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Today, Mar. 3, Gov. Mike Braun signed an executive order extending bereavement and parental leave for state employees.   State Rep. Maureen Bauer (D-South Bend) released the following statement:    “Today, I’m encouraged to see that Gov. Braun has signed Executive Order (EO) 25-34 , which establishes new paid leave policies for state employees who experience childbirth or stillbirth. Under this EO, eligible employed women will receive six weeks of paid childbirth recovery lea

Today, Feb. 10, State Rep. Maureen Bauer (D-South Bend) offered an amendment  on the House floor to Senate Bill 76, that would have affirmed that no governmental body may deny, restrict or interfere with the right to marry based on race, color, ethnicity or national origin. The amendment was blocked on the House floor.   The amendment followed recent committee testimony entered into the legislative record in which a representative of the Mass Deportation Coalition argued tha

Today, the House Courts and Criminal Code Committee unanimously passed House Bill 1269 , authored by State Rep. Maureen Bauer (D-South Bend).   HB 1269 strengthens Indiana’s criminal justice framework by providing courts with an additional, structured sentencing option through the creation of a court-ordered prostitution offender education program in statute. Indiana currently has no statewide framework for such a program.   Under the bill, a judge may offer the program as pa

State Rep. Maureen Bauer (D-South Bend) introduced her 2026 legislative agenda focused on strengthening public safety, protecting Hoosiers from emerging threats, and ensuring commonsense standards across health care, technology and the criminal justice system. Bauer’s legislation centers on prevention, accountability and closing gaps in existing law to better reflect the realities Hoosiers face in their homes, workplaces and communities. “These bills are about protecting peop

More than 420 anti-science bills attacking longstanding public health protections –  vaccines , milk safety and  fluoride  – have been introduced in statehouses across the U.S. this year, part of  an organized, politically savvy campaign  to enshrine a conspiracy theory-driven agenda into law. In Indiana, Democratic State Rep. Maureen Bauer, of South Bend, said these issues are often falsely framed as parents’ rights and individual freedom. “If your personal decision puts oth

A bill that establishes a pilot program  to monitor PFAS exposure in Hoosier firefighters  received a ceremonial signing from Gov. Eric Holcomb.  House Enrolled Act 1219 , which is authored by State Rep. Maureen Bauer, was passed by both chambers during the 2023 legislative session. The bill, which was  originally signed by Holcomb  on May 1, goes into effect on July 1. https://www.wndu.com/2023/05/22/indiana-bill-monitor-toxic-chemical-exposure-firefighters-receives-ceremoni

March 14, 2023 A bipartisan bill at the Statehouse would close a loophole in Indiana’s child seduction law. Child seduction is a charge often applied in crimes when an adult in a position of trust or authority engages in sexual contact with a child under age 18. Right now, the law includes youth sports coaches employed by a school but does not say anything about coaches in leagues not connected to a school district. https://www.wane.com/news/indiana/bill-would-close-loophole-

House Bill 1627, authored by Rep. Maureen Bauer,  passed out of the House of Representatives by a vote of 96 to 1. It now moves on to the Indiana Senate for further consideration. If passed, the legislation would allow eligible nonprofits to bid on up to 5% of non-homestead, real property parcels for the development of low- and moderate-income housing.  Bauer said the bill would help address the shortage of affordable housing while also finding use of homes that have gone thr

Rep. Maureen Bauer (D-South Bend) believes there is support in both chambers for a statewide medical cannabis program. That’s a significant evolution, she said. Both Republicans and Democrats authored legislation that would have decriminalized small amounts of marijuana and set up a medical cannabis program, but none of the bills received a committee hearing. https://indianapublicmedia.org/news/bipartisan-push-for-medical-cannabis-stymied-by-gop-led-committees.php

House Bill (HB) 1244, authored by Rep. Bauer, would  ensure that grieving parents can take the time off work, without fear of penalty or retaliation, to mourn the loss of a child. This includes miscarriage and stillbirth. To address the trauma associated with child loss, and to offer working families the time and space to grieve, heal and process the loss, Indiana should pass bereavement leave legislation. http://www.inkfreenews.com/tag/state-representative-maureen-bauer/

Democratic Indiana House member Maureen Bauer  has introduced a bill  that would create a pilot blood testing program to study the long-term effects of PFAS exposure on Indiana’s firefighters. “We have to protect those who protect and serve us,” Bauer, who represents the South Bend-based 6th district, said. “It isn’t being researched in Indiana — we aren’t looking into the human health impacts this is causing.” https://www.wvpe.org/wvpe-news/2022-01-18/indiana-firefighters-co

State Representative Maureen Bauer, Ranking Minority Member of the Indiana House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee announced that a plan is in the works to aid and support farmers and the agricultural sector. Bauer coauthored The House Enrolled Act 1283 that aims to support the agricultural business and STEM education. The Act also includes preventions for urban expansion into farming land. https://wfhb.org/news/wfhb-local-news-october-21st-2021-2/

Indiana University South Bend is proud to announce State Representative Maureen Bauer was recently appointed to serve on the IU South Bend Advisory Board. “I’m looking forward to joining the IU South Bend Advisory Board and promoting the university and its programs as well as assisting the Chancellor,” said Representative Bauer. “IU South Bend is an important asset in the 6th House District I represent.” https://www.iusb.edu/news/?p=9595

This year in Indiana, legislators proposed several bills to help pregnant women and new mothers. Rep. Maureen Bauer (D-South Bend) sponsored bills to support pregnant and new mothers, and improve maternal and infant health outcomes by providing support before and after pregnancy. Bauer also proposed a bill to avoid shackling incarcerated mothers during delivery.

The compact is the the first piece of Pokagon Band legislation passed in Indiana, and allows for additional revenue to be generated from Four Winds South Bend to support essential programs and services, not only for the nearly 6,000 Tribal Citizens and other Native Americans living in the region, but also Indiana residents. https://www.insideindianabusiness.com/articles/holcomb-signs-compact-pokagons-seek-higher-level-of-gaming?fbclid=IwAR1bqqpIz9Bwi_9JBYP2XKHrm1YUUPcmIhKimmN

Indiana State Rep. Maureen Bauer (D-South Bend) introduced a proposal to eliminate sales taxes on diapers. She did so through an amendment to Senate Bill 383 which would have saved the amount of money it costs for a month of diapers a year, about $84 per child. It was defeated in the House by a vote of 65-28. https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/opinion/ct-ptb-davich-diaper-sales-tax-exemption-st-0412-20210409-5uaaqb2q3vfi5nhohqwrxb54qq-story.html

Women work hard to create bills that will impact all Hoosiers in the state. Rep. Maureen Bauer, D-South Bend, knows she’s part of a minority group at the Statehouse, but she hopes that will change as more opportunities become available for women. “With that imbalance of representation, you kind of begin to understand why some policies haven't been passed this year or in previous years. https://www.thestatehousefile.com/politics/eight-women-who-impacted-the-history-of-indiana/

The 2021 Indiana General Assembly was one of the toughest legislative sessions yet for environmental progress in our state. Representative Bauer (D-South Bend) is recognized for showing environmental leadership by speaking on the floor against the anti-wetland bill (SEA 389) ​. https://www.hecweb.org/bill-watch-2021/environmental-heroes/

State Representative Maureen Bauer (D-South Bend) was selected as the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators (NCEL) 2022 Indiana State Lead, a nonpartisan team of legislators across 30 states. This role requires leadership within the caucus, promoting sound environmental policy and identifying new environmental champions. https://www.ncelenviro.org/state-leads/