The Indiana Senate passed a bill Monday that would define natural gas and propane as clean energy sources. Senate Bill 178 now moves to the House for consideration.

Employers who sponsor health plans typically utilize administrators, like pharmacy benefits managers, to facilitate those plans. The Senate approved legislation that would clarify those intermediaries have a financial responsibility to the plan sponsors.

A bill that would jail and fine people sleeping on state property passed out of committee Monday. The legislation is moving forward for a full House vote despite over a dozen community members testifying in opposition.

Major property tax reform legislation that proponents call a “work in progress” advanced to the House Monday.

Republicans on a House committee approved a bill Monday to give the attorney general more power to go after businesses that employ undocumented immigrants.

The House Republicans’ state budget proposal includes 2% per year increases in K-12 education funding; hundreds of millions of new dollars for the Department of Child Services and Department of Correction; and no new tax cuts.

A bill that would reduce education requirements for school superintendents passed the Senate this week. Under SB 366, superintendents would be preferred, instead of required, to have at least a master’s degree in education.

Last year, Indiana lawmakers passed legislation requiring hospitals and other health care entities to notify the attorney general of any mergers or acquisitions over $10 million. This year, lawmakers want to go even further to create competition.

A Senate committee overhauls the property tax reform bill. A Medicaid reform bill advances to the full Senate. And a House committee approves a bill expanding access to birth control — but leaves several common forms out.

Parents could receive notice of school bullying incidents sooner under a bill passed by the House Education Committee this week. HB 1539 also broadens the state’s definition of bullying to encompass severe one-time acts, even if they are not repeated.