Advocacy Update | 02.12.25

Our latest updates in advocacy are here! Check out deadlines to keep in mind as the session moves forward. One Southern Indiana Chamber of Commerce continues to watch for bills that impact our current businesses and communities according to our 2025 advocacy agenda. Read below for more information about the bills and keep an eye out for more updates.

• Thursday, February 20, 2025: Last day for third reading of House bills in House.
• Thursday, February 20, 2025: Latest day session must reconvene (IC 2-2.1-1-2)

Join 1si February 20th for our 5 O’clock network where you will meet with local elected officials, discuss the matters you and your business find important, and learn how you can advocate for the benefit of our region. You can register here.

Current List of Bills 1si Supports: 

SB-463: Child Care Matters 

• Status: 
• 1/29/2025- Reported favorably—Do pass; reassigned to Committee on Appropriations 
  • Explanation:
  • Adds additional qualified childcare for purposes of the employer childcare expenditure tax credit and extends the credit availability through July 1, 2027. The bill will help support adequate funding and staffing for Indiana childcare centers. The bill strongly ties to 1si’s call to action which emphasizes the affordability and quality of childcare. 

HB-1172: Office of entrepreneurship and innovation 

• Status: 
• 2/6/2025-Amended, reported—Do pass.  

HB-1248: Child Care and Development Fund 

• Status: 
• 1/29/2025- Amended, reported—Do pass. Referred to Committee on Ways and Means pursuant to Rule 126.3. 
• Explanation 
  • The bill will help prioritize foster parents to gain assistance through the Childcare Development Fund. The bill strongly connects to 1si’s call to action to increase the availability and affordability of childcare. 

Current List of Bills 1si is Monitoring: 

Senate Bills: 

SB-1: Property Tax Relief 

• Status: 
• 1/14/2025- Read first time and referred to Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy 
  • Explanation: 
  • We are closely monitoring this bill because the changes to residential and personal taxes significantly impact infrastructure, municipal funding, and workforce education. Based on the reports from the Association of Indiana Counties, you can see the impact of SB-1 here. In light of the bill, we are strongly advocating for the clarity of the expected impacts of this bill on businesses and individuals from our local government officials and elected state officials. We strongly advise our members to understand the bill’s effect within our communities. 

SB-20: Economic development and foreign trade 

• Status: 
• 1/8/2025- Referred to Senate Homeland Security and Transportation 

SB-93: Common Construction wage 

• Staus: 
• 1/8/2025- Read first time and referred to committee on Pensions and Labor 

SB-212: Natural Gas and Electric Utility Infrastructure 

• Status: 
• 1/8/2025- Read first time and referred to Committee on Utilities 

SB-251: Indiana Economic Development Corporation 

• Status: 
• 1/13/2025- First reading and referred to Committee on Commerce and Technology 

SB-305: Rural communities 

• Status: 
• 1/13/2025- First reading and referred to Committee on Agriculture 

SB-314: Pass through entity tax 

• Status: 
• 2/4/2025- Amended, reported favorably – Do pass. 

SB-347: Indiana Economic Development Corporation 

• Status: 
• 1/13/2025- Referred to Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy 

SB-377: Funding for regional economic development 

• Status: 
• 1/23/2025- Senate Appropriations, bill scheduled for hearing 
• 1/13/2025- First reading referred to Committee on Appropriations 

SB-423: Small modular nuclear reactor pilot program 

• Status: 
• 1/30/2025- Amendment #1 failed; voice vote 
• 1/30/2025- Second reading: ordered engrossed 
• 1/27/2025- Committee report: amend do pass, adopted 
• 1/23/2025- Senate Committee recommends passage, as amended Yeas: 10; Nays:1 
• 1/23/2025- Senate Utilities, bill scheduled for hearing 
• 1/13/2025- First reading and referred to Committee on Utilities 

SB-426: Water utility infrastructure 

• Status: 
• 2/6/2025- Amended, reported favorably – Do Pass. 
• 1/13/2025- First reading and referred to Committee on Utilities 

SB-443: Business personal property tax 

• Status: 
• 1/28/2025- Reported favorably—Do Pass. 
• 1/13/2025- Read first time and referred to Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy 

SB-488: Skills training pilot program 

• Status: 
• 1/29/2025- Reported favorably—Do pass; reassigned to Committee on Appropriations 
• Likely to be integrated into the budget bill than as a senate bill 
• Has bipartisan support 
• 1si Note: Contact Tony Waterson  

House Bills 

HB-1021: Training in human trafficking 

• Status: 
• 1/8/2025- Read first time and referred to Committee on Courts and Criminal Code 

HB-1151: Advanced practice registered nurses 

• Status: 
• 1/8/2025- Read first time and referred to Committee on Public Health 

HB-1154: Behavioral health preceptorship tax credit 

• Status: 
• 1/8/2025- Referred to Committee on Ways and Means 

HB-1180: Mental health care for veterans with PTSD 

• Status: 
• 1/8/2025- Read first time and referred to Committee on Veterans Affairs and Public Safety 

HB-1214: Worker’s compensation 

• Status: 
• 1/30/2025- Reported—Do pass. 
• 1/8/2025- Read first time and referred to Committee on Employment, Labor and Pensions 

HB-1223: Tourism development projects 

• Status: 
• 2/3/2025- Amended, reported – Do Pass. Referred to Committee on Ways and Means pursuant to Rule 126.3. 
• 1/9/2025- Referred to House Government and Regulatory Reform 

HB-1226: Medicare supplement insurance 

• Status: 
• 1/9/2025- Read first time and referred to Committee on Insurance 

HB-1247: Prohibited food ingredients 

• Status: 
• 1/9/2025- Read first time and referred to Committee on Public Health 

HB-1296: Artificial intelligence and policies 

• Status: 
• 1/13/2025- Read first time and referred to Committee on Education 

HB-1347: Real estate matters 

• Status: 
• 1/29/2025- Referred to the Senate 
• 1/28/2025- Third reading: passed; Roll call 33: yeas 91, nays 1  
• 1/27/2025- Second reading: order engrossed 
• 1/21/2025- Committee report: amend do pass, adopted 
• 1/13/2025- Read first time and referred to Committee on Financial Institutions 

HB-1402: Local government finance 

• Status: 
• 1/13/2025- Referred to House Ways and Means 

HB-1408: Regional innovation development 

• Status: 
• 1/13/2025- Referred to House Ways and Means 

You can find a copy of the 1si 2024 Advocacy Agenda by visiting https://1si.org/advocacy/ or downloading a PDF copy here.