Governor signs bill to expand school eligibility, funding use for robotics grants

Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a bill into law this week that will allow more students to participate in robotics competitions, by increasing the number of schools that can receive robotics grants and allowing them to spend that money on robot-building materials.

HEA 1233 allows schools to use K-12 Robotics Competition Grant funding for expenses related to robotics competitions, like supplies to build robots.

Currently, those funds can only be used to pay for attendance costs at robotics competitions.

The new law also expands robotics funding to accredited, nonpublic schools and amends the definition of "eligible team" to include competitive, community-based robotics programs.

The law’s author, Rep. Chuck Goodrich (R-Noblesville), said the funding expansion to nonpublic schools will allow about 75 more robotics teams to compete after they were barred from competing last year by the current law.
 

Join the conversation and sign up for the Indiana Two-Way. Text "Indiana" to 765-275-1120. Your comments and questions in response to our weekly text help us find the answers you need on statewide issues, including our project Civically, Indiana and our 2024 legislative bill tracker.
 

Democratic lawmakers expressed concern about a provision in the law that bars robotics coaches from collective bargaining. However, the bill was still widely supported by the General Assembly.

The law takes effect July 1, 2024.

Kirsten is Indiana Public Broadcasting's education reporter. Contact her at kadair@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @kirsten_adair.