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: Feb 6, 2024
BILL NUMBER: SB 141 BILL AMENDED: Feb 5, 2024
SUBJECT: Education Matters.
FIRST AUTHOR: Sen. Leising BILL STATUS: As Passed Senate
FIRST SPONSOR: Rep. Teshka
FUNDS AFFECTED: GENERAL IMPACT: Local
DEDICATED
FEDERAL
Summary of Legislation: This bill provides that, for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years, a school
shall ensure that at least 60% of a school counselor's aggregate time performing the counselor's job duties
is devoted to providing direct services to students. It also provides that, beginning with the 2026-2027 school
year, a school shall ensure that at least 80% of a school counselor's aggregate time performing the counselor's
job duties is devoted to providing direct services to students. The bill exempts schools that have a school
counselor/student ratio that is not more than one school counselor to 350 students from the school counselor
time requirement provisions. The bill also allows school corporations to provide certain notices regarding
expulsion meetings by electronic mail.
Effective Date: July 1, 2024.
Explanation of State Expenditures:
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 that do not currently have the capacity to complete duties previously performed
by school counselors may also increase expenditures related to hiring additional staff. To the extent that a
school can utilize volunteers to perform certain tasks currently assigned to a school counselor that do not
provide a direct service to students, schools may be able to offset expenditures related to hiring new staff.
Electronic Mail (email): Provisions in the bill allow school corporations in certain situations to inform
SB 141 1 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 who have more than 350 students per counselor will be required to ensure
that their counselors are spending at least 60% of their time providing direct services to students during the
2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years. Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, counselors at these
schools must spend 80% 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
existing staff do not have the capacity to handle the increased workload, schools may require additional staff
or volunteers to perform the duties previously performed by school counselors.
Explanation of Local Revenues:
State Agencies Affected:
Local Agencies Affected: Public schools.
Information Sources:
Fiscal Analyst: Kelan Fong, 317-232-9592.
SB 141 2