Introduced Version
HOUSE BILL No. 1659
_____
DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL
Citations Affected: IC 20-20-54.
Synopsis: Ethics implementation fund. Establishes the ethics
implementation fund (fund) for the purpose of providing grants to
course providers that offer ethics training courses for teachers. Charges
the department of education (department) with administering the fund.
Requires the department to create authorization and approval
processes. Requires the department to create guidelines to provide
professional development credit to teachers who have successfully
completed an ethics training course. Makes an appropriation.
Effective: July 1, 2025.
Baird
January 21, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Education.
2025 IN 1659—LS 7604/DI 143 Introduced
First Regular Session of the 124th General Assembly (2025)
PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana
Constitution) is being amended, the text of the existing provision will appear in this style type,
additions will appear in this style type, and deletions will appear in this style type.
Additions: Whenever a new statutory provision is being enacted (or a new constitutional
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word NEW will appear in that style type in the introductory clause of each SECTION that adds
a new provision to the Indiana Code or the Indiana Constitution.
Conflict reconciliation: Text in a statute in this style type or this style type reconciles conflicts
between statutes enacted by the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
HOUSE BILL No. 1659
A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning
education and to make an appropriation.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
1 SECTION 1. IC 20-20-54 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE
2 AS A NEW CHAPTER TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
3 JULY 1, 2025]:
4 Chapter 54. Ethics Implementation Fund
5 Sec. 1. As used in this chapter, "course provider" refers to a
6 course provider that offers an ethics training course.
7 Sec. 2. As used in this chapter, "ethics training course" refers to
8 a course offered by a course provider that provides training for
9 teachers on the integration of morals instruction (as described in
10 IC 20-30-5-5) and good citizenship instruction (as described in
11 IC 20-30-5-6) into the teacher's classroom instruction.
12 Sec. 3. As used in this chapter, "fund" refers to the ethics
13 implementation fund established by section 4 of this chapter.
14 Sec. 4. (a) The ethics implementation fund is established.
15 (b) The department shall administer the fund. The department
16 must use money in the fund to provide grants to course providers
17 for the purpose of providing ethics training courses for teachers.
2025 IN 1659—LS 7604/DI 143 2
1 (c) The fund consists of appropriations from the general
2 assembly.
3 (d) Money in the fund at the end of a state fiscal year does not
4 revert to the state general fund.
5 Sec. 5. (a) Before January 1, 2026, the department shall
6 establish:
7 (1) an authorization process for course providers; and
8 (2) a review process for the approval of a course provider's
9 ethics training course, which must be aligned to Indiana
10 academic standards.
11 (b) The department may award a grant under this chapter to a
12 course provider that has been authorized under subsection (a)(1)
13 and approved under subsection (a)(2) that does the following:
14 (1) Applies for a grant on a form provided by the department.
15 (2) Submits any other pertinent information required by the
16 department.
17 (c) The department shall develop guidelines to:
18 (1) award grants to course providers under subsection (b);
19 and
20 (2) provide professional development credit to teachers who
21 have successfully completed an ethics training course.
22 (d) A course provider that receives a grant under subsection (b)
23 may not charge a fee to a teacher who enrolls in an ethics training
24 course with the course provider.
25 Sec. 6. There is annually appropriated to the ethics
26 implementation fund established by section 4 of this chapter two
27 hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) from the state general
28 fund to carry out the purposes of the fund.
2025 IN 1659—LS 7604/DI 143