[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6317151,"mediaKeyId","2374995-4d10d7b07bdbf16190b75c76b4f0e9ac","parentId",2374995,"title","Medical-debt reform fails on Senate floor after lengthy debate; bill sought curb on garnishment and home liens","audioSeconds",5104,"startMs",6186000,"endMs",11290000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2374995-4d10d7b07bdbf16190b75c76b4f0e9ac&start=6186&end=11290","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2374995-4d10d7b07bdbf16190b75c76b4f0e9ac/thumbnail_6186000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6317151/Indiana/Medical-debt-reform-fails-on-Senate-floor-after-lengthy-debate-bill-sought-curb-on-garnishment-and-home-liens","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6317151-9e58144aceae868deb42bd67090f7881/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153804&Signature=H2SxK8yd8~iqcbQl4s2ACB0oFsThdL-~HCJPwXfndJohSZw68QNvEuf9yRFtGyvPCZ4F9RB2w6ncU7m3o3vVE0~Ycphl-WKJIvhex1BVeCIoWu685isXC67XUI7eR~966AJb3HybbVBH3ZIJh3U2oEEX2xdMjyADVa2LRlWfcdHnt84yjgeNACMLdNkPvamaXk2S7jeKITZaUIWYLPFo4CD~Vr05091c3bBFJyxLqsaoya-w7y331WREb69KMjdXaNoFdgcU0MocSuFrC38gPHVkCa-K~5fMoQFrw6ZSW-~3JihpgXGPiA1z92k4zymv8mNs~9Sf3DzUjKhTNhx~ig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Indiana Legislature","date","2025-02-20T00:00:00Z","article","Senate Bill 3 17, discussed extensively on March 3, 2025, would have required hospitals to provide clear notices to patients about charitable-assistance options, restricted wage garnishment for medical debt for households at or below 250% of the federal poverty level, and barred liens on primary residences for qualifying patients. The sponsor, Senator Gudora, said the measure attempted to protect the most vulnerable households who face catastrophic medical bills.

Key floor points

- Supporters described cases in which families lost homes or savings due to medical debt, and cited national and state audits showing very large pharmacy and medical spending that can entangle patients in significant debt. The sponsor said the goal was to prevent eviction or forced sale of a primary residence due to medical bills for low- and moderate-income families.

- Opponents — including senators representing rural and suburban districts and some fiscal conservatives — argued the bill would create perverse incentives, reduce hospitals’ ability to collect legitimate debts, and create administrative burdens and fiscal exposure for hospitals and local governments. Questions focused on how to prevent abuse, what groups would be protected, and the correct threshold for protection.

Fiscal and policy issues cited on the floor

During floor debate senators cited an audit figure presented during committee discussions: approximately $10,000,000,000 in drug spending over a five-year period (about $2,000,000,000 a year for state employee and Medicaid drug claims), with spread-pricing and other practices producing large costs to payers. Supporters argued these market conditions justified limiting downstream actions against patients in defined income bands. Opponents noted the difficulty of defining program boundaries and the need for granular fiscal modeling to avoid unintended consequences.

Outcome

The Senate voted 23–26 against final passage. Sponsors said they would continue to work on narrower approaches or target populations; opponents argued a broader, more measured policy process was required before changing garnishment and lien rules.

Attribution

Quoted positions and numerical citations in this report come from remarks on the Senate floor during the March 3 session, including Senators Gudora (sponsor), Charbonneau, Johnson, Brown, and others who participated in the debate. The clerk recorded the final vote as 23 ayes, 26 noes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Indiana Senate Legislative Session February 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 3 17, a medical-debt bill that would have limited wage garnishment and home liens for lower‑income patients and required stronger charity‑care notices, was defeated 23–26 on the Senate floor after extensive debate.","taxTitle","2025 Senate Legislative Sessions, 2025 Legislature IN, Indiana","taxId",77717,"location","Indiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6317156,"Senate narrowly approves charter-sharing language after hours of debate; senators divided over local fiscal impacts",7619,14435000,22054000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2374995-4d10d7b07bdbf16190b75c76b4f0e9ac&start=14435&end=22054","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2374995-4d10d7b07bdbf16190b75c76b4f0e9ac/thumbnail_14435000.jpg","/articles/6317156/Indiana/Senate-narrowly-approves-charter-sharing-language-after-hours-of-debate-senators-divided-over-local-fiscal-impacts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6317156-8262caedd696431fc20c383331870d56/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153804&Signature=PSg-~IFV854cgIcMnqGvvvy9bJPAMUXneNtWvLkFd0oGACpvHwR2TKAoIJH1rqxgc4I6fmKZDp7YLX4BdVvV3gJiHhNVW6Whab2rCnIOL4KaFq8y4MwqIzxf-RxFLRm9L7U~lx2ilS3LLDayeR3IET5XUJ1vQB5hoUSgrxnr0AuCxVmyNb0jT-5fHHvJR~LXWSF6P2FiZZQ0Ch3l3~zRTRPLjb-cau0DUE~3NJvWhZhrJO0kSdBiH9BQ9DOc94iTK9C0oKxN0RxzmR0sIJ8OjgA~vLx1TkpY1c-UIsolzI1gUgOYtoIKZGv-xyAcLK4SYnsOgYQbu-B7bcRVgdy9oA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Indiana Senate approved Senate Bill 5 18 on March 3, 2025, by a 28–21 roll call after an extended floor debate that ranged across questions of local control, fiscal impact, and the role of charter schools in urban districts.

