Bills to Be Read By Committees the Week of March 20–25.

The following bill is scheduled for 3rd reading in the House on Monday, March 20

SB 248 Consolidation of school administrative functions. Allows two or more school corporations situated in the same or adjoining counties to consolidate in a manner in which debts or obligations paid by a debt service levy incurred by a school corporation before the new consolidated school corporation comes into existence may be levied only on the taxpayers of the subunit that initially incurred the debt or obligation before consolidation. Provides that each school corporation is considered a subunit of the consolidated school corporation. Provides that the resolution consolidating the school corporations may declare: (1) that administrative functions of each subunit will be consolidated in the proposed consolidated school corporation; and (2) that the name or attendance area of each school within a subunit may remain unchanged after the date the consolidated school corporation comes into existence. Provides that, if two or more school corporations consolidate under the new consolidation provision, the department of local government finance shall set for the consolidated school corporation: (1) new maximum levies, which must equal the sum of the existing maximum levies adjusted for assessed value growth; and (2) a maximum capital projects levy rate. Relocates and amends the provision that provides that 20% of the legal voters residing in the district of any school corporation, jointly with 20% of legal voters residing in the district of each of one or more other school corporations, may petition the trustees of their respective school corporations to consolidate the school corporations. Provides that the meeting that the governing bodies of the school corporations are required to hold one week after the date of the appearance of the last publication of notice of intention to consolidate must be a public meeting. Amends provisions concerning compensation and vacancies regarding the membership of the governing body after a consolidation. Provides that certain consolidated school corporations are eligible for a one time school corporation efficiency incentive grant.

Latest version of bill is here. 

The following bill is scheduled for 2nd reading in the House on Monday, March 20

SB 504 Programs and services for charter schools. Requires that educational service centers provide services to a participating charter school upon the request of the charter school. (This is in addition to current law that requires educational service centers to provide services to a participating school corporation upon request of the school corporation.) Allows charter schools individually, in collaboration with other school corporations, charter schools, or both school corporations and charter schools, and through the educational services centers, to undertake action to reduce noninstructional expenditures and allocate the resulting savings to student instruction and learning. Makes conforming changes to include charter schools in the actions that may be undertaken.

Latest version of bill is here.  

House calendar can be found here.

The following bills are scheduled for 2nd reading in the Senate on Monday, March 20

HB 1079 School employment and teacher licensure. Amends the time period by which a school corporation, charter school, or nonpublic school must conduct expanded criminal history checks for applicants for noncertificated employment or certificated employment. Requires a school corporation, charter school, or nonpublic school to conduct an expanded child protection index check concerning each applicant for noncertificated employment or certificated employment before or not later than two months after the applicant's employment. Provides that a school corporation, charter school, or nonpublic school shall require an expanded criminal history check and expanded child protection index check on each employee every five years. Provides that a school corporation, charter school, or nonpublic school may implement the requirement for updated background checks for current employees over a five year period. Provides that the employee is responsible for costs associated with obtaining the background checks unless the school corporation, charter school, or nonpublic school agrees to pay the costs. Makes an exception to the provision that an applicant or employee may not be required to obtain an expanded criminal history check or expanded child protection index check more than one time during a five year period. Requires each school corporation and charter school to adopt a policy requiring the school employer of the school corporation or charter school to contact references and, if applicable, the most recent employer provided by a prospective employee, before the school corporation or charter school may hire the prospective employee. Prohibits a school from hiring persons who have been convicted of certain crimes. Adds human trafficking to the list of offenses requiring license revocation. Permits the department of education (department) to reinstate the license of a person convicted of certain crimes if the conviction is reversed, vacated, or set aside on appeal. Requires the division of state court administration to weekly transmit a list of persons convicted of specified crimes to the department, and requires the department to: (1) compare this list with the department's list of licensed employees; and (2) institute revocation proceedings if a licensed employee has been convicted of a specified offense. Provides that a presentence investigation includes gathering information with respect to whether the convicted defendant holds a teaching license or is a teacher. Provides that a superintendent (in addition to a principal under current law) may initiate the cancellation of a teacher's contract by providing notice to the teacher of the superintendent's preliminary decision.

Latest version of bill is here. 

