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).
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Two Minute Update 
In this issue, you will find information about where key bills stand at this point in the legislative session and more. Happy reading from Lucinda Nord and Maggie Snyder of your IaUW Policy Team.
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 IN211: Indiana's growing senior population has many needs
 Indiana 211 Partnership is analyzing the data from 2015. In the last issue, we shared the observation that 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.
IN211 highlights the needs of Indiana's growing senior population. People over 55 make up about 25% of the state's population and similarly, about the same percentage of consumers of 2-1-1. While we usually think about seniors as being more affluent and more stable, the data is showing that a growing number of seniors are struggling with basic needs: utility, housing, tax preparation and food assistance. The number of seniors is expected to have increased 90% by 2040.
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 ALICE highlighted in Northwest Indiana
 The Northwest Indiana Times profiled stories of families struggling to get by in a recent series. ALICE is an acronym that stands for Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed. ALICE families work hard and struggle to keep up and get ahead.
Thanks to Lake Area United Way for their leadership in raising awareness about ALICE. Many Indiana United Ways are working together to raise awareness and to develop program and policy solutions that help working families. IaUW's policy work is advancing several policies in this legislative session.
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How you can help advance IaUW's policy initiatives.
 IaUW advocates for our members and partners at the Statehouse. Review our full bill lists, and note that many of our priority bills in 2016 aim to help hard-working ALICE families.
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
- SB251 was amended to become the Indiana Out-of-School Time Learning Advisory Board and removed the fund. 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. Thank members of the Senate who voted for SB251. (See vote count), thank the House Education Committee (see vote count) and ask your representative to support it.
Financial Stability
- HB1340, Small Dollar Long-Term Loans, was amended in the House to become a study and may be scheduled in the Senate Insurance and Financial Institutions. We are concerned about the potential that original language may be reinserted. We understand the need for Hoosiers with poor credit to have access to alternative financial products and strongly assert that products should be safe and non-predatory. Criteria should include disclosures in plain language, income verification to limit loan as small percentage of income, capped interest rate consistent with usury laws, limitation on renewal, etc. Watch for action on this bill and help legislators understand the dangers of the predatory products that trap Hoosiers in debt.
- 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 Family and Children Services Committee 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) and members of the House Family and Children Services Committee. Ask 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
- Update: The PILOT/property tax exemption bill, HB1180, was amended by the Senate to expand the exemption for churches and religious schools in TIF districts to include all nonprofits. We testified with information from the IACIR study (Nov-Dec, 2015) about the need for clarified definitions and further analysis about PILOTs.
- The low-income housing property tax exemption bill, SB225, aims to clarify 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 House Ways and Means Committee and your Representative to support this bill.
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Check out our Third House / Meet Your Legislator Event Calendar
Legislators often offer 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:
- Clay County - 2/20, 10:00am
- Columbus - 2/22 and 2/29, 7:30am
- Goshen - 2/20, 8:00am
- Greater Greenwood - 3/4, 11:30am
- Greater Lafayette - 2/27, 7:30am
- Hancock County - 3/1, 7:30am
- Hendricks County - 2/29, 7:30am
- LaPorte County - 3/4, 7:30am
- Owen County - 2/20, 7:30am
- Valparaiso - 2/26, 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.
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 Indiana General Assembly in session
The Indiana General Assembly has moved up deadline dates for session and may adjourn as early as March 10. Updated key dates include:
- February 25 - Senate committee report deadline on House bills
- February 29 - House committee report deadline on Senate bills
- March 1 - Potential new third reading deadline for Senate
- March 3 - Third reading deadline for House and conference committees begin
- March 10 - Potential new target date for the General Assembly to adjourn Sine Die
- March 14 - House and Senate must adjourn
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 Civil Law 2/22 - law enforcement officers, police departments at private universities, homeowners associations
- Senate Natural Resources 2/22 - hunting, natural resources matters
- House Public Health 2/22 - ephedrine, methamphetamine matters, controlled substances, background checks for home health workers
- Senate Environmental Affairs 2/22 - sewage fees, environmental rules
- House Judiciary 2/22 - tort claims, DCS matters
- House Natural Resources 2/22 - hunting preserves, soil and water conservation
- Senate Public Policy 2/22 - alcoholic beverage issues
- House Education 2/23 - school administrative functions, choice scholarships
- House Government Reduction 2/23 - BMV issues, INDOT issues, study committees
- Senate Tax & Fiscal Policy 2/23 - local income tax distribution, assessment of real property, sales of bullion or currency
- Senate Corrections & Criminal Law 2/23 - human and sexual trafficking, methamphetamine matters, drug offenses
- House Ways & Means 2/23 - multiple county PTABOAS, local government budgeting, cigarette and tobacco taxes
- Senate Health & Provider Services 2/24 - abortion, telemedicine, study prescription drug pricing
- Senate Judiciary 2/24 - terminating the parent-child relationship, juvenile justice
- Senate Pensions & Labor 2/24 - employment of veterans
- House Commerce, Small Business & Economic Development 2/24 - Indiana Economic Development Corporation
- Senate Floor Calendar and House Floor Calendar
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 Day of Service Mini-Grants available
Serve Indiana is seeking applicants for the Day of Service mini-grants. Serve Indiana encourages projects that: (1) demonstrate community connections and use of local resources, (2) build capacity of local volunteer centers and national service programs through regional networking and co-planning of activities, and (3) increase national service participant and volunteer understanding and commitment. Deadline is March 7.
Start planning now for National Volunteer Recognition Week, April 10-16.
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 Kids Count shows the well-being of Hoosier children
A few highlights about Indiana children: - one in five under the age of 18 lives in poverty, while one in four under 5 lives in poverty;
- of the nearly 509,000 children ages 0-5, only 37,158 are enrolled in high-quality early education programs;
- nearly 17% of Indiana high school students used a drug other than alcohol or tobacco in the last month;
- 92.8% of Indiana youth have some type of health insurance; and
- more than half of Indiana families read to children younger than age 6 every day.
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 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.
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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.
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 IaUW Public PolicyIaUW 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.
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Education, so that children are prepared for and succeed in school;
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Income/Financial Stability, so that individuals and families may achieve and sustain financial stability;
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Health, so that individuals may access quality healthcare; and
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Strong Communities, where a statewide 2-1-1 network and a strong charitable sector help communities thrive.
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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 - S earch 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.
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.
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