Senate Bill 99, (Wage Assignments for Clothing and Tools), authored by Sen. Phil Boots (R-Crawfordsville), was amended and passed by the House Employment, Labor and Pensions Committee 13-0. The bill provides that a wage assignment may be made for the rental of uniform shirts, pants and job-related clothing, as well as the for the purchase of equipment or tools necessary to fulfill the duties of employment.
We reported that last week there was an attempt to amend the bill to make it retroactive, but that attempt was abandoned and the committee settled for an amendment which made the legislation effective upon passage. We do not expect there to be any further difficulty with the bill and it should sail smoothly through the full House.
HB 1344 (Nurse Licensure Compact), authored by Rep. Ed Clere (R-New Albany), passed the Senate Health Committee unanimously this week. The measure specifies requirements for participation by the state in a multistate nurse licensure compact. The most interest in the bill comes from the southern part of the state where it would allow for nurses to practice in Indiana and Kentucky. The bill addresses a workforce shortage in nursing among facility providers in the Louisville corridor. Amelia McClure from Hosparus Health (a member of the Chamber Health Care Policy Committee) testified in favor of the bill on behalf of the Chamber.
Resource: Mike Ripley at (317) 264-6883 or email: mripley@indianachamber.com
