House Passes Bill to Slash Indiana School Red Tape
STATEHOUSE – The Indiana House of Representatives today passed a priority piece of legislation aimed at slashing red tape in K-12 education. House Bill 1004, authored by State Rep. Bob Behning (R-Indianapolis), seeks to streamline the state’s education code by removing thousands of words of redundant and outdated regulations.
The move follows a similar effort last year that successfully cut more than 35,000 words from state statutes. Behning, who serves as the House Education Committee Chair, says this year’s “second bite at the apple” is designed to empower local educators by cleaning up conflicting definitions and unused state programs.
“The goal is to really get out of the way and let educators do what they do best,” Behning said.
Restoring Student Safety Protections
While the bill was originally designed to remove laws considered “duplicative” of federal standards, it initially sparked significant pushback from parents and health advocates. Two specific safety mandates were originally slated for repeal but were ultimately restored to the bill before it left the House floor:
Jake’s Law: A 2025 mandate requiring Indiana schools to have Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and cardiac emergency response plans present at all school-sanctioned events.
Hunter’s Law: A 2007 landmark law that protects students with diabetes, allowing them to manage their condition in class and providing liability protections for the staff who assist them.
Behning noted the bill was amended to preserve these protections after hearing from “concerned Hoosiers” who argued that federal law did not offer the same level of specific, localized protection as these Indiana-specific statutes.
A Bipartisan Effort
Despite the initial friction over safety mandates, Behning emphasized that the drafting of HB 1004 was a collaborative process involving all four legislative caucuses, teachers’ unions, and associations representing both public and charter schools.
“I hope that the net effect results in significantly fewer and less demanding regulations so that our schools can focus less on red tape and more on educating our kids,” Behning added.
What’s Next?
House Bill 1004 now moves to the Indiana Senate for further consideration. If passed, it will continue the state’s multi-year mission to shrink the massive Indiana Education Code, which lawmakers argue has become a burden on school administration.
