The Indiana State Senate on Tuesday unanimously concurred with the amendments from the House on Senate Bill 292.
Authored by State Senator Jean Breaux (D-Indianapolis), ranking minority member of the Senate Health and Provider’s Services Committee, SB 292 will require residential and long-term care facilities to report COVID-19 case and death data to the Indiana State Department of Health. The Department of Health would then be required to publish the information on the department’s website.
The proposal passed out of the House once and Senate twice, receiving unanimous support each time. SB 292 now heads to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.
Sen. Breaux made the following comments on the passage of her bill:
“My SB 292 will make a world of difference for families with loved ones living in long-term care facilities. This legislation will guarantee transparency for folks who are entering long-term care facilities on the backend of this pandemic, and simply want to be sure that their safety is a priority wherever they choose to live.
“This pandemic has changed our way of life for over a year now, and while we are rolling out vaccines and see the light at the end of the tunnel, we’re not quite sure when this will end or if another pandemic will strike in the future. What we’re doing with this legislation is ensuring that people have the data they need to make responsible, safe decisions for themselves and loved ones. Really, we’re protecting families.
“I appreciate my colleagues in both the House and Senate for getting this bill done for Hoosiers. It’s rare that this body can agree unanimously on any piece of legislation, so it’s really meaningful for me that each one of my colleagues saw the value that this will bring. I particularly want to thank Sen. Charbonneau, Rep. Shackleford and Rep. Clere for their help in getting this legislation through both chambers. This is a big win for the people of Indiana.”