HB 1396 Teacher licensing for military spouses.  Requires the state board of education to adopt rules, including emergency rules, that establish procedures to expedite the issuance, renewal, or reinstatement of a teacher license to a military spouse whose husband or wife is assigned to a duty station in Indiana. (Current law allows, but does not require, the state board to adopt such rules.)

Latest version of bill is here. 

HB 1430 Suicide awareness and prevention. Provides that, after June 30, 2018, each school corporation, charter school, and accredited nonpublic school: (1) shall require all teachers; and (2) may require any other appropriate school employees; who are employed at schools that provide instruction to students in any combination of grade 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12 to attend or participate in evidence based inservice youth suicide awareness and prevention training every three school years. Requires the division of mental health and addiction to: (1) develop a statewide program for suicide prevention; and (2) employ a coordinator of the statewide program for suicide prevention. Requires the coordinator to study and determine: (1) the professions that should be required to receive training on suicide assessment, treatment, and management; and (2) the manner in which to fund the training. Requires the coordinator to report the determinations to the legislative council not later than December 31, 2017. Requires emergency medical services providers to complete an evidence based training program concerning suicide assessment, treatment, and management. Requires each school corporation to adopt a policy addressing measures intended to increase child suicide awareness and prevention. Establishes requirements regarding the policy. Requires an approved postsecondary educational institution to adopt a policy concerning suicide information and resources. 

Latest version of bill is here. 

The following bills are scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Education and Career Development Committee on Wednesday, March 22 

Amend and Vote Only

HB 1003 Student assessments. Replaces the ISTEP test program after June 30, 2018, with a new statewide assessment program to be known as Indiana's Learning Evaluation Assessment Readiness Network (ILEARN). Provides, beginning after June 30, 2017, that a high school must administer an end of course examination in the subjects of: (1) English/language arts; (2) science; and (3) algebra I. Repeals a provision defining the ISTEP program. Makes conforming amendments.

Latest version of bill is here.

HB 1007 Education course access program. Allows the department of education (department) to authorize course providers to offer course access program courses that provide for the delivery of instruction through any method, including online technologies, in the course access program (program). Requires the department to: (1) oversee the program; (2) approve courses offered in the program; and (3) maintain a course access program catalog. Requires the department to negotiate a tuition fee for each offered course. Requires the school corporation in which an eligible student is enrolled to transfer the tuition fee for a course to the authorized course provider. Makes changes to the definition of "eligible student" to include a student who is pursuing a diploma to qualify for enlistment in the armed forces of the United States or National Guard for students who are at least 22 years of age and less than 36 years of age. Requires the department to establish to a maximum number of students who may enroll in a course access program that are pursuing a diploma to qualify for enlistment of the armed forces of the United States or National Guard. Provides that the amount of the tuition payment for an eligible student that is at least 22 years of age and less than 36 years of age pursuing a diploma to qualify for enlistment in the armed forces of the United States or National Guard may only be paid from funds currently appropriated to the department. Provides certain reasons a school corporation may deny a student's enrollment in a course access course. Provides that a parent of an eligible student or an emancipated eligible student may appeal the school corporation's decision to the department. Allows the state board of education to adopt emergency and nonemergency rules.

Latest version of bill is here.

HB 1024 Prayer in schools. Provides that a school corporation or charter school shall not discriminate against a student or a student's parent on the basis of a religious viewpoint or religious expression. Provides that students may express their beliefs about religion in homework, artwork, and other written and oral assignments free from discrimination based on the religious content of their submissions. Provides that public school students may pray or engage in religious activities or religious expression before, during, and after the school day in the same manner and to the same extent that students may engage in nonreligious activities or expression. Provides that students in public schools may wear clothing, accessories, and jewelry that display religious messages or religious symbols in the same manner and to the same extent that other types of clothing, accessories, and jewelry that display messages or symbols are permitted. Requires a school corporation or charter school to adopt a policy that must include the establishment of a limited public forum for student speakers who wish to include religious content at all school events at which a student is to publicly speak. Provides that the policy shall include requirements that require a school corporation or charter school to state, in writing, orally, or both, that the student's speech does not reflect the endorsement, sponsorship, position, or expression of the school corporation or charter school. Provides that the policy must include measures to make reasonable accommodations for individuals who wish to be excused from a student's speech that includes religious content because of the individual's own religious belief or lack of religious belief. Requires the department of education, in collaboration with the attorney general's office and organizations with expertise in religious civil liberties, to establish a model policy. Provides that each school corporation may include as an elective in the school corporation's high school curriculum a course surveying religions of the world.

