We’re halfway there! 2023 Mid-Session Recap
As we reach the halfway point of the 2023 Legislative Session in Indiana, we are proud to continue representing you and advocating for our shared values. Thanks to your unwavering support, we’ve already achieved significant victories in our efforts to protect Hoosier families. Our team has testified on several crucial bills, and we would like to share an update on three that we have been closely monitoring.
First, the Help, Not Harm Bill (SB 480), has passed its third reading in the Senate and is now on its way to the House. If passed, this bill will prohibit doctors from performing gender-affirming procedures such as hormone therapy or surgery on minors.
We don’t want to lose the incredible momentum we have right now! It is a critical time in our ability to represent you, and we need your support more than ever. Please, take a moment and reach out to your representatives and let them know you want them to vote YES on theHelp,NotHarmbill. If you click here, we have made it easy.
HB 1407 has also passed its third reading, but in the House. It is now on its way to the Senate. This bill strengthens parental rights by clearly stating that they are fundamental and that parents cannot have their children removed from their care simply because they refuse to affirm their child as anything other than their biological sex.
If we do not take legislative action, episodes that call into question the importance of the natural family and its authority will repeat and worsen over time. This billis incredibly important to help solve this problem. You can reach out to your representatives and let them know you want them to vote YES on HB 1407 here.
Lastly, HB 1608, which prohibits teaching human sexuality topics to students in kindergarten through third grade passed its third reading in the House and is on its way to the Senate. HB 1346, which includes provisions that prohibit schools from requiring teachers to use pronouns or titles that do not align with a student’s biological sex, was amended into the bill. If you would like to learn more, you can listen to our testimony in favor of this bill here. Select the February 20th meeting and IFI testimony is at 3:28:45.
We will continue to monitor these bills and keep you updated on developments. If you’re interested in reviewing the roll call votes for any of the discussed bills, you can find that information below:
HB 480: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2023/bills/senate/480#document-92147f92
HB 1407: https://iga.in.gov/documents/639ca24c
HB 1608: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2023/bills/house/1608#document-e73988c5
We are deeply grateful for your prayers, commitment to responding to our Action Alerts, and your generous financial support of our organization. As we enter the second half of this legislative session, we are filled with hope and optimism knowing that we are working together towards meaningful change in our communities. Thank you again for being an essential part of this mission.