By State Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond)
Students should be informed about all the opportunities they have to help their communities. Programs like the Scouts not only teach students how to be good citizens, but they also learn the values of giving back to others.
Indiana law requires schools to let patriotic youth groups like the Scouts talk to students at least once per school year, however, there was no way to report schools that weren't complying.
That is why I authored Senate Enrolled Act 200, which allows these patriotic groups to file a complaint with the Indiana Department of Education if a school isn't following this law.
SEA 200 also requires schools to treat military recruiters the same as college recruiters when it comes to sharing information with their students.
Finally, SEA 200 protects taxpayers by ensuring that vendors who make contracts with schools don't put unfair clauses in their contracts. The law focuses on making sure that vendors can't get contracts that give them legal immunity for poor performance and making sure that Indiana courts – not out-of-state courts – get to enforce contracts beyond our public schools and vendors.
I recently had the honor of attending a ceremonial bill signing of this law with the governor. This bill is a great step forward in ensuring our students know about community groups they can be a part of and are informed of the many career opportunities available after high school.
As always, I encourage constituents to reach out to me with any questions or concerns by filling out a "Contact Me" form on the IndianaSenateRepublicans.com/Raatz website or by calling my office at 800-382-9467.
PHOTO CAPTION: State Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond, far right) attends the ceremonial signing of Senate Enrolled Act 200, which he authored to ensure students are informed about patriotic community groups like the Scouts.
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State Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond) represents Senate District 27, which includes
Henry, Union and Wayne counties, and portions of Franklin County.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
