LEGISLATIVE SERVICES AGENCY
OFFICE OF FISCAL AND MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS
200 W. Washington St., Suite 301
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 233-0696
iga.in.gov
FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT
LS 6318 NOTE PREPARED: Dec 15, 2021
BILL NUMBER: SB 174 BILL AMENDED:
SUBJECT: Student Health.
FIRST AUTHOR: Sen. Ford J.D. BILL STATUS: As Introduced
FIRST SPONSOR:
FUNDS AFFECTED:XGENERAL IMPACT: State & Local
DEDICATED
XFEDERAL
Summary of Legislation: Excused Absences: This bill requires the governing body of a school corporation
or chief administrative officer of a nonpublic school system to authorize the absence and excuse of a student
due to the student's mental or behavioral health concerns. It limits the number of excused absences for mental
or behavioral health concerns, without documentation, to three instructional days in a school year. It also
allows a student to be excused for more than three instructional days if the student provides certain
documentation.
Survey Mandate: This bill requires that a school selected to participate in the United States Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behaviors Survey or a successor survey participate in the
survey.
Suicide Prevention: This bill provides that the Commission for Higher Education shall, before January 1,
2023, work with the statewide Suicide Prevention Coordinator to develop a suicide prevention training for
students at each State Educational Institution (SEI). It requires each student at a SEI, after July 1, 2023, to
participate in the training in the student's first year at the SEI. It also requires each SEI to collect and report
certain information concerning suicide prevention to the Statewide Suicide Prevention Coordinator.
Task Force: This bill establishes a Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Higher Education Task Force.
It provides that the task force shall create a statewide suicide prevention resource guide for institutions. It
also makes conforming changes.
Effective Date: July 1, 2022.
SB 174 1 Explanation of State Expenditures: Summary: This bill’s requirements on the CHE represent an additional
workload [and/or expenditure] on the agency outside of the agency’s routine administrative functions, and
existing staffing and resource levels, if currently being used to capacity, may be insufficient for full
implementation. The additional funds and resources required could be supplied through existing staff and
resources currently being used in another program or with new appropriations. Ultimately, the source of
funds and resources required to satisfy the requirements of this bill will depend on legislative and
administrative actions.
This bill’s requirements on the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) and on SEIs are within
the routine administrative functions of each and should be able to be implemented with no additional
appropriations, assuming near customary staffing and resource levels.
Task Force: This bill establishes the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Higher Education Task Force
to be staffed by the Commission for Higher Education (CHE), which will result in a workload increase for
the CHE. Membership of the task force includes all 14 members of the CHE, one member from the State
Department of Health, and eight members appointed by the Governor (including one from a SEI and one
from a community or technical college).
Each of the 23 members of the task force are entitled to reimbursement for travel expenses and other
expenses actually incurred, to be paid by the CHE. Any task force member who is also a member of the
Indiana General Assembly is entitled to the same reimbursements provided for members of an Interim Study
Committee. The task force has no required amount of meetings per year; instead, it will meet upon the call
of the chair.
Suicide Prevention: This bill requires the CHE, in conjunction with the Division of Mental Health and
Addiction under the FSSA, before January 1, 2023, to develop a suicide prevention training program to be
administered to students at each SEI. The FSSA uses federal Mental Health Block Grant funds to facilitate
suicide prevention activities under the direction of the Suicide Prevention Coordinator. These funds could
potentially be leveraged for the required student training.
Starting July 1, 2023, each SEI must provide this training to all of their students during a student’s first year
at the SEI. SEI's must also collect data and information, as prescribed in this bill, and submit the information
to the FSSA annually.
Explanation of State Revenues:
Explanation of Local Expenditures: Survey Mandate: This bill requires that if a school corporation or a
charter school is selected to participate in the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Youth Risk Behaviors Survey, or a successor survey, then the school must participate. This will constitute
a workload increase for schools to the extent that a school would have otherwise chosen not to participate.
This requirement is within a school’s routine administrative functions and should be able to be implemented
with no additional appropriations, assuming near customary staffing and resource levels.
Additional Information: This bill allows for a student's absences from school due to the student's mental or
behavioral health concerns to be counted as an excused absence, as prescribed in the bill. On days a student
is excused, they may not be recorded as being absent and cannot be penalized by the school in any manner.
Explanation of Local Revenues:
SB 174 2 State Agencies Affected: Commission for Higher Education; Family and Social Services Administration;
Governor's Office; State educational institutions.
Local Agencies Affected: School corporations; Charter schools.
Information Sources:
Fiscal Analyst: Jason Barrett, 317-232-9809; Adam White, 317-234-1360.
SB 174 3