1. Advocating for Student Success
Sarah Ancel
Associate Commissioner for Policy and Legislation
Indiana Commission for Higher Education

2. Today’s Topics Legislative Basics Process Start to Finish
Tips for Successful Advocacy

3. Who legislates? Indiana General Assembly (“legislature”)
House of Representatives
100 members
Two-year terms
Leader called “House Speaker,” comes from party with majority
Senate
50 members
Four-year terms
Leader is the Lieutenant Governor
Functional leader is “President Pro Tempore,” comes from party with majority
House of Representatives and Senate can be generically referred to as “houses” or “chambers”

4. What is a bill?
A “bill” is a written proposal of changes to a particular law.
For example,
Change the tax code to reduce income tax rate from 3.4% to 2.4%
Change the criminal code to make it a Class B felony to engage in human trafficking
Change the insurance regulatory law to require Indiana health insurers to provide coverage for mental health.
The idea behind the bill can come from:
Constituents
Governor
Executive Agencies
Interest Groups
Legislators Themselves
There outta be a law!

5. How is the bill created? Legislator agrees to author the bill
Language is drafted by Legislative Services Agency
The bill is introduced formally by author
Other legislators may co-author
Reading a Bill:
New language is bold
Language to be deleted is strikethrough
Example:

6. The Legislative Process

7. 1st Reading / Committees
Speaker / Pro-Tem assigns the bill to committee
Committee chair determines which bills to hear
Committee holds public meeting
Author describes the bill
Public offers testimony
Committee may offer amendments
Vote taken
Amendments individually
Bill after all amendments are done
Result is a “committee report”
Death Traps
Committee chair never schedules bill for hearing
Committee members vote against the bill

8. Reassignment of Bills
If a bill passes committee, Speaker / Pro-Tem may reassign it to another committee
Large fiscal impacts
Amendments that change the nature of the bill
Other policy concerns
Death Traps
New committee chair does not hear bill
Bill is sent to Rules Committee

9. 2nd Reading Occurs in full House / Senate
Speaker / Pro-Tem calls bill for 2nd reading
Members may offer amendments
Filed
Permitted to be introduced
Amendments debated, voted on individually
“Ordered to engrossment”
Death Traps
Bill not called for 2nd reading
Bill amended such that it cannot pass / is unsuitable to author

10. 3rd Reading Speaker / Pro-Tem calls bill for 3rd reading
Bill incorporates all amendments made on 2nd reading
Members debate the bill
Bill goes to up-or-down vote
Sponsor(s) in 2nd chamber are announced
Death Traps
Bill not called for 3rd reading (unlikely)
Bill voted down

11. The Legislative Process: Repeat in Second Chamber

12. After Passing Both Chambers
Bill passed both chambers in identical form
Bill passed each chamber in different form
Author agrees to the second chamber’s changes (“concur”)
Author disagrees with the second chamber’s changes (“dissent”)
Governor
Governor
Conference Committee

13. Conference Committee
Speaker and Pro-Tem each appoint two members to serve on conference committee (“conferees”)
Other members may be included as non-voting “advisors”
Public hearing for testimony
Private meetings of conferees
Result of compromise is “conference committee report” (signed by all four conferees)
Near the deadline, conference committee reports must go through Rules Committee
Conference committee report goes to both chambers for up-or-down vote. If successful, Governor
Death Traps
Author withdraws bill
Either chamber votes down the conference committee report

14. Governor’s Action Sign the Bill Take No Action Veto the Bill
Public ceremony
Routine, private signing
Take No Action
Becomes law on 8th day
Veto the Bill
Constitutional majority must override the veto in each chamber
Death Traps
Governor vetoes and it is not overridden

15. “Undead Bills” Language from dead bills can be amended into live bills
Can occur at any point including conference committee
Subject matter must be relevant to the live bill (“germane”)
Language must have passed one of the two houses
Can go into “Vehicle Bills”

16. Schedule Different for odd-numbered and even-numbered years
For Budget Year (like this year)
2nd week in January – General Assembly convenes
Mid-February – Bills must be to second chamber
Mid-April – Bills must have passed second chamber
April 29 – General Assembly adjourns by midnight
Non-Budget Year
Shorter, adjourns mid-March

17. Successful Advocacy Build relationships Clearly articulate your case
What is the problem?
Why is it a public policy concern?
What is the change requested?
What are the expected results of that change?
Stay vigilant
Follow up
Thanks / Recognition
Implementation

18. Questions?