Charbonneau's bill enabling responsible end of public health emergency passes Senate

STATEHOUSE (Jan. 27, 2022) – A bill authored by State Sen. Ed Charbonneau (R-Valparaiso) that would responsibly enable the end of the governor's public health emergency passed out of the Senate today by a vote of 34 to 11.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Indiana has been under a statewide public health emergency, allowing many state government decisions to be made by the governor via executive orders. In order to end the emergency declaration, the governor and lawmakers have identified key issues that need to be addressed through legislation. Senate Bill 3 would:

• allow the secretary of the Family and Social Services Administration to waive state laws and rules so that Indiana could continue to receive extra federal funding for Medicaid;
• guarantee households can continue to qualify for extra SNAP food assistance benefits through April 16;
• permit the Indiana Department of Health to continue operating voluntary community vaccine clinics for Hoosiers; and
• enable retired health care professionals, recently graduated medical students and out of state licensed health care professionals to continue to temporarily practice in Indiana.

"My colleagues and I continue to take the effects of COVID-19 seriously," Charbonneau said. "By establishing ways for Indiana to continue receiving federal funding and making sure we have plenty of health care professionals, SB 3 would allow us to handle the situation through the normal governing process without the need for an ongoing emergency executive order."

SB 3 will now move to the House of Representatives for further consideration.

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Click here for a high-resolution photo of Sen. Charbonneau.