# Indiana HB 1515: Education and higher education matters. Indiana HB 1515, Education and higher education matters., is a First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025) House bill sponsored by Robert Behning (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-06 (Signed by the Governor); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1515-2025 - 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 1515 - State: Indiana - Session: First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025) - Title: Education and higher education matters. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-21 - Last action: 2025-05-06, Signed by the Governor - Sponsor: Robert Behning (Republican) - Cosponsors: 2 - Subjects: education, the senate, education and career development, appropriations - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 5 (189 yes, 130 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 19 ## Summary Provides that accredited nonpublic schools are eligible to participate in the following: (1) The establishment of police departments. (2) The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teacher recruitment grants. (3) The principal institute. Provides that charter schools are eligible to receive science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teacher recruitment grants. Establishes, for three school years: (1) a centralized school facilities pilot program; and (2) a student transportation pilot program. Allows: (1) not more than three applications, as selected by the department of education (department), to participate in the centralized school facilities pilot program; and (2) not more than three applications, as selected by the department, to participate in the student transportation pilot program (pilot programs). Establishes a: (1) local centralized school facilities board; and (2) local student transportation board; for participating school corporations and schools and grants the local boards certain powers and duties. Allows school corporations and schools to opt out of the pilot programs by providing a one year notice. Requires the department of local government finance, in consultation with the department, to prepare and submit reports that include certain recommendations. Establishes a mastery based education pilot program administered by the department. Establishes the Indianapolis local education alliance and requires the alliance to conduct a school facilities assessment and establish a school facilities and transportation implementation plan. Allows a parent of a choice scholarship student or an eligible choice scholarship school on behalf of a parent to petition the department to reconsider the eligibility of a choice scholarship student enrolled in the school if the parent has reason to believe that the student was determined ineligible due to enrollment data inaccuracies reported by a school. Provides that a student must be withdrawn from enrollment in a school corporation's virtual education program if the student accumulates 10 consecutive or 18 cumulative unexcused absences (instead of the number of unexcused absences sufficient to result in the student's classification as a habitual truant). Amends eligibility requirements for the high value workforce ready credit-bearing grant. Establishes the: (1) county deputy prosecuting attorney and public defender scholarship program; and (2) county deputy prosecuting attorney and public defender scholarship fund. Provides that a land use application for any approval that is required by a unit for a public or nonpublic school may not be denied for the sole reason that the requesting entity is seeking to establish a public or nonpublic school. Provides that, if Vigo County transfers or gifts any unencumbered funds to a school corporation, the county executive may establish a local board to have oversight and manage the use of the funds. Provides that the expenses of the local board shall be paid by the county. Requires certain individuals and certain schools to ensure that an AED is operational and present at certain events, and that individuals present at certain events are aware of the location of the AED and emergency plans regarding the use of the AED. Adds a requirement regarding certain school emergency action plans for sudden cardiac arrest. Removes certain sudden cardiac arrest training and certificate of completion requirements. Establishes requirements regarding a standardized admissions test for state educational institutions that offer certain health education programs. Requires a public school provide written notification to an employee and parent of a student not later than 14 days regarding certain unsubstantiated or otherwise dismissed allegations. Requires the department to submit a report to the general assembly on the academic readiness of students who enroll in a virtual school or program. Provides that the state board shall adopt rules regarding financial reporting and oversight required by a school corporation and a vendor who enter into or renew a contract relating to the operation of a dedicated virtual education school. Resolves conflicts. