# Indiana HB 1499: Education matters. Indiana HB 1499, Education matters., is a First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025) House bill sponsored by Robert Behning (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-01 (Public Law 177); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1499-2025 - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Indiana HB 1499 - State: Indiana - Session: First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025) - Title: Education matters. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-21 - Last action: 2025-05-01, Public Law 177 - Sponsor: Robert Behning (Republican) - Cosponsors: 5 - Subjects: education, the senate, education and career development - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 3 (231 yes, 1 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary Provides that certain students have the opportunity to retake the determinant evaluation of reading skills at least twice in the summer before grade 3 retention requirements apply. Requires the department of education to establish a registration process for schools to exempt certain English language learners from compliance with grade 3 retention requirements until the beginning of the 2027-2028 school year. Allows required career fairs to be held off of school property if the school provides transportation. Amends agreement requirements with regard to the employment aid readiness network (EARN) Indiana program. Makes a technical correction. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - More ways students avoid repeating third grade: benefit, medium. Effective July 1, 2025, students who fail the state-approved reading test get at least two summer retake opportunities before third-grade retention. This covers evaluations given during the 2024–2025 school year onward, with existing statutory exceptions still applying. Schools can also exempt Engl… - Yearly career fairs for high school students: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, every Indiana high school must hold at least one career fair each school year. The fair must take place during regular school hours. Schools can hold fairs jointly or off site, but must then provide transportation to every student in grades 11 and 12. - Lower minimum hours for student work agreements: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, covered student work agreements must provide an average of at least 10 work hours per week. This lowers the required minimum from 12 hours. The change applies to agreements under the state's work-based learning program, not all student jobs. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Robert Behning (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Gary Byrne (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Jake Teshka (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Julie McGuire (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Linda Rogers (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Sheila Klinker (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-22 | House | House concurred with Senate amendments | pass | 90 | 0 | | | 2025-03-25 | Senate | Third reading: passed | pass | 46 | 1 | | | 2025-02-18 | House | Third reading: passed | pass | 95 | 0 | | ## Actions (22) - 2025-05-01: Public Law 177 (House) - 2025-05-01: Signed by the Governor (House) - 2025-04-23: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate) - 2025-04-22: Signed by the Speaker (House) - 2025-04-22: House concurred with Senate amendments; Roll Call 514: yeas 90, nays 0 (House) - 2025-04-22: Signed by the President Pro Tempore (Senate) - 2025-04-22: Motion to concur filed (House) - 2025-03-26: Returned to the House with amendments (Senate) - 2025-03-25: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 290: yeas 46, nays 1 (Senate) - 2025-03-25: Senator Byrne added as second sponsor (Senate) - 2025-03-24: Second reading: ordered engrossed (Senate) - 2025-03-20: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (Senate) - 2025-03-03: First reading: referred to Committee on Education and Career Development (Senate) - 2025-02-19: Referred to the Senate (House) - 2025-02-18: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 200: yeas 95, nays 0 (House) - 2025-02-18: Senate sponsor: Senator Rogers (House) - 2025-02-17: Second reading: ordered engrossed (House) - 2025-02-13: Representatives McGuire and Teshka added as coauthors (House) - 2025-02-13: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (House) - 2025-02-13: Representative Klinker added as coauthor (House) - 2025-01-21: Authored by Representative Behning (House) - 2025-01-21: First reading: referred to Committee on Education (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1499/versions/HB1499.04.ENRS?format=pdf) - House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1499/versions/HB1499.03.COMS?format=pdf) - House Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1499/versions/HB1499.02.COMH?format=pdf) - Introduced House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1499/versions/HB1499.01.INTR?format=pdf) ## Related bills - SB 231: Various corrections matters. (signed) - SB 324: Criminal procedures. (signed) - SB 80: Code publication. (signed) - SB 453: Various tax matters. (signed) - SB 464: Financial institutions and consumer credit. (signed) - SB 371: Workforce matters. (signed) ## Sources - [Enrolled House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1499/versions/HB1499.04.ENRS?format=pdf) - [House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1499/versions/HB1499.03.COMS?format=pdf) - [House Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1499/versions/HB1499.02.COMH?format=pdf) - [Introduced House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1499/versions/HB1499.01.INTR?format=pdf) ## Related - [SB 231: Various corrections matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB231-2025) - [SB 324: Criminal procedures.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB324-2025) - [SB 80: Code publication.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB80-2025) - [SB 453: Various tax matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB453-2025) - [SB 464: Financial institutions and consumer credit.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB464-2025) - [SB 371: Workforce matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB371-2025) - [Indiana bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/indiana/bills) - [Indiana state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/indiana) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1499-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).