Latest version of bill is here.

HB 1130 Protections for student journalists. Provides freedom of speech and freedom of press protections for grades 5 through 2 and state educational institution student journalists. Requires school corporations and state educational institutions to adopt policies concerning student journalist protections. Provides that a public school, school corporation, or state educational institution may not suppress school sponsored media unless the content is libelous or slanderous or gratuitously profane. Provides that school sponsored media produced by student journalists is a public forum for expression by student journalists. Provides that public schools, school corporations, and state educational institutions do not incur any liability for school sponsored media produced by a student journalist.

Latest version of bill is here.

HB 1384 Various education matters. Provides that in the case of a high school student who has not attended the same school within the school corporation for at least 90% of a school year, the department shall assign the student to the high school at which the student was enrolled for the greatest proportion of school days during the school year for purposes of calculating a school's graduation rate. Provides that before July 1, 2018, the state board of education (state board) shall establish a definition of a high mobility school for schools with a high concentration of mobile students. Provides that, after June 30, 2018, the state board shall, in addition to placing a school in a category or designation of school improvement, assign a school grade for a high mobility school. Provides that the grade calculated is for informational purposes only and may not be used to calculate a school's category or designation of school improvement. Provides that $50,000 is the maximum grant a school corporation or charter school may receive under the dual language immersion pilot program. Provides that appropriations to the department of education to provide grants to school corporations for high ability students must be for expenditures beyond those for regular educational programs. Provides that the state board may accredit a nonpublic school that enters into a contract with the state board to become a freeway school at the time the nonpublic school enters the contract. Provides that a choice scholarship school may submit a request to the state board to waive or delay certain consequences if it is placed in the two lowest categories or designations of school improvement for a particular school year. Provides that the state board may grant a request to an eligible school that requests a delay or waiver if the choice scholarship school demonstrates that a majority of students in the eligible school demonstrated academic improvement during the preceding school year. Requires a school corporation to issue, upon request of a parent, a posthumous diploma to a student who: (1) dies while enrolled in grade 12 of a school in the school corporation; and (2) was academically eligible or on track to meet the requirements for the diploma at the time of death. Makes changes to the composition of the board of trustees for Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana. Makes technical corrections.

Latest version of the bill is here. 

Hearing Only (testimony is possible)

HB 1382 Charter schools. Changes the definition of a charter school organizer. Requires each authorizer to establish a charter school Internet web page. Makes changes to the minimum standards for renewing a charter. Makes changes to the procedure for suspending an authorizer from authorizing a charter school. Provides that an authorizer is considered a state education authority within the meaning of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Provides that a charter school located in a county containing a consolidated city must determine which students may attend the charter school by using a publicly verifiable random selection process. (Current law provides that a charter school must determine which students may attend the charter school by use of a random drawing at a public meeting.) Makes changes to information that an education service provider must provide to a charter school. Provides that an authorizer must provide notification of acceptance or rejection of a proposal to establish a charter school within 75 days unless the authorizer and organizer agree to an extension of time. (Current law provides that notification must be provided within 75 days.) Provides that an organizer shall immediately inform the authorizer if its tax exempt status is questioned, modified, or revoked by the Internal Revenue Service or if its nonprofit corporation status is questioned, modified, or revoked by the state. Makes changes to the information an authorizer is required to report to the department. Changes procedures for relating to the renewal of a charter. Requires a charter school organizer to submit a statement of economic interest for each organizer board member. Requires an authorizer that is a state educational institution to assign authorization responsibilities to another entity. Makes changes to a provision relating to the qualifications of full-time teachers. Makes changes to a provision relating to the distribution of state funds to a charter school that does not have its charter renewed or terminated. Makes changes to the definition of a virtual charter school. Requires a virtual charter school to adopt a student engagement policy. Provides that the organizer's constitution, charter, articles, or bylaws must contain a clause providing that an authorizer may require the removal of a board member of the organizer in certain circumstances. Makes changes to which innovation network schools can receive a grant from the innovation network school grant fund. Provides that a governing body may enter into an agreement with an organizer to reconstitute certain schools as a participating innovation network charter school or to establish a participating innovation network charter school at a location selected by the board within the boundary of the school corporation. Provides that a participating innovation network charter school may be eligible for innovation network school grant funding. Repeals a provision that provides that the state board of education may require an authorizer to appear at a hearing conducted by the state board if the authorizer has renewed the charter of or failed to close a charter school that does not meet the minimum standards in the charter agreement. Repeals a provision establishing the charter school review panel.

