TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS—The General Assembly is reaching the midpoint in the 2020 session as legislation allowing the state to pay cash for some capital improvement projects is signed by the governor and bills dealing with abortion and prescription drug prices advance:
House Bill 1007: Allocates money from Indiana’s surplus to pay cash for $291 million in projects at the state’s colleges and universities.
What it does: By paying cash instead of financing higher education capital improvement projects through bonds, Indiana will save money in interest payments, the state budget office has said. The projects had been approved by the General Assembly in the 2019 session.
What happened:Â Gov. Eric Holcomb signed HB 1007 into law Wednesday, the first legislation of the 2020 session to reach his desk.
“By paying off these one-time expenditures, we’re ensuring our state remains the fiscal envy of the nation by saving Hoosier taxpayers more than $135 million in borrowing costs, which in turn frees up money to be spent on other priorities,†Holcomb said in a news release.
Democrats tried and failed to amend HB 1007 to use some of the surplus to raise teacher pay and spending on other programs.
“Republicans are prioritizing paying cash for these projects over the needs of Hoosier teachers, parents and seniors who have been battling low pay, expensive early childhood education programs and skyrocketing prescription drug prices,†said Rep. Gregory Porter, D-Indianapolis, in a news release.
What’s next: The money can now be spent on the capital improvement projects.
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Senate Bill 299: Deals with the disposal of fetal remains after a chemical abortion.
What it does: The bill, authored by Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne, clarifies that a woman who has a chemical abortion at home can take the remains to the health care provider or abortion clinic for cremation or interment.
What happened: After a hearing in the House Health and Provider Services Committee, the bill passed by a 10-1 vote. Brown, saying the bill also clarifies existing state law, expressed concern that abortion clinics are still treating aborted remains as waste even though state law requires that they be cremated or buried. Sen. Jean Breaux, D-Indianapolis, cast the only no vote, saying that when a woman has an abortion at home she is expelling a large blot clot.
What’s next: SB 299 advances to the full Senate for consideration.
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House Bill 1005: Would require hospitals and off-campus hospital facilities to be more transparent with medical service pricing.
What it does: Authored by Rep. Donna Schaibley, R-Carmel, HB 1005 first provides the definition of off-campus facility of a hospital. The legislation lists requirements for hospitals to provide select medical service pricing in their websites. Also, medical facilities or practitioners that treat patients with non-emergency care would be required to inform the patient of a best-estimated price of the care no more than three business days after the patient first seeks care.
What happened: An amendment to allow Indiana to import lower-priced prescription drugs passed 49-44 in the House on Wednesday. The amendment was authored by Rep. Ryan Hatfield, D-Evansville, and stems from President Donald Trump’s recent efforts to look into allowing states to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada that would be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The amendment allows Indiana to import certain prescription drugs, already used in the United States, from Canada to help lower prescription drug prices. Similar legislation was passed in Florida last year.
“Hoosiers have been crippled by the high cost of prescription drug prices for far too long,†Hatfield said.
Schaibley asked members of the House to vote against the amendment, saying the bill itself was already “hefty,†and she would like to discuss prescription drug pricing with different legislation.
What’s next: HB 1005 is eligible for a final vote in the House.
Haley Carney and Emily Ketterer contributed to this report. They are reporters for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
