STRAIGHT FROM THE SENATE

NEW STATE LAWS MAY HAVE BEEN MISSED DURING TALK OF BUDGET SHOWDOWNS, GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS

STATEHOUSE – In our last column, we began a review of new state laws taking effect this month. This week, we continue that list of legislation that could have been missed amid all the talk of budget showdowns and government shutdowns.

Click to advertise on this website

Public Safety Survivors Tuition: Lawmakers passed House Enrolled Act 1165 granting tuition and fee exemptions to children of public safety officers who die in the line of duty. Recipients must be under 24 years of age on the date of the public safety officer’s death. Qualified applicants could receive these benefits for up to eight semesters at any state educational institution or technical school.

Clean Energy  Indiana solidified its place as a leader in home-grown clean energy production with Senate Enrolled Act 423, bringing Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) technology to the state – saving billions in energy costs and potentially creating thousands of new jobs. SNG is created when coal is put through a gasification process which safely removes the vast majority of unwanted pollutants, producing 99 percent fewer emissions than a traditional coal power plant.

E85 Fueling Station Grant Program:  Lawmakers approved House Enrolled Act 1193 that could increase the use of E85 – a blend of 15 percent petroleum-based gasoline and 85 percent ethanol – throughout the state by offering grants to school corporations and universities that invest in E85 pumps and fuel tanks for use in their fleet cars and buses.

E-Waste Recycling Program: Continual advances in electronic equipment means more devices are becoming unwanted or obsolete each year. Since most contain toxic substances that can be harmful to human health and the environment, lawmakers supported a new e-waste recycling program. House Enrolled Act 1589 requires the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to partner with television and computer manufactures companies to create a recycling program at no cost to taxpayers. Electronic waste will be prohibited from landfills starting in 2011.

Charity Gaming:  Senate Enrolled Act 414 simplifies charitable gaming rules for churches, schools and organizations.  Workers can now volunteer for more than one organization and participate in festival events while not working at a booth.  Charitable gaming patrons winning $250 or more are only required to submit their name, signature and date of birth. Reusable gaming supplies can be borrowed at any time from another qualified organization.

Air Quality in Schools: Indiana schools ranked in the top 10 percent nationwide for polluted air. Lawmakers responded by approving Senate Enrolled Act 440 to help schools identify air quality problems and use best practices to find appropriate solutions. Indiana’s State Department of Health is required to issue a detailed report of each air quality complaint in an effort to keep parents and employees informed about problems.

Breast Cancer: Each year, breast cancer claims the lives of nearly 1,000 Hoosiers and another 100 die of cervical cancer. In an effort to reduce the number of deaths in Indiana, lawmakers approved Senate Enrolled Act 554 providing low-income and uninsured Hoosiers financial assistance for more cervical and breast cancer screenings through Medicaid.

We’ll conclude the list in my next column.

Sen. David Long (R-Fort Wayne) is President Pro Tem of the Indiana Senate. He serves District 16, which includes portions of Fort Wayne.