Indiana lawmakers curb student cell phone use, expand religious instruction

The Indiana General Assembly’s two chambers on Tuesday passed a pair of education bills — including a proposal requiring schools to let students out of school for religious instruction — alongside a health care merger measure.

State statute currently allows students to leave school for up to 120 minutes a week for religious instruction organized by a church or religious organization. That’s as long as instruction takes place off school premises, the religious organizations provide private transportation and no tax dollars for used throughout.

But schools don’t have to approve parental requests.

Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer, seeks to change that through House Bill 1137. He said, under the new legislation, “the principal and the parents or the entity providing instruction must work in a collaborative manner” to find the best time during the school day for the student to leave the school.

The bill stipulates that when a parent of a public school student provides a written request, the principal “shall” allow the student to attend outside religious instruction.

The bill passed 92-4 and now moves to the Senate.

In the meantime, Senators unanimously passed another education measure: a bill requiring school districts to have cell phone policies that are posted publicly. 

“There’s all kinds of data out there that show that it’s distractive to learning and as we try to increase outcomes in the state, this is one way I believe that we can accomplish that,” said Richmond Sen. Jeff Raatz, the author.

Following an amendment from Indianapolis Democrat Sen. J.D. Ford, the bill includes an exception for children with individualized education plans. Schools may adopt more stringent requirements.

Senate Bill 185 now moves to the House for further consideration.

In the health care realm, senators unanimously voted in favor of a bill to require health care entities to file notice with the Attorney General’s Office 45 days before an anticipated merger with a price tag of $10 million or more. 

Author Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown, said Senate Bill 9 came from a list of recommendations approved by an interim committee he led in the fall.

He noted that 29 other states already require notification as part of their anti-monopoly efforts — and that 13 of those states also require approval.

In Indiana, the office would only conduct an antitrust review.