*SB0285.2*
February 7, 2025
SENATE BILL No. 285
_____
DIGEST OF SB 285 (Updated February 6, 2025 10:30 am - DI 120)
Citations Affected: IC 21-49.
Synopsis: Comparative college and career information. Authorizes the
commission for higher education (commission) and the department of
workforce development with collecting and compiling certain
information concerning: (1) postsecondary education; (2) career and
technical education; (3) workforce qualifications; (4) workforce
earnings; and (5) workforce debt. Authorizes the commission to create
an interactive website known as the student horizon dashboard to
provide public access to certain collected and compiled information.
Authorizes the commission, with assistance from the department of
education and the department of workforce development, to create a
report known as the student graduate horizon scorecard (scorecard) for
annual distribution. Specifies that the scorecard may contain certain
information concerning high paying civilian and military careers and
in demand jobs. Requires the commission to prepare an annual report
for the legislative council. Requires state educational institutions and
career and technical education centers to collect and provide
information as requested by the commission.
Effective: July 1, 2025.
Byrne, Raatz
January 13, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Education and Career
Development.
January 30, 2025, amended, reported favorably — Do Pass; reassigned to Committee on
Appropriations.
February 6, 2025, amended, reported favorably — Do Pass.
SB 285—LS 6624/DI 152 February 7, 2025
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
provision adopted), the text of the new provision will appear in this style type. Also, the
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.
SENATE BILL No. 285
A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning
higher education.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
1 SECTION 1. IC 21-49-6 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE AS
2 A NEW CHAPTER TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY
3 1, 2025]:
4 Chapter 6. Workforce Transparency
5 Sec. 1. The following definitions apply throughout this chapter:
6 (1) "Armed forces of the United States" means the active or
7 reserve components of the:
8 (A) United States Army;
9 (B) United States Navy;
10 (C) United States Air Force;
11 (D) United States Marine Corps;
12 (E) United States Coast Guard; and
13 (F) Indiana National Guard.
14 (2) "Career and technical education" means any
15 postsecondary vocational, agricultural, occupational,
16 manpower, employment, or technical training or retraining of
17 less than a baccalaureate level that:
SB 285—LS 6624/DI 152 2
1 (A) is offered by a state educational institution for credit;
2 and
3 (B) enhances an individual's career potential.
4 (3) "Commission" refers to the commission for higher
5 education established by IC 21-18-2-1.
6 (4) "Department of education" refers to the department of
7 education established by IC 20-19-3-1.
8 (5) "Department of workforce development" refers to the
9 department of workforce development established by
10 IC 22-4.1-2-1.
11 (6) "Student graduate horizon scorecard" refers to the
12 student graduate horizon scorecard created under section 4
13 of this chapter.
14 (7) "Student horizon dashboard" refers to the student horizon
15 dashboard created under section 3 of this chapter.
16 Sec. 2. (a) The commission, in cooperation with the department
17 of workforce development, may collect and compile the following
18 information:
19 (1) The fifty (50) most in demand jobs in Indiana, including
20 starting salary and education requirements.
21 (2) The average net cost and total cost for students who are
22 residents of Indiana to earn a bachelor's degree from each
23 state educational institution.
24 (3) The average cost for the completion of a career and
25 technical education program for students who are residents
26 of Indiana.
27 (4) The average monthly student loan payment for students
28 who are residents of Indiana attending:
29 (A) a state educational institution; or
30 (B) a career and technical education center;
31 disaggregated by institution.
32 (5) Beginning with the year 2027, the average three (3) year
33 student loan default rate for all state educational institutions
34 and career and technical education centers.
35 (6) The average total student loan debt for students who are
36 residents of Indiana who graduate from a state educational
37 institution for four (4) year degrees and graduate programs.
38 (7) The average four (4) year graduation rate for students
39 who are residents of Indiana at all state educational
40 institutions.