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Parents can challenge school scholarship denials: benefit, high. Beginning July 1, 2025, parents can seek review of choice scholarship denials caused by inaccurate school-reported enrollment data. An eligible school can request review for the parent. If Indiana's education department confirms eligibility, it can correct student counts and must adjust later schoo… - Certificate holders gain workforce grant access: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, a prior eligible certificate alone no longer blocks Indiana's high value workforce ready credit-bearing grant. A prior associate or bachelor's degree still bars eligibility. Indiana residents must enroll in an eligible program at Ivy Tech, Vincennes, or another approved prov… - Transportation pilots serve students across schools: benefit, medium. Transportation pilots serve public, charter, and qualifying nonpublic school students in approved areas from 2026–2027 through 2028–2029. Indiana can approve no more than three joint applications; each must identify its service area. Partners must create an independent seven-member board by October… - Parents get dismissed misconduct allegation notices: benefit, low. Public schools must give written notice when they dismiss or find unsubstantiated a student's misconduct allegation against an employee. The allegation must involve or concern that student. The school must notify the employee and a parent within 14 days after its decision. - Higher-risk student events require working defibrillators: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, student events with increased sudden-cardiac-arrest risk must have an operational automated external defibrillator, or AED. A coach or event leader must ensure the device is present. That person must also tell all other coaches and event leaders where it is. - Grants help schools recruit STEM teachers: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, Indiana's higher education commission can fund organizations recruiting science, technology, engineering, and math teachers. Grants support placements in public, charter, and accredited nonpublic schools that otherwise face qualified-teacher shortages. Supported programs mus… - Indianapolis alliance plans shared school services: benefit, low. A nine-member Indianapolis education alliance, independent of the school city, must first meet by July 1, 2025. It must assess public and charter school buildings and submit a facilities and transportation plan by December 31, 2025. The plan covers building capacity, debt, capital levy requests, sh… - Nonpublic principals gain leadership training access: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, Indiana's principal institute includes practicing principals from accredited nonpublic schools alongside public school principals. Nonpublic schools must have qualifying state accreditation or accreditation from a state-recognized national or regional agency. The institute o… - Schools can test mastery-based learning: benefit, low. From July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2035, selected districts and charter schools can pilot mastery-based learning. Students demonstrate skills and knowledge rather than rely on classroom time. Schools must submit plans with goals, measurable outcomes, assessments, reporting, and partners; approved… - Schools gain broader local zoning access: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, public, charter, and nonpublic schools are permitted uses in every zoning district under covered local rules. Counties, cities, and towns cannot deny required land-use approval solely because an applicant wants to establish a school. Other grounds for reviewing or denying an… - Virtual students face absence withdrawal limits: cost, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, school corporations must withdraw students from virtual programs after 10 consecutive unexcused absences. Withdrawal also applies after 18 cumulative unexcused absences. Reaching either limit ends enrollment in that virtual program. - Indianapolis pauses some new charter approvals: cost, low. From July 1 through December 31, 2025, authorizers generally cannot grant new charters within Indianapolis school-city boundaries. Proposals submitted to an authorizer by April 1, 2025, are exempt. The pause also exempts charters approved by the Indianapolis charter school board and granted by the… - Law scholarships require public service: mixed, high. Starting in 2026–2027, scholarships for accredited law-school students offer $20,000 yearly for up to three full-time years. Part-time awards offer $15,000 yearly for up to four years; each person's total cap is $60,000. Applicants must submit an essay and complete an Indiana-law curriculum with ha… - Health graduate programs face uniform standards: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, Indiana state institutions using admissions tests for graduate or postgraduate health programs must test every applicant. Tests must focus on knowledge and critical thinking; the law does not require programs without tests to add one. Covered institutions must grade every re… - Accredited nonpublic schools can create police: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, qualifying accredited nonpublic schools can create police departments and appoint officers with law-enforcement powers on school property. Schools must hold qualifying state accreditation or accreditation from a state-recognized national or regional agency. Officers must mee… - School cardiac plans replace stricter safeguards: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, covered schools must create venue-specific cardiac emergency plans using nationally recognized, evidence-based recommendations. Schools must share plans with relevant students and activity leaders before the season. The law removes the three-minute response goal, required pe… - School partners share building management: mixed, low. Indiana's facilities pilot runs from the 2026–2027 through 2028–2029 school years, with no more