Ten education bills are already advancing in the early weeks of the 2025 legislative session, including those seeking to improve K-12 student attendance, guarantee better teacher benefits, and remove “unnecessary or outdated” school regulations.

The assortment of House and Senate bills are largely headed to their respective full chambers — those with fiscal impacts will first need approval from budget committees, though.

Indiana’s GOP supermajorities, along with new Republican Gov. Mike Braun, said their education agendas prioritize school deregulations and private school choice expansions. 

House and Senate Democrats, meanwhile, are pushing for public education funding increases and increased access to pre-K programming, in addition to other measures.

Nearly three dozen education-related bills were filed across the two chambers. Many of those are unlikely to get hearings. Even fewer bills will make it across the legislative finish line by the end of April.

A handful of bills that have been subject to public testimony — and are now on deck for possible amendments and committee votes — deal with school counselor supports, student “well-being” and “resiliency” resources, college graduate job placements, school board vacancies, charter school police departments, teacher grants, and rollbacks to educator and administrator licensure requirements.

It’s not yet clear which of the other proposals will see discussion in committee, including a bill to replace some public schools with charters, and another that would ban transgender girls from playing on women’s college teams. Deadlines are still weeks away for House and Senate bills to advance to full chambers, but even dead bill language can remerge before the session concludes.

Here’s a look at the education bills gaining traction so far.

House Bill 1002: “Deregulating” schools

Bill author: Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis

What it does: The omnibus House Republican priority bill intends to eliminate regulations for schools by repealing, loosening or eliminating some existing requirements related to teacher training, professional development, school programming, administrative duties, and school boards, among other changes. Portions of the bill additionally delete expired education provisions, like outdated curricular requirements and grant funds that no longer exist. An amended draft of the bill adopted Wednesday retained multiple sections related to reporting and operation requirements for the charter schools.

What supporters say: School district representatives and teachers largely supported the bill, saying it “reduces unnecessary burdens” and “streamlines” administrative processes.

What critics say: Democrats continued to express concerns Wednesday about the bill’s removal of existing qualification requirements for a person to be appointed as the state’s education secretary. Questions were also raised about a provision to allow districts to selectively dissolve and convert themselves into charter schools.

House Bill 1201: Chronic absenteeism and school attendance

Bill author: Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis

What it does: The bill tasks the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) with creating a report to detail common reasons behind absenteeism and student discipline, along with recommendations for improving student attendance. It also bars schools from suspending or expelling students solely for being chronically absent or habitually truant. Students are considered truant if they miss 10 or more days of school without an excuse; they’re labeled as chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of the school year, regardless of whether it is excused.

What supporters say: The state’s largest teachers unions, along with multiple education groups, said the bill helps clarify excused and unexcused absences, and applauded the bill for providing more services and parental supports for absent students — rather than increasing “punishments” for missed school.

What critics say: The proposal faced some opposition, including from Cindy Long with the Indiana Association of School Principals, who said that suspension or expulsion may be appropriate in some circumstances.

House Bill 1064: School athletic events and transfers

Bill author: Rep. Cory Criswell, R-Middletown

What it does: An amended version of the bill approved by the House Education Committee on Wednesday requires schools to offer a cash payment option at certain athletic and extracurricular activities or events. Other provisions added to the bill would allow a high school athlete to transfer from one school to another, with full varsity eligibility, without a change of address.

What supporters say: Criswell said the transfer languages “enables families to select schools that best fit their child’s academic, extracurricular and athletic needs, free from restrictive policies.” Paul Neidig, commissioner of the Indiana High School Athletic Association, said “it’s time” for the IHSAA to review its transfer rules, adding that Criswell’s bill “does not inhibit our ability to effectively implement a transfer system moving forward.” Neidig noted that the legislation does not address the number of times a student can transfer. “It would still be our rules that would govern the number of times that you can transfer, and what we are simply looking at is a single time transfer within the first three years of school, of a parent’s choice,” he continued.

What critics say: Democrats on the education committee generally opposed the bill, with some saying it unfairly forces schools to accept a particular form of payment — at a time when Republicans are pushing for fewer rules — and others suggesting that the athletic transfer component was an “inappropriate add” in this particular legislation.

House Bill 1348: Homeschool diplomas 

Bill author: Rep. Tim Wesco, R-Osceola

What it does: Prohibits state agencies and higher education institutions from “reject(ing) or otherwise treat(ing) a person differently based solely on a diploma or credential” that is earned in homeschool or some other non-accredited nonpublic school. But employers and schools could still require applicants to complete competency tests, for example.

