The House Judiciary Committee heard SB 1, sponsored by Rep. Steuerwald and Rep Koch, establishing a 12-member administrative law study commission to determine whether to establish a centralized administrative court to replace existing administrative-law and environmental-law judges. Author Sen. Steele explained that qualifications and salaries of ALJs vary widely from agency to agency, and that ALJs being employed by the agency whose decision is at issue raises a perception of partiality. As originally introduced, the bill would have established a centralized court; in its current revised form, it simply establishes a study commission to determine how such a court might be structured.
The Indiana Manufacturers Association testified in support of the bill as revised, favoring a study before taking action. The bill passed 13-0.
Read the bill at http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2016/bills/senate/1