child support guidelines. Read more here . Later that evening, Governor Mike Braun addressed the Joint Session for his State of the State address . The Governor highlighted Indiana’s resilience despite economic struggles and rising costs and emphasized the need for decisive action to improve the state. His agenda focuses on tax relief, government efficiency, public safety, economic growth, healthcare reform, and education. Some key proposals include property tax cuts, reducing regulations, supporting law enforcement, securing the southern border, incentivizing workforce training, lowering healthcare costs, and expanding school choice (most already introduced by legislators, and signed executive orders). Furthermore, Governor Braun called for bipartisan collaboration to seize opportunities and make Indiana a national leader in innovation and prosperity. He concluded his speech with a message of unity and determination to build a stronger future for Hoosiers. Read more here . The Governor’s Office On Tuesday, Governor Braun issued a new executive order, Executive Order 25-29 Supporting Federal Immigration Policy and Protecting Hoosier Workers by Indiana’s State Agencies. This executive order dictates that state and local police agencies must cooperate with federal immigration agencies. Similarly, the Indiana National Guard must make themselves fully available to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents including personnel, facilities and/or other resources. Lastly, the order requires companies that the State of Indiana does business with must provide proof that their company utilizes the E-Verify software before the state may enter a contract with them.