Advocating for Student SuccessSarah Ancel

Associate Commissioner for Policy and LegislationIndiana Commission for Higher Education

Today’s Topics

• Legislative Basics• Process Start to Finish• Tips for Successful Advocacy

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”

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!

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 boldLanguage to be deleted is strikethroughExample:

The Legislative Process

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

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

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

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

The Legislative Process: Repeat in Second Chamber

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

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

Governor’s Action• Sign 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

“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”

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

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

Questions?