Policy Update, February 5, 2016

Thank you for your interest and support. The Indiana Association of United Ways usually provides its Policy Update on "odd Fridays" (1st, 3rd and 5th Fridays). Contact us if you have any questions or comments about content (past, present or desired for the future).

Two Minute Update

Indiana Association of United Ways brings you a video update from the statehouse with special guest David Sklar. David is the Director of Government Affairs at the Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council, and he is also the Vice President for the Indiana Coalition for Human Services.

In this issue, you will find information about where key bills stand at this point in the legislative session, United Way Day at the Statehouse and more. Happy reading from Lucinda Nord and Maggie Snyder of your IaUW Policy Team.

Register for the United Way Day at the Statehouse February 23

Have you ever been to the Indiana Statehouse to observe or participate in the legislative process? We especially encourage our new volunteers and staff to visit during this short legislative session.

We invite the staff, volunteers and agency partners to join our United Way Day at the Statehouse on February 23. Register today.

Watch webinar for legislative halftime report

Each year, we partner with the Indiana Coalition for Human Services to share a little about the progress with legislation affecting working Hoosiers, children, seniors and people with disabilities. About 265 bills of the nearly 825 introduced bills are still alive. You may view the 15-minute session and download the slides.

A legislative wrap-up webinar will be presented on March 21. A registration link will be available soon.

How you can help advance

IaUW Priorities at the Statehouse

IaUW advocates for our members and partners at the Statehouse. While you can always review our full bill lists, here are a few bills of interest to our members and key partners.

If you have an interest in one of our priority bills below, here are three quick ways you can help in the second half of session:

Email us a story about what this bill would mean to you, your clients, organization or community. We may be able to incorporate your story into our meetings and testimony.
Thank legislators who have supported the bills so far.
Email legislators on committees and in the chamber about to hear the bill, asking for their support--especially where you are a constituent or where your organization serves. Look up your legislators.

Education

We are working with Indiana Afterschool Network and the YMCAs on the afterschool bill, SB251. The bill aims to create an advisory committee to study the capacity and funding of out-of-school time programming, similar to what was created for the Early Learning Advisory Committee. The bill would also create an account, though would not fund it.

Thank members of the Senate who voted for SB251. (See vote count)
Ask the House Education Committee and your representatives to support it.

Financial Stability

SB132, SNAP for former drug felons, would remove the lifetime ban for drug felons to receive SNAP. Indiana would be the 40th state to implement this policy to help ex-offenders get back on their feet. Thank members of the Senate (see vote count) and ask members of the House Committee (TBD) and your Representative to support this.
SB325, the bill to allow Individual Development Accounts to pay for vehicles and with increased income eligibility, passed out of committee. We advocate this important advance for ALICE households. Thank members of Senate (see vote count). Ask the members of the Committee (TBD) and your Representative to support this bill that helps families save for a home, education, to start a business or buy a vehicle.

Health

HB1347, Mental Health Matters, aims to increase the capacity of mental health and addiction treatment professionals and includes language that we supported related to studying Navigator capacity, training, adequacy and more. Thank members of the House (see vote count) and ask members of the Senate Health Committee and your Senator to support this bill.

Strong Communities

The PILOT/property tax exemption bill, HB1180, was amended to create a very narrow exemption for churches and religious schools in TIF districts. We testified with information from the IACIR study (Nov-Dec, 2015) about the need for clarified definitions and further analysis. We will continue to watch this bill and let you know if advocacy is needed.
The low-income housing property tax exemption bill, SB225, clarifies the definition for low-income housing and how 501-c-3s may qualify for the exemption. Thank members of the Senate (see vote count) and ask members of the Committee (TBD) and your Representative to support this bill.

Check out our Third House / Meet Your Legislator Event Calendar

Now that we are at the half-way mark, many legislators are offering their own progress report updates at local "Third House" sessions or "meet your legislator" sessions. We at Indiana Association of United Ways work to maintain the calendar of Third House meetings throughout the state. Check the calendar for a date and location near you. Upcoming meet your legislator events are being held in the following communities:

Carroll County - 2/6, 7:30am
Columbus - 2/18, 2/15, 7:30am
Fort Wayne - 2/12, 11:30am
Goshen - 2/6, 8am
Greensburg - 2/6, 8am
Hamilton County - 2/12, 7:30am
Henry County - 2/12, 11:30am
Martinsville - 2/6, 9am
Muncie - 2/12, 11:30am
Valparaiso - 2/12, 7:30am

If you attend, drop us a note to share a little about your experience. We are hearing that sessions are very well attended and covering a full range of issues important to legislators.

Indiana General Assembly in session

The Indiana General Assembly is nearing the half-way mark. February 3 was the deadline for bills to make it out of the first chamber to "cross over" to the second chamber.

