SB 473 Indiana Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Various health care matters.

Summary
Specifies the process for a managed care organization to follow concerning home modification services. Requires a patient of an opioid treatment program (program) who has tested positive on a drug test to be given a random drug test monthly until the patient passes the test. (Current law requires the patient to be tested weekly.) Allows a program to close on Sundays and federal holidays. Prohibits the division of mental health and addiction from: (1) requiring a program's medical director to have admitting privileges at a hospital; and (2) establishing rules or guidelines concerning program admission and medication that are more stringent than federal regulations. Allows specified health care providers to perform the initial assessment, examination, and evaluation of a patient being admitted to a program. Allows the medical staff of an ambulatory outpatient surgical center to make recommendations on the granting of clinical privileges or the appointment or reappointment of an applicant to the governing board of the ambulatory outpatient surgical center for a period not to exceed 36 months. (Current law allows medical staff of hospitals to make recommendations.) Establishes the certified health care professions commission (commission). Sets forth the requirements for the: (1) certification of nurse aides and qualified medication aides; and (2) registration of home health aides. Specifies the duties of the Indiana department of health and the commission in regulating these professions. Relocates provisions concerning training for home health aides and requires the commission to approve the training. Sets forth requirements on facilities in employing nurse aides. Specifies the definition of "nurse aide" for purposes of an administrative rule. Makes changes to the release of medical information statute. Modifies the duties of the center for deaf and hard of hearing education. Adds provisions regarding "family navigators" and specifies the role of family navigators in the provisions of the bill regarding the center for deaf and hard of hearing education. Allows a prescriber to prescribe certain agonist opioids through telehealth services for the treatment or management of opioid dependence. (Current law allows only a partial agonist to be prescribed through telehealth.) Allows certain residential care administrators an exemption from taking continuing education during the initial licensing period. Allows for the provision of certain anesthesia in a physician's office or a podiatrist's office without the office being accredited. (Current law allows for this in dental offices.) Requires adverse events concerning anesthesia in an office based setting to be reported to the medical licensing board of Indiana (board). Requires the board to: (1) determine the types of adverse events to be reported; (2) establish a procedure for reporting; and (3) post the adverse events on the board's website. Creates a process for certain individuals who do not have a Social Security number and who are seeking licensure by examination as a registered nurse or practical nurse to obtain a provisional license. Requires a nursing program to offer a clinical experience for clinical hours in a hospital and a health facility setting.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
House Passage
Apr 2025
Signed into Law
May 2025
Introduced Jan 13, 2025 Signed May 1, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 5 comparisons

What changed between versions

Senate Bill (S) Senate Bill (H) · 6 edits
MODERATE
This bill was amended from Senate to House version, updating the bill number from SB0473.2 to ES0473.1 and changing the digest date from February 14, 2025 to April 1, 2025. The House version removed IC 12-10 from the list of affected citations and added new provisions regarding family navigators (changed from parent navigators), expanded anesthesia provisions to include physician and podiatrist offices, and established a new certified health care professions commission. The effective date was also expanded to include September 1, 2025 in addition to July 1, 2025.
Scope change
The bill's scope was modified to include podiatrist offices alongside physician offices for anesthesia provisions, and the regulatory framework was updated to establish a new certified health care professions commission while removing references to the state department's administration of the nurse aide registry.
REQUIREMENT

Changed 'parent navigators' to 'family navigators' in provisions related to the center for deaf and hard of hearing education.

Expanded anesthesia provisions to allow provision in physician's offices and podiatrist's offices without accreditation, previously limited to dental offices.

Removed provisions requiring the state department to include home health aides on the nurse aide registry and repealed the state department's administration of the certified nurse aide registry.

DEFINITION

Established a new certified health care professions commission with duties including certification of nurse aides and qualified medication aides, and registration of home health aides.

TIMELINE

Added September 1, 2025 as an additional effective date alongside July 1, 2025.

TECHNICAL

Updated bill number from SB0473.2 to ES0473.1 and digest date from February 14, 2025 to April 1, 2025 to reflect House version.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 20, 2025 · House Apr 9, 2025

How they voted

472
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 50
Feb 20, 2025
D Democratic10
8 Yea 1 Nay 1
80% Yea
R Republican40
39 Yea 1 Nay
97% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
31
Key actions
14
Committee
3
Amendments
4
May 1, 2025
Signed into law
Signed by the Governor
executive
Apr 23, 2025
Upper · Passed
Signed by the President of the Senate
upper
Apr 22, 2025
Lower · Passed
Signed by the Speaker
lower
Apr 17, 2025
Upper · Passed
Signed by the President Pro Tempore
upper
Apr 16, 2025
Upper · Passed
Senate concurred with House amendments; Roll Call 465: yeas 41, nays 0
upper
Apr 9, 2025
Lower · Passed
Third reading: passed; Roll Call 411: yeas 93, nays 0
lower
Apr 8, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amendment #3 (Barrett) prevailed; voice vote
lower
Apr 8, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amendment #1 (Barrett) prevailed; voice vote
lower
Apr 8, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amendment #4 (Barrett) prevailed; voice vote
lower
Apr 1, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report: amend do pass, adopted
lower
Feb 20, 2025
Upper · Passed
Third reading: passed; Roll Call 201: yeas 47, nays 2
upper
Feb 17, 2025
Upper · Passed
Amendment #1 (Brown L) prevailed; voice vote
upper
Feb 13, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report: amend do pass, adopted
upper
Jan 29, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report: amend do pass adopted; reassigned to Committee on Appropriations
upper
4 primary · 6 co-sponsors

Sponsors