The House Family, Children and Human Affairs Committee on Tuesday approved State Rep. Chuck Goodrich’s (R-Noblesville) bill that aims to break barriers for students from low-income families.
Goodrich’s House Bill 1009 would exempt students’ income earned through internship and work-based learning programs from their families’ Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families eligibility requirements. Because the earned income could jeopardize their families’ eligibility for assistance, Goodrich said some students may turn down those opportunities.
“Taking part in internships and paid apprenticeships can open up new opportunities for students as they diversify their skillset making them more competitive in the job market,” Goodrich said. “Providing an exemption could encourage more students to take part in these experiences without worrying about putting their families’ assistance at risk.”
Goodrich said this legislation also comes as Indiana works to further develop its workforce to meet the needs of job creators across the state. According to Indiana’s Next Level Jobs initiative, there are more than 45,000 jobs openings in fields such as advanced manufacturing and health care.
“Indiana’s unemployment rate continues to sit below the national average, but we also have more jobs available than workers to fill them,” Goodrich said. “This bill reaffirms our continued focus on growing our workforce to help support a solid pipeline of skilled workers to keep Indiana’s economic momentum moving forward.”
House Bill 1009 now moves to the full House for further consideration. For more information, visit iga.in.gov.
State Rep. Chuck Goodrich (R-Noblesville) represents House District 29, which includes portions of Hamilton County.