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 6556 NOTE PREPARED: Dec 20, 2023
BILL NUMBER: SB 141 BILL AMENDED:
SUBJECT: Education Matters.
FIRST AUTHOR: Sen. Leising BILL STATUS: As Introduced
FIRST SPONSOR:
FUNDS AFFECTED:XGENERAL IMPACT: State & Local
DEDICATED
FEDERAL
Summary of Legislation: This bill requires a public school and state accredited nonpublic school to ensure
that at least 85% of a school counselor's aggregate time performing the counselor's job duties is used to
provide direct services to students. The bill allows school corporations to provide certain notices regarding
expulsion meetings by electronic mail. It requires each school corporation, charter school, and state
accredited nonpublic school to adopt a policy that prohibits the use of a cellular telephone by a student in
a classroom. It also urges the Legislative Council to assign to the Interim Study Committee on Education the
task of studying student discipline and truancy issues.
Effective Date: Upon passage; July 1, 2024.
Explanation of State Expenditures: Study Committee: The Legislative Council could assign the Interim
Study Committee on Education to study student discipline and truancy issues during the 2024 legislative
interim. If the committee were to hold additional meetings to address this topic, there would be additional
expenditures for legislator per diem and travel reimbursement for the committee members. Any additional
expenditures must be within the committee’s budget, which is established by the Legislative Council.
Explanation of State Revenues:
Explanation of Local Expenditures: School Counselor: Provisions in this bill may cause a short-term
workload increase as schools adjust the amount of time school counselors spend outside of providing direct
services to students. Schools who do not currently have the capacity to complete duties previously performed
by school counselors may also increase expenditures related to hiring additional staff. Schools who hire
additional staff are estimated to increase salary and fringe benefit expenditures by about $59,000 per
SB 141 1 employee.
Cellphones: This bill requires public schools to adopt and implement a policy restricting the student use of
cellular telephones in the classroom. The bill’s requirements are within a school’s routine administrative
functions and should be able to be implemented with no additional appropriations, assuming near customary
agency staffing and resource levels.
Electronic Mail (email): Provisions in the bill allow school corporations in certain situations to inform
students and parents of their right to attend an expulsion meeting through email. This is a minor workload
and expenditure decrease for school corporations if they no longer need to use certified mail for this purpose.
Additional Information -
School Counselors: Public schools are required under this bill to ensure that school counselors are spending
at least 85% of their time providing direct services to students. This may require schools to shift certain
indirect student support services and other miscellaneous duties away from school counselors. If other school
staff do not have the capacity to handle the increased workload, schools may need to hire additional social
workers to perform the duties previously performed by school counselors. [The duties for school social
workers may be similar to the indirect student support services currently performed by school counselors.
This includes organizing referrals for additional student assistance, and consulting and collaborating with
parents, teachers, other educators, and community organizations on behalf of the student.]
Using salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and using the State Budget Agency’s fringe
benefits calculation, each school social worker hired by a school would cost approximately $59,000 annually.
This estimation excludes health insurance costs.
Explanation of Local Revenues:
State Agencies Affected: General Assembly.
Local Agencies Affected: Public schools.
Information Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics;
State Budget Agency, https://www.in.gov/sba/files/Operating-Budget-Instructions-FY24-and-FY25.pdf
Fiscal Analyst: Kelan Fong, 317-232-9592.
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