SB 68

                                                          Introduced Version
            SENATE BILL No. 68
                 _____
              DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL
Citations Affected: IC 21-41-18.
Synopsis: Accelerated graduate degree programs. Requires each state
educational institution that offers a two year graduate degree program
in mental or behavioral health to evaluate the graduate degree program
to determine the feasibility of providing the program in a specifically
structured manner to allow full-time students to complete the program
within: (1) one year; or (2) five years if the program is combined with
a baccalaureate degree program. Requires certain state educational
institutions to offer at least one graduate degree program in one or
more certain disciplines that is structured to allow full-time students to
complete the program within: (1) one year; or (2) five years if the
program is combined with a baccalaureate degree program. Requires
certain state educational institutions to report to the commission for
higher education (commission) regarding the graduate degree
programs. Requires the commission to post the submitted reports on
the commission's website.
Effective: July 1, 2026.
                               Yoder
   December 8, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Education and Career
Development.
2026  IN 68—LS 6323/DI 110
                                                                                       Introduced
            Second Regular Session of the 124th General Assembly (2026)
 PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana
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                    SENATE BILL No. 68
    A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning
 higher education.
     Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
1     SECTION 1. IC 21-41-18 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE
2 AS A NEW CHAPTER TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
3 JULY 1, 2026]:
4     Chapter 18. Graduate Programs in Mental or Behavioral
5 Health
6     Sec. 1. This chapter does not apply to Ivy Tech Community
7 College or Vincennes University.
8     Sec. 2. Each state educational institution that offers a two (2)
9 year graduate degree program in mental or behavioral health shall
10 evaluate the graduate degree program to determine the feasibility,
11 if any, of providing the graduate degree program in a specifically
12 structured manner to allow a full-time student to complete the
13 graduate degree within:
14(1) one (1) year; or
15(2) five (5) years if the graduate degree program is combined
16with a baccalaureate degree program.
17     Sec. 3. Not later than July 1, 2028, each state educational
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1 institution shall offer at least one (1) graduate degree program in
2 one (1) or more of the following disciplines that is specifically
3 structured to allow a full-time student to complete the graduate
4 degree as described in section 2(1) or 2(2) of this chapter:
5(1) Social work.
6(2) Clinical addiction counseling.
7(3) Mental health counseling.
8(4) Marriage and family therapy.
9(5) School counseling.
10(6) Counseling.
11(7) Psychology.
12    Sec. 4. (a) Not later than November 1, 2028, each state
13 educational institution shall report to the commission for higher
14 education, in a form prescribed by the commission for higher
15 education, information regarding each graduate degree program
16 that the state educational institution is offering in compliance with
17 section 3 of this chapter.
18    (b) Not later than November 1, 2032, each state educational
19 institution shall report to the commission for higher education, in
20 a form prescribed by the commission for higher education, the
21 following information for each graduate degree program described
22 in section 3 of this chapter offered by the state educational
23 institution:
24(1) For each of the immediately preceding four (4) academic
25years, a description of each graduate degree program.
26(2) The estimated student cost savings of the graduate degree
27program.
28(3) For a graduate degree program that allows completion
29within one (1) year, the number of students:
30(A) enrolled in the graduate degree program; and
31(B) who completed the graduate degree program on time;
32for each of the immediately preceding four (4) academic
33years.
34(4) For a graduate degree program combined with a
35baccalaureate degree program that allows for completion
36within five (5) years, the number of students:
37(A) enrolled in the graduate degree program; and
38(B) who completed or are on track to complete the
39graduate degree program on time;
40for each of the immediately preceding four (4) academic
41years.
42(5) Any other information requested by the commission for
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1      higher education.
2    (c) The commission for higher education shall post the reports
3 submitted under this section on the commission for higher
4 education's website.
5    Sec. 5. The commission for higher education may consider
6 graduate degrees described in section 3 of this chapter completed
7 within the time frame described in section 2 of this chapter for the
8 purposes of the higher educational operating funding outcomes
9 based formula created by the commission for higher education
10 under IC 21-18-16-2.
11    Sec. 6. This chapter expires July 1, 2033.
 2026  IN 68—LS 6323/DI 110