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Committee passes bill to codify federal definition of employment social enterprises, citing reentry workforce gains
Summary
House Bill 12‑89 would adopt the federal definition of "employment social enterprises" into state code and add the category to workforce programs; proponents said the change will help secure federal funding and strengthen programs such as Recycle Force that provide transitional employment to people exiting incarceration.
Representative Hamilton explained House Bill 12‑89 would incorporate the federal definition of "employment social enterprises" into state code by creating a new section, 3.5, and add work‑based learning delivered through such enterprises to existing workforce programs. He said the change aims to help secure additional federal dollars for Indiana and said the bill has no fiscal impact.
Daniel Roe, director of recycling at Recycle Force, testified about the organization's experience training people returning from incarceration. He said Recycle Force employed more than 500 people in its transitional jobs program in 2024 and that more than 350 of those were direct referrals from the Hoosier Initiative for Reentry operated by the Indiana Department of Correction. "More than 95% of our workers that came through our program earned at least 1 industry recognized credential," he said, and described crosswalks with credit at Ivy Tech and supports such as financial literacy, driver's license reinstatement and housing assistance. Roe added that Recycle Force also saved more than 9,000,000 pounds from landfills last year.
Ryan Myers of United Way of Central Indiana said his organization supports the bill because employment social enterprises are "valuable partners" in moving people from short‑term jobs into sustainable wages and careers. Representative Hamilton closed by noting his long work with Recycle Force and seeking committee support.
The committee voted to move the bill forward; a later announcement in the hearing said the bill "passes 110."
Ending: Sponsors and allies characterized HB12‑89 as a technical statutory change to enable better access to federal funds and to formally recognize organizations that provide transitional employment and reentry supports; proponents emphasized workforce and recidivism reduction outcomes from organizations such as Recycle Force.