than three approved joint applications. Partners must identify their area and create an independent seven-member board by October 31, 2025. The board manages buildings, carries out a facilities plan, and… - Virtual schools face separate financial oversight: mixed, low. A school corporation must create a dedicated virtual school when virtual enrollment reaches the lesser of 100 students or 30% of enrollment. That school must provide at least 50% of instruction virtually and receive a separate school identification number. Before December 31, 2026, Indiana's State… - County boards can manage school gifts: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, eligible county executives can create boards to oversee uncommitted county funds given to a school corporation. Eligibility requires more than 100,000 but fewer than 110,000 residents and no more than one school corporation. Boards include county, municipal, business, and sc… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Robert Behning (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Brian Buchanan (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Jeff Raatz (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-24 | House | Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House | pass | 62 | 30 | | | 2025-04-24 | Senate | Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate | pass | 28 | 22 | | | 2025-04-15 | Senate | Third reading: passed | pass | 32 | 16 | | | 2025-04-10 | Senate | Amendment #4 (Qaddoura) failed | fail | 10 | 34 | | | 2025-02-06 | House | Third reading: passed | pass | 57 | 28 | | ## Actions (37) - 2025-05-06: Signed by the Governor (House) - 2025-05-06: Public Law 232 (House) - 2025-04-29: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate) - 2025-04-28: Signed by the President Pro Tempore (Senate) - 2025-04-25: Signed by the Speaker (House) - 2025-04-24: Senator Qaddoura removed as conferee (Senate) - 2025-04-24: Representative Smith H added as conferee (House) - 2025-04-24: Representative Smith V removed as conferee (House) - 2025-04-24: Representative Smith H removed as advisor (House) - 2025-04-24: Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate; Roll Call 537: yeas 28, nays 22 (Senate) - 2025-04-24: Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House; Roll Call 573: yeas 62, nays 30 (House) - 2025-04-24: CCR # 1 filed in the Senate (Senate) - 2025-04-24: CCR # 1 filed in the House (House) - 2025-04-24: Senator Raatz added as conferee (Senate) - 2025-04-17: Senate conferees appointed: Buchanan and Qaddoura (Senate) - 2025-04-17: Senate advisors appointed: Yoder and Donato (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Motion to dissent filed (House) - 2025-04-16: House conferees appointed: Behning and Smith V (House) - 2025-04-16: House advisors appointed: Smith H, Cash, DeLaney, Klinker and Pfaff (House) - 2025-04-16: Returned to the House with amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-16: House dissented from Senate amendments (House) - 2025-04-15: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 444: yeas 32, nays 16 (Senate) - 2025-04-15: Senator Raatz added as second sponsor (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Amendment #3 (Pol) failed; voice vote (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Amendment #5 (Buchanan) prevailed; voice vote (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Amendment #4 (Qaddoura) failed; Roll Call 377: yeas 10, nays 34 (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Committee report: do pass, adopted (Senate) - 2025-03-20: Committee report: amend do pass adopted; reassigned to Committee on Appropriations (Senate) - 2025-02-19: First reading: referred to Committee on Education and Career Development (Senate) - 2025-02-07: Referred to the Senate (House) - 2025-02-06: Senate sponsor: Senator Buchanan (House) - 2025-02-06: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 101: yeas 57, nays 28 (House) - 2025-02-03: Second reading: ordered engrossed (House) - 2025-01-30: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (House) - 2025-01-21: First reading: referred to Committee on Education (House) - 2025-01-21: Authored by Representative Behning (House) ## Bill text - Engrossed House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1515/versions/HB1515.05.ENGS?format=pdf) - Enrolled House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1515/versions/HB1515.06.ENRS?format=pdf) - House Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1515/versions/HB1515.02.COMH?format=pdf), [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1515/versions/HB1515.03.COMS?format=pdf), [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1515/versions/HB1515.04.COMS?format=pdf) - Introduced House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1515/versions/HB1515.01.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 - [Engrossed House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1515/versions/HB1515.05.ENGS?format=pdf) - [Enrolled House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1515/versions/HB1515.06.ENRS?format=pdf) - [House Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1515/versions/HB1515.02.COMH?format=pdf) - [House Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1515/versions/HB1515.03.COMS?format=pdf) - [House Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1515/versions/HB1515.04.COMS?format=pdf) - [Introduced House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1515/versions/HB1515.01.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-HB1515-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).