Senate panel removes cash-only requirement for extracurricular payments in HB 1064; bill passes 7-6

The Senate Education Committee on Wednesday adopted an amendment that removes a provision from House Bill 1064 that would have required school corporations to offer a cash-payment option for extracurricular activities, and then passed the bill 7-6.

The amendment, labeled Amendment 5, was offered by Senator Brian Buchanan, Senate District 7. "Amendment number 5 simply removes the provision requiring school corporations to offer cash payment option option to extracurricular activities," Buchanan said. He added that the change reflects a preference to leave payment decisions to local school boards: "Ultimately, I think this should be left at the local level. If someone has a concern, I would encourage them to visit their local school board members and look at other options."

The amendment drew a second and was accepted; the committee then took a roll-call vote on the bill as amended. The roll call recorded the following votes: Senator JD Ford — No; Senator Fadi Kadura — No; Senator Shelly Yoder — No; Senator Andrea Hundley — No; Senator Brian Buchanan — Aye; Senator Stacy Donato — Aye; Senator Tyler Johnson — Yes; Senator Spencer Deary — No; Senator Gary Byrne — Aye; Senator Linda Rogers — Yes; Senator Daryl Schmidt — No; Senator Greg Goode — Aye; Senator Rotz — Aye. The committee chair announced the bill passed 7 to 6.

Committee members who spoke during the amendment debate framed the change as a local-control issue and noted shifts in common payment methods. Buchanan told colleagues that many consumers now use card or app payments and questioned whether the state should mandate a particular payment option.

The committee did not reference a specific statutory authority during the discussion. No fiscal note or implementation details were recorded in the committee transcript related to how schools would operationalize payment methods.

The bill now advances from the Senate Education Committee in its amended form.