Top Health Workforce Themes in the 2025 Legislative Session  

by Zachary Ammerman | Jan 28, 2025 | Data, Policy

The 2025 legislative session is in full swing, and the landscape just got easier to navigate. Almost 300 bills related to health, the health workforce, or the workforce generally were introduced this session. The Bowen Center will be tracking these bills as the session continues. While you’ll still find our comprehensive bill tracking table with all the details on each bill being considered, we’re excited to introduce a new dynamic dashboard that puts the session’s pulse at your fingertips. Our interactive infographic gives you real-time insights into the status of health care workforce legislation, from start to finish, across both chambers. Whether you’re tracking workforce initiatives, regulatory changes, or public health measures, you can now visualize the flow of bills through the legislative process and quickly identify trends in health care policy priorities. We have summarized a few pieces of legislation below that intersect with work previously done by the Bowen Center.  Check out the dedicated Bowen Bill Brief page for full details on all the bills we’re tracking. 

Nursing Workforce  

• There are several bills this session focused on the advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) workforce.  SB 447 aims to establish a license specifically for APRNs in Indiana. APRNs are licensed registered nurses (RN) with additional training that provides the clinical knowledge and experience to deliver advanced nursing care. Currently, all Indiana APRNs are required to hold an Indiana RN license, and many, but not all, also hold an APRN prescriptive authority license.  In 2023, the Bowen Center completed a national review of state approaches to APRN licensing to see how Indiana’s approach compared to other states. Only one other state (Wisconsin) has an approach similar to Indiana’s, and this is still the case in 2025. Check out the full report here.)  

Physician Workforce  

• Indiana is facing a physician workforce shortage due to multiple factors, including burnout, an aging population, and competition from other states.  Both HB1068 and HB1400 focus on workforce incentives targeted toward retaining physician talent in Indiana. HB1068 seeks to establish a program for medical school loan forgiveness while HB1400 seeks to provide a tax credit for preceptors in medical education. Many states have used tax credits to retain and recruit the clinical preceptors required for health professions’ education. In 2024, the Bowen Center reviewed tax credits as an incentive strategy for clinical preceptors using data from other state program evaluations. More information can be found here, including considerations for Indiana.  

• Recruitment of physicians plays a role in alleviating physician workforce shortages. HB 1555 focuses on the recruitment of foreign trained physicians to Indiana. HB1555 seeks to establish a limited medical license for those who have graduated from international medical programs, obtained a sponsor, and agreed to work in a medically underserved area. In 2021, 22% of actively practicing physicians licensed in Indiana reported completing their education in another country. This suggests that HB1555 may have significant impacts on workforce supply.  Check out the education tab on the Bowen Center’s Indiana Physician Workforce Dashboard to get information on Indiana Physicians who completed medical school in another country.  

Behavioral Health 

• All of Indiana’s 92 counties contain a federally designated mental health workforce shortage. As a part of the Playbook Project, the Bowen Center convened stakeholders to discuss challenges and opportunities for strengthening the pathway to practice for the mental and behavioral health professionals in Indiana. Opportunities to streamlining licensing while maintaining safety and quality were identified as a top priority by many stakeholders. HB1520 and SB216 include proposed changes to licensing policies for selected professions.  

• Workforce incentives were another priority identified by stakeholders during the Playbook Project. Incentives are needed to recruit and retain qualified behavioral health and human services professionals into the workforce. HB1154 aims to establish a behavioral health preceptor tax credit. This bill, in hopes of aiding retention, would provide a $1,000 state tax credit for a behavioral health professional who precepts a qualified student. HB 1261HB 1261 seeks to establish a behavior analyst license, which would add a profession to the licensed behavioral health and human services workforce in Indiana.  

Direct Care Workforce 

• Indiana’s population is steadily getting older, with an estimated 1 in 5 Hoosiers over the age of 65. An aging population typically indicates a greater demand for health care professionals, specifically direct care workers, such as home health aides (HHAs) and certified nursing aides (CNAs). HB1161 would establish a license, training, and competency requirements for home health aides. SB 449 would require home health agencies to run a criminal background check on employees on an annual basis.  

• Currently, statute does not allow an individual with a felony offense related to substances to work as a CNA within five years of the offense. HB1385 alters this requirement to allow an exception if the CNA becomes certified as a peer recovery coach. The Bowen Center is excited to launch workforce dashboards for CNAs, HHAs, and qualified medication aides later in 2025! In the meantime, you can review a summary of research we completed in 2024 on direct care workforce data here.