41 (8) The average graduation rate for students who are
42 residents of Indiana for all career and technical education
SB 285—LS 6624/DI 152 3
1 centers.
2 (9) The completion rates for:
3 (A) apprenticeship programs;
4 (B) high school credential programs; and
5 (C) career and technical education programs.
6 (10) The percentage of college graduates working in an
7 occupation that does not require a college degree,
8 disaggregated by major.
9 (11) The average starting salary for individuals graduating
10 from a state educational institution, disaggregated by state
11 educational institution.
12 (12) The average starting salary for individuals who have
13 completed:
14 (A) an apprenticeship program;
15 (B) a high school credential program; or
16 (C) a career and technical education program.
17 (13) Base pay for newly enlisted service members in the
18 armed forces of the United States.
19 (14) The average starting salary for individuals graduating
20 from a vocational school.
21 (b) The information collected and compiled under subsection (a)
22 may be:
23 (1) updated annually; and
24 (2) searchable using the student horizon dashboard.
25 Sec. 3. (a) The commission may create an interactive website
26 known as the student horizon dashboard to provide public access
27 to the information described in section 2 of this chapter. The
28 student horizon dashboard may be available for use not later than
29 July 1, 2026.
30 (b) The student horizon dashboard may allow a user to compare
31 the following:
32 (1) The most popular state educational institutions and career
33 and technical education programs.
34 (2) The average annual cost:
35 (A) including average financial assistance; and
36 (B) not including average financial assistance;
37 of attending a state educational institution or career and
38 technical education program.
39 (3) For state educational institutions, the:
40 (A) average salary after attending;
41 (B) average salary for the state educational institution's
42 five (5) most popular majors;
SB 285—LS 6624/DI 152 4
1 (C) percentage of students who return, withdraw, or
2 transfer after their first year;
3 (D) full-time enrollment rate; and
4 (E) full-time graduation rate.
5 (4) For a state educational institution or a career and
6 technical education program, the:
7 (A) average total debt for students who are residents of
8 Indiana after graduation;
9 (B) average monthly student loan payments for students
10 who are residents of Indiana disaggregated by graduates
11 and nongraduates;
12 (C) percentage of students who are residents of Indiana
13 receiving federal loans;
14 (D) percentage of students who are residents of Indiana
15 receiving private or institutional loans; and
16 (E) percentage of students who are residents of Indiana not
17 in default of student loans.
18 (c) To the extent the commission determines practicable, the
19 student horizon dashboard may allow a user to disaggregate the
20 information in subsection (b) by:
21 (1) major or course of study; and
22 (2) state educational institution or career and technical
23 education program.
24 Sec. 4. (a) The commission, with assistance from the department
25 of education and the department of workforce development, may
26 create a report known as the student graduate horizon scorecard.
27 The student graduate horizon scorecard may contain the following
28 information:
29 (1) The fifty (50) highest paying four (4) year degrees.
30 (2) The twenty (20) highest paying career and technical
31 education and certificate programs.
32 (3) The twenty-five (25) most in demand jobs in Indiana and
33 their corresponding starting salaries and education
34 requirements.
35 (4) The following information concerning each branch of the
36 armed forces of the United States:
37 (A) The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery score
38 necessary for enlistment.
39 (B) Base pay and benefits for enlistment.
40 (C) The average signing bonus.
41 (b) Beginning not later than July 1, 2026, and each July 1
42 thereafter, the commission, with assistance from the department of
SB 285—LS 6624/DI 152 5
1 education, may publish and provide the student graduate horizon
2 scorecard to each public school, charter school, and state
3 accredited nonpublic school for distribution to students.
4 Sec. 5. (a) Beginning August 1, 2026, the commission shall
5 submit an annual report to the legislative council outlining the
6 effectiveness of state educational institutions and career and
7 technical education programs in aligning their curricula or
8 programs with the Indiana job market, including the degree to
9 which they contribute to filling the most in demand jobs in Indiana.
