Welcome to Indiana Family to Family’s Guide to the Legislative Session
Happy New Year! The 2022 Indiana General Assembly has a "short session" that began on January 4, and is expected to end in early to mid-March. This session, though brief, will provide many opportunities for families to be involved, share your experiences, and build relationships with legislators that will impact current and future decisions.
Watch Indiana Family to Family and other advocacy organizations for action alerts as the session progresses. Remember that lawmakers cannot be experts on all bills. They rely on groups, lobbyists, and their constituents - that’s you - to better understand important topics. Your stories matter!
If you have information about the session to share, or would like further assistance, please call us at 844-323-4636 or email info@inf2f.org.
Bills for 2022 Session:
Relevant Topics for 2022 (we will update these as needed throughout the session):
Caregiver and Direct Support Professionals (DSP) workforce. DSPs include professionals who provide Respite and PAC waiver services.
School-based Medicaid funding. This funding can better support children with health care needs in schools.
Education-related matters, including special education and funding.
Accessible vehicles and consumer protections.
List of current bills: http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2022/bills/
Guide to Following Legislation
Many community organizations around the state host "Third House" or "Meet Your Legislator" events throughout the legislative session. These events provide an opportunity for constituents to hear about the latest from the Statehouse and to ask questions. You can find a statewide calendar here.
If you'd like support on sharing your story with your legislators, or providing public comment on issues that are important to you, feel free to contact us. We are happy to walk you through the process.
Take Action!
Advocacy Questions and Answers:
How can I take action on legislation?
1. Form a relationship with your representatives and senators by calling, emailing, and scheduling meetings to tell them about how their decisions on the budget and laws affect the quality of life for you and your family. TIP: Even brief messages matter! Legislators often tally the contacts they receive on issues.
2. Consider focusing your efforts on key issues such as Medicaid services, ensuring that K-12 proposals support inclusive education practices, or First Steps issues. TIP: Introducing yourself as a parent sets you apart from professionals and lobbyists.
How can I contact my state representative or senator?
Every member has an email address and an office phone number at the statehouse. The most effective ways to communicate are by personal contacts: emails, phone calls or face-to-face meetings. Legislators prefer to hear from their own constituents directly and may not pay attention to mass emails or form letters, especially from people outside their districts. Many legislators even invite constituents with concerns to contact them at home or via cell phone. Information about legislators is available at: http://iga.in.gov/legislative/find-legislators/
You can contact your legislators and their legislative assistants (LAs) at the following:
House of Representatives:
Indiana House of Representatives
200 W. Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2786
(317) 232-9600
(800) 382-9842
Senate:
Indiana State Senate
200 W. Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2785
(317) 232-9400
(800) 382-9467
TDD Telephone Numbers:
TDD (317) 232-0404
TDD (800) 548-9517
The Governor:
The Honorable Eric Holcomb
Office of the Governor
Statehouse
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-2797
(317) 232-4567
How do I contact other state agencies?
The State of Indiana website is: www.in.gov and contains links to all state as well as many federal and local web resources. Many State agencies and programs have email newsletters that you can sign up for on their website. These are a great way to get up to date information about the agency and policies.
When is the General Assembly in session?
The 2022 General Assembly convened on January 4, 2022 and will remain in session until early- to mid-March.
Stay Informed
Groups that provide legislative updates and Action Alerts:
The Arc of Indiana
Information on the Arc's legislative agenda and general legislative information including link to sign up for action alerts.
Indiana League of Women Voters
https://www.lwvin.org
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging informed and active participation in government. It influences public policy through education and advocacy.
Indiana General Assembly
Indiana General Assembly website.
Indiana DOE
Legislative agenda by the Indiana Department of Education.
Glossary
Become familiar with these commonly used acronyms:
Appropriation: a specific amount of money that is intended for use by a specific state program
FSSA: Family and Social Services Administration (in charge of Medicaid & First Steps)
DD: Developmental Disabilities
DOE: Department of Education
FY: Fiscal Year
HB: House Bill
HR: House Resolution
SB: Senate Bill
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