What supporters say: Proponents said the bill ensures that homeschool and similar diplomas are “viewed equally” to traditional public and private school credentials, and demonstrates that recipients of such diplomas have met the requirements to complete high school. Wesco said the bill was prompted by a case in Indiana in which an applicant for a police officer position was rejected because the department did not consider his homeschool diploma sufficient for the job.

What critics say: Democrats on the House Education Committee raised issues with the lack of testing and “objective demonstration of mastery” among homeschoolers. Echoing other education groups, Joel Hand with the Indiana Coalition for Public Education and the American Federation of Teachers of Indiana emphasized that, “while we recognize there are many homeschool parents and many non-accredited schools that do provide a quality education, there is nothing in the law now that requires that education to have any rigor or standards.”

House Bill 1049: Scholarships for public service attorneys

Bill author: Rep. Greg Steuerwald, R-Avon

What it does: Creates a state-funded scholarship program, beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, for Indiana law school students who agree to become a full-time county deputy prosecuting attorney or public defender in the state for at least five years after they become eligible to practice law.

What supporters say: Representatives from the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council and Indiana Public Defender Council said the scholarships will help address the state’s critical attorney shortage.

What critics say: No oppositional testimony was provided for the bill.

Attorney shortage commission makes budgetary, legislative recommendations

House Bill 1016: Fire chiefs on school safety commissions

Bill author: Rep. Matt Commons, R-Williamsport

What it does: Permits a fire chief, or the fire chief’s designee, to be appointed to a county school safety commission.

What supporters say: Among the bill’s supporters, Joel Thacker with the Indiana Fire Chiefs Association said fire chiefs will bring “extensive experience and emergency response planning” to school safety commissions.

What critics say: No oppositional testimony was provided for the bill.

House Bill 1102: Preschool program contracts

Bill author: Rep. Matt Commons, R-Williamsport

What it does: Allows public school corporations to contract with “religiously affiliated” nonprofit preschool programs.

What supporters say: Commons made clear his bill “is not compulsory,” and said “no students will be required to go to any religiously affiliated institution if the parents don’t seek to do that.” The United Way of Central Indiana supported the bill.

What critics say: No oppositional testimony was provided for the bill.

Senate Bill 146: Teacher pay and benefits

Bill author: Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger

What it does: Raises minimum salaries for teachers from $40,000 to $45,000; provides 20 days of parental leave to teachers who have worked for a school district for at least six months; increases the portion of state funding that must be spent on educator salaries; and requires schools to offer state employees a health coverage plan if it’s less expensive than the district plan.

What supporters say: Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said even though this year’s state budget will be tight, the bill is a necessary boost for teacher attraction and retention. Officials from education organizations across the state mostly voiced their support for the bill, too. A representative for the Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA), the state’s largest teacher’s union, called the measure “a bold move in the right direction to increase teacher compensation.”

What critics say: Democrats generally supported but the bill but made unsuccessful attempts on Wednesday to increase base teacher pay even more.

Senate Bill 255: Educator licenses, religious education and bullying

Bill author: Sen. Spencer Deery, R-West Lafayette

What it does: Reduces requirements for STEM professionals to earn teaching licenses, and requires school districts make a “reasonable effort” to notify parents by the end of a calendar day if their child is the subject of a bullying investigation — up from five days in current law. The bill additionally requires a principal to allow public high schoolers to receive religious instruction for up to a period of time “that is equivalent to attending one elective course” at the school. (Current law allows for only up to 120 minutes a week.)

What supporters say: Purdue University’s provost applauded the STEM licensure change, saying it would help with ongoing teacher shortages. Representatives from the Indiana Association of School Principals and Project Lead The Way, and several parents, were among those who also spoke in favor of the bill.

What critics say: Jerell Blakeley, representing ISTA, said the union largely supported the bill but had questions “around the amount of pedagogy training” required for STEM professionals wanting to teach. Other groups opposed “any increases to mandates” for religious instruction releases, citing “situations” across the state where some students are missing critical lessons in exchange for out-of-school religious activities.

Senate Bill 373: Administrative requirements and summer school funding

Bill author: Sen. Jeff Raatz, R-Richmond

What it does: Shifts some administrative duties from the State Board of Education to IDOE; shifts summer school funding from pro-rated amounts to a per-student basis; and requires schools’ curricular materials for science of reading and STEM be evaluated for “age appropriateness.”

What supporters say: The bill was drafted in partnership with IDOE officials and supported publicly in the Senate education committee by Jenner, the state education secretary. Representatives for the state’s urban schools, school principals and public school superintendents associations additionally spoke in favor of the proposal.

What critics say: An ISTA official said the union would be “in touch” with Jenner about “questions and concerns” the group had with the bill, but no specific issues were cited.