10 (b) The report to the legislative council under subsection (a)
11 must be submitted in an electronic format under IC 5-14-6.
12 Sec. 6. The commission, the department of education, and the
13 department of workforce development may share any data or
14 information necessary to comply with the requirements of this
15 chapter.
16 Sec. 7. (a) The commission, in carrying out its duties under this
17 chapter, may:
18 (1) use and incorporate existing data bases such as:
19 (A) the College Scorecard administered by the United
20 States Department of Education; and
21 (B) other data bases available to the commission; and
22 (2) require state educational institutions and career and
23 technical education centers to collect and provide information
24 to the commission.
25 (b) A state educational institution or career and technical
26 education center must submit to the commission any information
27 requested by the commission to carry out the commission's duties
28 under this chapter.
29 Sec. 8. The commission may adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 to
30 implement this chapter.
SB 285—LS 6624/DI 152 6
COMMITTEE REPORT
Mr. President: The Senate Committee on Education and Career
Development, to which was referred Senate Bill No. 285, has had the
same under consideration and begs leave to report the same back to the
Senate with the recommendation that said bill be AMENDED as
follows:
Page 2, line 1, delete "institution;" and insert "institution for
credit;".
Page 2, line 20, delete "cost" and insert "net cost and total cost for
students who are residents of Indiana to earn".
Page 2, line 23, delete "program." and insert "program for students
who are residents of Indiana.".
Page 2, line 24, delete "individuals" and insert "students who are
residents of Indiana".
Page 2, line 29, delete "The" and insert "Beginning with the year
2027, the".
Page 2, line 32, delete "graduates of state" and insert "students who
are residents of Indiana who graduate from a state educational
institution".
Page 2, line 33, delete "educational institutions".
Page 2, line 35, after "for" insert "students who are residents of
Indiana at".
Page 2, line 37, after "rate" insert "for students who are residents
of Indiana".
Page 4, line 2, after "debt" insert "for students who are residents
of Indiana".
Page 4, line 3, after "payments" insert "for students who are
residents of Indiana".
Page 4, line 5, after "students" insert "who are residents of
Indiana".
Page 4, line 5, delete "and".
Page 4, between lines 5 and 6, begin a new line double block
indented and insert:
"(D) percentage of students who are residents of Indiana
receiving private or institutional loans; and".
Page 4, line 6, delete "(D)" and insert "(E)".
Page 4, line 6, after "students" insert "who are residents of
Indiana".
SB 285—LS 6624/DI 152 7
Page 4, line 7, delete "The" and insert "To the extent the
commission determines practicable, the".
and when so amended that said bill do pass and be reassigned to the
Senate Committee on Appropriations.
(Reference is to SB 285 as introduced.)
RAATZ, Chairperson
Committee Vote: Yeas 12, Nays 1.
_____
COMMITTEE REPORT
Mr. President: The Senate Committee on Appropriations, to which
was referred Senate Bill No. 285, has had the same under consideration
and begs leave to report the same back to the Senate with the
recommendation that said bill be AMENDED as follows:
Page 2, line 17, delete "shall" and insert "may".
Page 2, line 22, delete "for".
Page 3, line 22, delete "must" and insert "may".
Page 3, line 25, delete "shall" and insert "may".
Page 3, line 28, delete "must" and insert "may".
Page 3, line 30, delete "must" and insert "may".
Page 4, line 19, delete "must" and insert "may".
Page 4, line 25, delete "shall" and insert "may".
Page 4, line 27, delete "must" and insert "may".
Page 5, line 1, delete "shall" and insert "may".
Page 5, line 13, delete "shall" and insert "may".
and when so amended that said bill do pass.
(Reference is to SB 285 as printed January 31, 2025.)
MISHLER, Chairperson
Committee Vote: Yeas 13, Nays 0.
SB 285—LS 6624/DI 152