IaUW Policy Update

Policy Update, December 9, 2016

Thank you for your interest and support. The Indiana Association of United Ways provides its Policy Update on "even Fridays" (2nd and 4th Fridays). Contact us if you have any questions or comments about content (past, present or desired for the future).

Happy 200th Birthday, Indiana!

Sunday, December 11, marks our state's 200th year. The last year has included many fun and thoughtful events across the state to celebrate the bicentennial including the Bicentennial Torch Relay and the Bison-tennial Public Art Project .

IaUW wishes Indiana a happy birthday!

The status of the overtime rule

As noted in our last issue, the Department of Labor's (DOL) new federal overtime rule was put on hold on November 22. The rule is now halted while the court determines whether or not the overtime rule is valid. For now, the court ruling means that your nonprofit organization does not have to make any changes, however a plan should be in place since the rules are not permanently barred.

The North Carolina Center for Nonprofits has developed some FAQs specifically for nonprofit organizations. View their resource, The Status (and Future) of the Overtime Rule: What Nonprofits Need to Know. Guidance includes:

Monitor what happens next at the federal level. The rule could become permanently barred or an appellate court may lift the preliminary injunction. It is also possible that once President-elect Trump takes office that DOL may no longer pursue the overtime rule.
Think through changes you make and considering staff morale before reversing any payroll changes that may have already taken effect.
Consider the positives that have come from these conversations on overtime rules. For example, preparation for the overtime rule has given many nonprofits a greater appreciation of the quality and quantity of work that their employees do every day.

Indiana's well-being ranking

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index includes more than 2.3 million surveys which capture how people feel about and experience their daily lives. The report includes state and community level data on Americans' perceptions of well being which looks at five key elements: sense of purpose, social relationships, financial security, relationship to community and physical health. Indiana's 2015 well-being rank was 46. This is improved from 48 in 2014. Indiana's score was 60.5 which is just slightly below the national average of 61.7.

View the Indiana Fact Sheet and the State of American Well-Being Report.

Preparing for the 2017 legislative session

The Indiana General Assembly convened for the first time leading up to the 2017 legislative session on Organization Day last month. The 2017 session will begin on January 3 and must end no later than April 29. This session is a "long session" where lawmakers will decide the state's next two-year budget which is typically about $30 billion. Legislators will make tough funding decisions on state government services, including education, infrastructure and public safety. Helpful links to help you follow are below:

IaUW has started to monitor Third House Sessions and Meet Your Legislator events across the state. These meetings are opportunities for constituents to talk to their legislators and learn about bills they are working on at the statehouse. It is important that legislators hear input from their constituents and these events are a great way for you to connect and share your thoughts. View our Third House Calendar that will be updated regularly over the next few weeks and throughout session. Check back often for new events as they are scheduled!

UPDATE - United Way Day at the Statehouse on March 6

Our United Way Day at the Statehouse will be held on Monday, March 6. Note that the date has changed since the last newsletter. We invite staff, volunteers, board members and agency partners to join our Statehouse Day. We especially encourage new volunteers and staff to visit the statehouse and meet your legislators during this important, budget session.

Come and meet with your legislators to discuss key topics that are important to your community! Register today.

Consider volunteering at a free tax preparation site


	Scott, an Indianapolis VITA volunteer encourages others to give it a try.

Looking for a new volunteer opportunity? Interested in helping families keep more of the dollars they earn?

Consider serving at a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site in 2017. VITA volunteers go through a training that teaches them how to file taxes following IRS guidelines. They are then able to give their time during the 2016 filing season to serve their community and help low-income families file their taxes for free. This ensures that local individuals and families are filing their taxes correctly and claiming all of the dollars they've earned. Tax credits like the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit are important tools that help families on their path to financial stability.

During the 2015 filing season, there were nearly 1,000 VITA volunteers in Indiana that served nearly 25,000 hours saving more than $4.6 million in tax prep services. Contact us to learn more about VITA volunteer opportunities near you.

Weigh in on issues important to you!

Submitting comments during rulemaking periods is an important way to shape policy. State and federal agencies appreciate specific comments about possible impacts and ways to improve proposed rules. Below are a few open comment periods in Indiana.

Department of Education is accepting public comments on the Every Student Succeeds Act to help shape the state plan. Learn more .
FSSA Department of Mental Health and Addiction is accepting written comments regarding the addition of psychosocial rehabilitation services offered in accredited clubhouse settings under the Medicaid Rehabilitation Option. Learn more.

IaUW Public Policy

IaUW is a nonpartisan organization that works to advance policy principles and compromise solutions for the common good. We focus on policies that a re aligned with the impact work in local communities conducted by our 60 United Ways and United Funds.

Education, so that children are prepared for and succeed in school;
Income/Financial Stability, so that individuals and families may achieve and sustain financial stability;
Health, so that individuals may access quality healthcare; and
Strong Communities, where a statewide 2-1-1 network and a strong charitable sector help communities thrive.

Our policy priorities are developed and guided by our Public Policy Committee and our IaUW members , based on their work in Hoosier communities.

Review our public policy documents, including fact sheets, testimony and bill summaries.

Frequently Requested Links / Documents

iauw.org - Learn about the Indiana Association of United Ways, current trainings and conferences and the ways we support local United Ways/Funds, partners and communities.

IaUW Policy / Advocacy info - Review and download IaUW Policy Priorities, Third House calendar, bill lists, fact sheets, talking points and testimony.

Federal Advocacy Action Center - Contact your member of Congress provided through our partnership with United Way Worldwide.

IaUW Policy Update Archive - Read prior issues, special articles and key documents produced by IaUW related to public policy and advocacy.

Community Report Card - Check out key indicators in Education, Income and Health for your neighborhood, county or region.

IN211.org - S earch for human service information available through the referral database or by calling 2-1-1. Download reports about resources, needs, gaps and trends from Indiana 211 Partnership.

NRN Calendar - Register for high-quality and affordable training for nonprofit staff and volunteers by the Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network.

Funding and Other Opportunities - Explore current requests for proposals, funding and recognition opportunities.

Indiana General Assembly - Check the hearing or floor schedule, watch a live or recorded hearing or floor session and look up your legislators.

Congress.gov - Look up bills introduced or passed in Congress.