Indianapolis – Thursday, Governor Mike Pence signed HEA 1001, the biennial budget bill for fiscal years 2016-2017, which is focused on education. The Governor signed the legislation, which was part of his 2015 legislative agenda.
“The 2015 legislative session of the Indiana General Assembly was an education session, and the biennial budget I signed into law today speaks volumes of its success,” said Governor Pence. “Over the course of the next two years, Indiana’s future looks bright with a budget that is honestly balanced, holds the line on spending, reduces state debt, and maintains our reserves, all while making historic investments in education, innovation, and reform. I commend the men and women of the Indiana General Assembly, especially Senate President Pro Tem David Long and Speaker of the House Brian Bosma, for their tireless efforts to ensure quality education opportunities for Hoosiers and a sound fiscal future for Indiana.”
Over the biennium, HEA 1001:
- Includes more than $480 million in new money for K-12 funding, as well as an improved funding formula to ensure dollars more closely follow each student;
- Allocates $70 million in teacher performance grants;
- Invests $20 million to continue Indiana’s first pre-K pilot program started last year;
- Appropriates $48 million to build on the Governor’s vision to make career and vocational education a priority in Indiana high schools;
- Designates more than $66 million for adult high schools to provide Hoosiers who may have dropped out of high school with a second chance to earn a diploma;
- Supports school choice by lifting the dollar cap on vouchers and increasing the cap on the Scholarship Granting Organization tax credit from its current amount of $7.5 million to $8.5 million in fiscal year 2016 and $9.5 million in fiscal year 2017; and
- Reduces the funding disparity between charter and traditional public schools by providing charter schools for the first time ever with facility and transportation funding of $500 per pupil.
Building on the Governor’s work to improve the health and well-being of Hoosiers, HEA 1001 also appropriates funds to reduce infant mortality and allocates $5 million in new funding for domestic violence prevention and treatment. The budget bill demonstrates the Administration’s commitment to economic development by providing $84 million in funding for the Regional Cities Initiative, which will help to bolster regional economies and attract talent, and $200 million in new Major Moves 2020 funding for highway construction and expansion. It also doubles the funding of the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs, ensuring that the men and women of our armed forces have the tools and resources they need upon returning home.
In anticipation of Indiana’s bicentennial in 2016, the budget bill provides $50 million in funding for the State’s Bicentennial celebration, including a new state archives building and a new inn at Potato Creek State Park. All of the costs for the bicentennial are offset by funding from a lease of underutilized state cell tower capacity and will be of no cost to taxpayers.
An infographic providing highlights of Indiana’s biennial budget can be found attached, as well as a picture from today’s bill signing. To learn when bills reach the Governor’s desk or to subscribe for updates when bills are signed, visit 2015 Bill Watch.
