Lasting legislation: 17 bills by local lawmakers passed to governor

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INDIANAPOLIS — Lawmakers spent the past week dashing to pass bills onto the governor to become law.

Legislators wrapped up this year’s legislative session this weekend, passing more than 100 bills onto Gov. Eric Holcomb to be considered for law. Those included 17 proposals penned by lawmakers who represent Hancock County: Sen. Mike Crider, R-Greenfield, Reps. Bob Cherry, R-Greenfield, Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis and Sean Eberhart, R-Indianapolis.

Issues addressed in those bills include Indiana’s drug epidemic, handguns, mental illness and education.

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Here’s a look at some of the legislation awaiting Gov. Eric Holcomb’s approval.

Reimbursing physician training

Bill number: Senate Enrolled Act 243

Authors: Sens. Mike Crider, Ed Charbonneau and John Ruckelshaus

Proposal: Upon approval from the Indiana Commission to Combat Drug Abuse, the law creates the Physician Medication-Assisted Training Reimbursement Pilot Program, which reimburses doctors who go through training to prescribe controlled substances to treat opioid addiction in settings other than an opioid treatment program. The bill also creates the Maternal Neonatal Opioid Addiction Project to help treat opioid-addicted pregnant women and their newborn children.

Status: Signed by the speaker of the House and the Senate president and passed on to the governor.

Effective: July 1.

Identifying veterans, surviving spouses

Bill number: Senate Enrolled Act 382

Author: Sens. Mike Crider, John Ruckelshaus and James Buck

Proposal: Allows the surviving spouse of a veteran to ask for a special designation to be added to their driver’s license indicating they’re the spouse of a veteran (current law allows for only veterans to ask for the designation). The law change also requires the bureau of motor vehicles to share with the Indiana veterans’ affairs department those designations so the department can track veterans to ensure they’re receiving the benefits they’re owed.

Status: Signed into law by Holcomb on April 13.

Effective: Jan. 1

Abolishing the superintendent of public instruction office

Bill number: House Enrolled Act 1005

Author: Rep. Brian Bosma

Proposal: The bill abolishes the state superintendent of public instruction office, currently an elected position, effective in 2025. Instead, the governor would appoint a secretary of education, though Hoosiers would elect their schools chief for the final time in 2020. The bill follows four years of contention between Republican state leaders and former Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz, a Democrat.

Status: Signed by the speaker of the House and the Senate president and sent to the governor for his signature.

Effective: July 1 (Hoosiers will still elect a schools chief in 2020).

Adjusting advertising signs

Bill number: House Enrolled Act 1101

Author: Rep. Bob Cherry

Proposal: The legislation allows owners of billboards and advertising signs to relocate or readjust a sign’s height if visibility is obstructed. Should the readjusted height or location violate a county’s zoning ordinance, the county or municipality must grant a special exception.

Status: Signed by the speaker of the House and the Senate president and sent to the governor’s desk.

Effective: July 1.

Studying handgun laws in Indiana

Bill number: House Enrolled Act 1071

Author: Rep. Sean Eberhart

Proposal: Allows residents with a civil protective order to carry a handgun without a license for 60 days after the order is issued. The bill also requires Indiana State Police to expedite gun licenses for anyone with an order of protection. The bill also urges lawmakers to study repealing the law that requires a person to obtain a license to carry a handgun in Indiana.

Status: Signed by the speaker of the House and the Senate president and sent to the governor’s desk.

Effective: July 1.

Training law enforcement to deal with mental illness

Bill number: Senate Enrolled Act 231

Authors: Sens. Mike Crider and Jeff Raatz

Proposal: Urges the law enforcement training board to establish a technical assistance center for crisis intervention teams, which will help law enforcement agencies and mental health and drug abuse addiction organizations train for interacting with people suffering from mental illnesses.

Status: Holcomb signed the bill into law on Friday.

Effective: July 1.