What the bill does

Senate Bill 5 18 changes how some local property-tax levies are shared with qualifying charter schools. The Senate-floor amendments phased the major sharing provisions in so the new sharing regime would begin in 2028 for the statewide operations fund and include other local levies under a specified schedule. The bill excludes pre-existing debt-service levy collections (grandfathered) but requires school corporations to publish notice in certain cases and adds reporting requirements for the Department of Education. The bill was presented as a mechanism to make local funding follow students in a way advocates said is fairer for families using charter options.

Why it mattered on the floor

Supporters said local practice had produced a mismatch between where property-tax dollars were raised and which institutions actually educate certain students. Senator Rogers, the floor sponsor, said the change restores parity by making local levies follow children who attend charter schools rather than continuing to concentrate certain local revenues in district buildings that no longer educate all students in that taxing area.

Opponents, including a coalition of senators representing urban districts and larger school systems, argued the bill shifts large and uncertain sums of local tax revenue away from school corporations that still educate the majority of students. Senators raised multiple concerns: the floor record showed senators asking for district-level financial projections, the interaction of the change with other budget proposals (including property-tax reductions under separate legislation), and the timeline for implementation (2028) when many districts were planning referenda and capital projects.

Floor – key testimony and arguments

- Support: Senator Rogers argued the pilot and amended schedule provide time for planning, and she said the bill corrects an allocation inequity where some districts retained operations revenue for students they do not educate.

- Opposition: Senators Taylor, Yoder, Jackson and others urged delay or deeper fiscal study. Senator Taylor produced district-level examples on the floor and warned of multi‑million-dollar shifts from Indianapolis public schools and others. Senator Jackson (Indianapolis) said the bill threatened dozens of school buildings and programs if district revenues fell as projected.

Vote and next steps

The Senate voted 28–21 to pass the measure and will transmit it to the House. Senators on the floor repeatedly requested clearer district-level fiscal figures and outlined plans to press for precise implementation guidance and reporting; the bill text also places a phased start date in 2028 for key levy sharing so state and local officials will have time to prepare. If the House amends the measure, sponsors on both sides signaled readiness for additional negotiations and district-level impact reviews.

Speakers on the floor and sources

Directly quoted and attributed testimony on the bill comes from Senator Erin Rogers (floor sponsor) and multiple senators who spoke at length during the debate, including Senators Mike Taylor, Linda Yoder, Lonnie Jackson, and Andrea Brown. The Senate clerk recorded the final vote as 28 ayes, 21 noes. Fiscal figures cited during the debate were disputed on the floor; a number of senators asked for updated Legislative Services Agency or Department of Education district-level analyses before implementation.

Why this matters to local readers

The bill affects how local property-tax levies may be shared with charter schools in many districts and can change revenue available for transportation, building maintenance, and classroom operations. Local officials, school boards, and voters planning referenda or capital projects should be aware the Senate approved the change and that implementation details and district-level fiscal estimates will be critical to local planning.","The Senate approved a major change to how certain local property-tax levies will be shared with charter schools, passing Senate Bill 5 18 in a 28–21 roll on March 3 after lengthy debate over local fiscal impacts and implementation timing.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6317162,"Senate passes wide slate of bills on March 3, 2025; key tallies and short summaries",21626,427000,22053000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2374995-4d10d7b07bdbf16190b75c76b4f0e9ac&start=427&end=22053","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2374995-4d10d7b07bdbf16190b75c76b4f0e9ac/thumbnail_427000.jpg","/articles/6317162/Indiana/Senate-passes-wide-slate-of-bills-on-March-3-2025-key-tallies-and-short-summaries","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6317162-22df3829346b8b57325f2916478e3225/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153804&Signature=X-qh2~cK5QCwhmYF~XG27C6Z1uo6EIkAKFfg8VhPzl2VeWSWjBjHdsNmLUIxXXggcR8N6qIc~o2pNgXpn4Y9QzNcT-pXBJCXmZuh1yx-uwzlIh1GnXRDk6pmmzuHNb5hrADqaOLzYadZPkYv63W0ejqM8bS4YTQ5L1u-cyQe4p6Y3miwDETlFDYONMeNsAocXQemD0CB7Ri9Ogk8b9XTSWuf-8D1ll5Ci20LDu6hgpr3ggkr7dVWPp4Guwb4n~Cw9UOs4hpeRaBxrlxBVT4NLIVilv3C-OxTsJfl3Arl3rJZKh9BadHBAUNCIxgyi3J60Iq5BiAnP8yUCCOGQiYO6w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Indiana Senate completed a long floor session on March 3, 2025, voting on a broad series of bills spanning alcohol licensing, health-care regulation, public safety, education and other subjects. The roll calls below record the vote outcome as announced on the Senate floor. Text summaries are drawn from the bill presentations on the floor.