Latest version of bill is here. 

HB 1383 Elementary school teachers. Provides that, not later than July 1, 2019, the state board of education shall adopt rules to establish one or more elementary school teacher content area licenses that must, at a minimum, include a content area license in the subject matter of math and science.

Latest version of bill is here. 

HB 1386 Competency based education.  Establishes the competency based education pilot program (pilot program). Provides that the department of education may award grants under the pilot program for competency based education programs from the innovation network school grant fund. Makes conforming amendments.

Latest version of bill is here.  

HB 1449 Teacher induction pilot program. Makes changes to who may submit a plan to participate in the career pathways and mentorship program. Establishes the Indiana new educator induction program (program) to give new teachers, principals, and administrators mentoring support. Provides that grants for the program may be made from the system for teacher and student advancement grant fund. Provides that, not later than July 1, 2018, and each July thereafter, the state board of education shall submit a report to the governor and the general assembly regarding the status of the program. Establishes the Indiana educator residency pilot program. Urges the legislative council to assign the issue of teacher residency programs to the appropriate study committee. Urges the legislative council to assign to an appropriate study committee for study during the 2017 legislative interim the topic of whether it is appropriate to require teachers to participate in a new educator induction program before being eligible to receive a practitioner license.

Latest version of bill is here.
  
Senate Committee for Education and Career Development calendar can be found here. 

The following bill is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Pensions and Labor Committee on March 22

HB 1463 Teachers’ defined contribution plan.  Establishes the teachers' defined contribution plan (plan) as an account within the Indiana state teachers' retirement fund (fund). Provides that an individual who begins employment with a school corporation in a covered position that would otherwise be eligible for membership in the fund may elect to become a member of the plan. Provides that an individual who does not elect to become a member of the plan becomes a member of the fund. Provides that an individual has 36 months after the individual's initial election to make a second election concerning membership in the fund or the plan. Requires the board of trustees of the Indiana public retirement system (board) to establish, subject to any approval from the Internal Revenue Service that the board considers necessary or desirable, alternative investment programs within the annuity savings account as the initial alternative investment programs for the plan. Provides that, if the board considers it necessary or appropriate, the board may establish different or additional alternative investment programs for the plan, except that the board shall maintain the stable value fund. Provides that each member's contribution to the plan is 3% of the member's compensation and requires the employer to pay the member's contribution on behalf of the member. Allows a member to make additional contributions to the plan up to 10% of the member's compensation. Provides that the employer's contribution rate for the plan is equal to the employer's contribution rate for the fund as determined by the board, although the amount credited from the employer's contribution rate to the member's account may not be greater than the normal cost of the fund, and any amount not credited to the member's account is applied to the unfunded accrued liability of the fund. Provides that an employer's minimum contribution to the plan is 3% of the compensation of all members of the plan. Provides that member contributions and net earnings on the member contributions belong to the member at all times and do not belong to the employer. Provides that a member vests in the employer contribution subaccount at 50% after four years of participation in the plan with full vesting after five years of participation. Provides that, if a member separates from service with an employer before the member is fully vested in the employer contribution subaccount, the amount in the subaccount that is not vested is: (1) transferred to the member's new employer, if the new employer participates in the plan; or (2) held in the member's employer contribution subaccount until forfeited. Provides that a member who: (1) terminates service in a covered position; and (2) does not perform any service in a covered position for at least 30 days after the date on which the member terminates service; is entitled to withdraw vested amounts in the member's account. Provides that a member may elect to have withdrawals paid as: (1) a lump sum; (2) a direct rollover to another eligible retirement plan; or (3) if the member is at least 62 years of age with at least five years of participation in the plan, a monthly annuity in accordance with the rules of the board. Provides that, on the plan's effective date, school corporations become participants in the plan. Allows a member of the public employees' retirement fund (PERF) or the fund to receive a disability retirement from PERF or the fund without requiring the member to be currently employed, to be receiving employer provided income protection benefits, or to be on leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Provides the board shall provide education to employers and members regarding retirement benefit options of all applicable pension and retirement funds that the board administers

Latest version of bill is here.