The Indiana General Assembly has reached the halfway point of the 2017 legislative session.
At this point, all bills that have passed the Senate are being sent to the House of Representatives for further consideration. The Senate will now begin considering bills passed by the House of Representatives.
Some of the measures the Senate has passed so far include:
- Senate Joint Resolution 7, which would give Hoosiers the chance to vote on adding a balanced budget amendment to the Indiana Constitution;
- Senate Bill 1, which would fix the unintended consequences of Indiana’s laws on e-liquid manufacturing and bring us into compliance with federal rules;
- Senate Bill 198, which would increase funding for high school Career and Technical Education courses in high-wage, high-demand job fields;
- Senate Bill 226, which would limit opioid prescription amounts for individuals who are being prescribed opioids for the first time;
- Senate Bill 322, which would require law enforcement to collect a DNA sample from all felony arrestees during the booking process; and
- Senate Bill 506, which would require the following:
– The Division of Mental Health and Addiction will develop a statewide program for suicide prevention and determine which professions should be required to receive training on suicide assessment, treatment and management;
– Emergency medical service providers will complete a training program for suicide assessment, treatment and management;
– School corporations will create a policy that defines what measures will be taken should a suicide occur that affects the students or staff; and
– Postsecondary educational institutions will adopt a policy concerning suicide information and resources.
State Senator Randy Head said, “I look forward to a productive second half of the 2017 session as we consider the budget and road funding plans approved by the House of Representatives. To track the progress of these and other bills, visit www.in.gov/iga.”
