Week in Review at the Indiana General Assembly

Senate action

Senate action

Several bills awaiting Senate action include three measures that would help to protect Hoosier homeowners from mortgage fraud, predatory lending practices and the threat of foreclosure. HB 1525 would require a builder to provide a prospective home buyer with a written estimate of the property taxes that will be owed on the new home. HB 1717 would increase the regulation and accountability of mortgage brokers by requiring that all mortgage broker businesses registered in Indiana have a principal manager with at least three years of experience to supervise the employees. The bill also requires the principal owners of a mortgage business to undergo a criminal background check. HB 1753 would establish a toll free hotline for free mortgage foreclosure counseling and education. According to the 2006 U.S. Foreclosure Market report, Indiana ranks sixth in the nation for home foreclosures with 47,550 reported last year.

The Senate narrowly approved legislation Thursday to allow Indiana's two horse racing facilities to install slot machines. HB 1835, which passed 27-21, was significantly amended by the Senate. Significant changes include a reduction in the number of slots allowed per track from 2,500 machines to 1,500 and an increase in the licensing fee per track from $100 million to $400 million. Supporters of the bill called it "the triple crown for the state of Indiana" stating that the legislation will greatly benefit the state's struggling horse racing industry, the Anderson and Shelbyville communities as well as the entire state. The bill must now return to the House for consideration of the amendments made by the Senate.

HB 1726 has advanced out of the Senate which would create an interim committee to study issues related to the location and recovery of missing children, including the use of DNA profiles, fingerprints, and technology to assist in the location and recovery of missing children. This initiative now returns to the House for consideration of changes made by the Senate.

The Statehouse will soon have a permanent display honoring the contributions of black citizens to the State of Indiana under HB 1818. The Department of Administration and the Indian Historical Bureau would be charged with creating the display. In addition, the bill calls for a bust of Benjamin Harrison, the only president from Indiana, to be commissioned and placed in the Statehouse. The bill now proceeds to the governor.

The Senate has advanced a measure co-sponsored by Errington which addresses prenatal and birth problems in Indiana children. HB 1457 would establish the Prenatal Substance Abuse Commission to develop a plan to improve early intervention and treatment for pregnant women who abuse alcohol or drugs or use tobacco. The bill has been returned to the House with amendments.

Bills sent to Governor

Several bills have already been received by the Governor and are awaiting final action. Upon receipt, the governor has seven days to sign legislation into law, allow the bill to become law without his signature, or use his veto power. A few of these include:

SB 185 provides that a National Guard member who has served on active duty is entitled to priority  placement in an employment or training program administered by the Department of Workforce Development for up to one year after discharge if the member is otherwise eligible for the program. A spouse would also be eligible for priority placement. Errington is the primary author of this legislation.

SB 10 repeals a provision in current law that requires each public school student in grades 5, 7 and 9 to be tested for scoliosis.

SB 96 requires that foundry products produced in the United States must be used in state and local public works projects unless certain conditions apply.

SB 108 requires a court to consider counseling as part of the sentence imposed on an adult or juvenile who has committed animal cruelty, and permits a court to order the adult or juvenile to receive counseling.

SB 166 provides that a member of the Indiana wing of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) may not be disciplined by an employer for leaving or being absent from work for certain emergency service operations.

HB 1281 establishes the Indiana Biobased Products Advisory Commission and requires governmental bodies and state educational institutions to purchase biobased products under certain circumstances. Biobased products refer to a product produced from plant or animal sources that would otherwise be produced from petroleum based sources.

HB 1300 encourages the department of education to pursue federal grant opportunities to increase the awareness and availability of and participation in advanced placement programs for low income students.

HB 1509 seeks to protect victims of violent crime and their families from being unfairly denied housing or penalized by their landlords. Protected individuals would be granted several rights under this proposal, such as the ability to terminate their lease under certain circumstances.

To stay informed about legislation moving through the General Assembly, log on to www.in.gov/legislative/. From this site, you can research bills, review both committee calendars and legislative floor calendars and watch Senate and House sessions live as well as some committee hearings.

In addition, citizens can stay informed on House and Senate bills scheduled for action through a free online program available at www.billwatch.in.gov/. This service allows you to track up to ten bills and receive daily e-mail notifications concerning legislative action taken on those selections.

Deadline dates

April   5 - Committee action deadline

April 10 - 2nd Reading deadline

April 11 - 3rd Reading deadline

April 12 - Conference committees begin

April 29 - Deadline for the General Assembly to adjourn

Source: State Senator Sue Errington Press Release

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