Key links:

Bills
Committees
Senate Committee Calendar or House Committee Calendar - NOTE that these will be updated daily. Committee meetings currently on the calendar include:

Senate Pensions & Labor - 2/10

Senate Floor Calendar and House Floor Calendar

View Indiana's 2016 primary election candidates

2016 is an election year, with primary elections taking place on May 3. Today, February 5, is the deadline for candidates to file. Why is this important? Competition is important to a healthy democratic process to provide voters choices in representation. However, primary candidates are recruited by certain interest groups wanting to punish incumbent legislators for votes on legislation. The civil rights debate is generating new primary candidates.

View the list of primary candidates available through the Secretary of State's Office. Remember to register to vote or update your registration by April 4. Look for local candidate forums if there is a contested primary in your area.

IN211: first year of more web searches than calls

Indiana 211 Partnership released its report about top needs from 2015. For the first time in the nearly 70 years of telephone information and referral, the number of Hoosiers seeking help through a web search of the IN211 database outnumbered the number of Hoosiers calling 2-1-1.

Top needs also differed slightly for web searchers and callers. The top need for web searchers was looking for ways to volunteer or provide a donation (1-in 5 searches). The top need for callers remain utility assistance (1 in 5 caller needs). The top unmet need remains housing. View the 2015 report or review the full range of data reports from IN211.

The Raising of America: Early Childhood and the Future of Our Nation screening and panel in Indianapolis

The Indiana Institute for Working Families and other partners are hosting a screening of the documentary The Raising of America: Early Childhood and the Future of Our Nation at the Children's Museum on February 16 at 6pmET. Following the documentary will be a panel discussion with representatives of Indiana's public health, community development, policy and early childhood communities. Learn more about the panelists and RSVP.

Employers: Help your employees file their tax returns for free!

Why should your employees pay for tax preparation if they may file for free? If a single or married couple has income less than $62,000, then they may be able to file for free through My Free Taxes. More than 70% of Hoosiers qualify to use this free, safe and secure online service.

To help your employees, you may:

post this My Free Taxes flyer in your break room;
include this payroll stuffer with paystubs in February; and
offer computer and internet and printer access during or after hours for an employee to complete their return and print a copy for their records.

For taxpayers with incomes above $62,000, they may still file through My Free Taxes for a fee competitive with other online tax preparation software. Find more info at www.myfreetaxes.com.

Weigh in on issues important to you!

We work to highlight important opportunities to weigh in on rulemaking or public comment periods. Here are a few opportunities.

Indiana's plan for participation in the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program is open for public comment through February 12 before it will be sent to the Dept. of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families. View the proposed plan for the 2016-2018 CCDF program period. View flyer for more details.
The Department of Child Services (DCS) is holding a public hearing on residential provider, child placing agency and DCS managed foster care rates for 2017 in Indianapolis on February 18.
FSSA Division of Aging is accepting public comments until February 29 for their proposed amendment to the Aged and Disabled (A&D) waiver. The amendment is being submitted to increase the number of participants served in Waiver Year 3. Learn more.

IaUW Public Policy

IaUW is a nonpartisan organization that works to advance policy principles and compromise solutions for the common good. We focus on policies that are aligned with the impact work in local communities conducted by our 60 United Ways and United Funds.

Education, so that children are prepared for and succeed in school;
Income/Financial Stability, so that individuals and families may achieve and sustain financial stability;
Health, so that individuals may access quality healthcare; and
Strong Communities, where a statewide 2-1-1 network and a strong charitable sector help communities thrive.

Our policy priorities are developed and guided by our Public Policy Committee and our IaUW members, based on their work in Hoosier communities.

Review our public policy documents, including fact sheets, testimony and bill summaries.

Frequently Requested Links / Documents

iauw.org - Learn about the Indiana Association of United Ways, current trainings and conferences and the ways we support local United Ways/Funds, partners and communities.

IaUW Policy / Advocacy info - Review and download IaUW Policy Priorities, Third House calendar, bill lists, fact sheets, talking points and testimony.

Federal Advocacy Action Center - Contact your member of Congress provided through our partnership with United Way Worldwide.

IaUW Policy Update Archive - Read prior issues, special articles and key documents produced by IaUW related to public policy and advocacy.

Community Report Card - Check out key indicators in Education, Income and Health for your neighborhood, county or region.

IN211.org - Search for human service information available through the referral database or by calling 2-1-1. Download reports about resources, needs, gaps and trends from Indiana 211 Partnership.

NRN Calendar - Register for high-quality and affordable training for nonprofit staff and volunteers by the Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network.

Funding and Other Opportunities - Explore current requests for proposals, funding and recognition opportunities.

Indiana General Assembly - Check the hearing or floor schedule, watch a live or recorded hearing or floor session and look up your legislators.

Congress.gov - Look up bills introduced or passed in Congress.