Votes at a glance

- Senate Bill 109 (artisan distillery rules): Passed 42-7. Expanded production caps and onsite collaboration rules for artisan distilleries; increased event and direct-sale limits. (Floor presentation: Senator Alting; vote announced at roll call.)

- Senate Bill 119 (Terre Haute hospital review/COPPA clarification): Passed 49-0. Clarifies review requirements and sets an end date for the process established to review a proposed hospital transaction in Terre Haute. (Senator Charbonneau presented.)

- Senate Bill 140 (PBM and insurer contracting limits): Passed 47-2. Prohibits certain insurer–PBM ownership linkages, requires network adequacy measures and annual reporting, creates a complaint process for pharmacists and gives the state authority over some PBM data. (Senator Charbonneau presented; extended floor discussion.)

- Senate Bill 141 (eyewitness ID and AI protections): Passed 49-0. Criminal-defense and identification protections related to eyewitness and AI-generated imagery. (Senator Brown presented.)

- Senate Bill 260 (Alcohol and Tobacco Commission swift suspension authority): Passed 47-2. Allows the ATC to suspend certain on-premises retail permits without notice for up to five days in narrowly defined circumstances where listed serious crimes occur on licensed premises and the permit holder has failed to take reasonable steps; requires a hearing within five days. (Long floor debate; Senator Alting presented.)

- Senate Bill 317 (medical-debt protections; garnishment/primary-residence limits): DEFEATED, 23-26. The bill would have required hospitals to offer clearer charity-care notice, prohibited wage garnishment for certain households (those at or below 250% of the federal poverty line), and limited liens on primary residences for qualifying patients; the Senate vote defeated the bill on constitutional grounds after extended debate. (Senator Gudora presented; roll call: defeated.)

- Senate Bill 358 (various education-related changes): Passed 39-10. (Senator Rods presented; roll call announced.)

- Senate Bill 371 (public safety/fund adjustments for 77 fund members): Passed 49-0. (Senator Rogers presented.)

- Senate Bill 388/389/403/409/418 and others: A number of agency and technical bills passed with recorded roll-call tallies as announced on the floor. Examples include Senate Bill 403 (Department of Workforce Development technical updates) passed 49-0; Senate Bill 409 (parental leave access for special-education meetings; four-year sunset) passed 30-19; Senate Bill 419 (health-care workplace protections) passed 42-7. (See the transcript roll calls; presentation names are in each recorded floor segment.)

What to watch next

Several bills that passed will move to the House for further consideration and possible amendment. A subset of bills (for example the PBM bill and the ATC suspension authority) drew extended floor debate and are likely to be discussed further in conference or by House committees. The charter/education funding measure discussed elsewhere in the session (Senate Bill 5 18) received lengthy floor debate and a close vote; its implementation and fiscal details were central to arguments from senators on both sides.

Note: vote tallies and brief bill descriptions are drawn from the Senate floor clerk roll calls and floor presentations on March 3, 2025. This glance summarizes outcomes reported on the Senate floor; readers looking for full text, fiscal notes, or conference changes should consult the enrolled bill text and House committee schedules once bills are transmitted.","The Indiana Senate moved dozens of bills on March 3, 2025, approving measures on distilled spirits rules, hospital review timelines, pharmacy benefit manager limits, nightlife licensing enforcement, and other topics. Below are short summaries and recorded roll-call outcomes from the day's floor session.","actionData","errors"]

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Medical-debt reform fails on Senate floor after lengthy debate; bill sought curb on garnishment and home liens

Senate narrowly approves charter-sharing language after hours of debate; senators divided over local fiscal impacts

Senate passes wide slate of bills on March 3, 2025; key tallies and short summaries