20 JULY / AUGUST 2018 GR SUMMIT Summer is here, the season for the Indiana Bankers Association to host summer regional meetings. At this annual round of meetings throughout the state, member bankers have the chance to interact with lawmakers in a convenient lunchtime setting. A major legislative topic this year at the meetings is S. 2155, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, signed into law on May 24. This bipartisan legislation marks a significant legislative achievement for banking, as well as for consumers and communities. We at the IBA thank you, our members, for your enduring support of this legislation. Your calls, emails, letters and testimonials to lawmakers were heard. On page 7, Chairman Ewing covers S. 2155 in greater depth, but please contact us at the IBA if we can answer any questions for you. The other main legislative topic at the regional meetings this year is a review of the 2018 legislative session. An important issue addressed during session was public funds, specifically HEA 1262-Public Funds and Tax Refund Intercepts. This issue had come to the forefront last year and continued into 2018, as there had been some ambiguity in how public funds are to be territorially invested in banks in Indiana. The signing of HEA 1262 into law brings clarity to existing law related to when a local governmental entity may invest funds statewide. Bill language also reaffirms the requirement that public funds remain invested in a specified geographic area, if eligible depository opportunities exist in the area. IBA Regional Meetings A review of 2018 legislation Another topic of note to bankers is HEA 1095-Electronic Titles, which passed into law in early March. This law allows the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to update its system by building an electronic lien and title program (ELT) in Indiana. Of key importance to Indiana bankers is bill language clarifying that the ELT program is optional to lenders. Also of note on the electronic front is the topic of remote notarization, as covered by SEA 372-Notarial Acts, which passed into law. Remote notarization is a technology that allows consumers to use electronic audio-visual systems to facilitate notarial authentication remotely. Essentially this legislation makes technical changes in order to standardize language concerning registration of trademarks and regulation related to notarial acts. An incident that set the 2018 session apart from others is that it failed to address five notable bills by the session deadline. Two bills were related to tax issues, one on restructuring of public school systems, one on school safety, and there was a technical corrections bill. Gov. Holcomb called for a special session which then convened on May 14 and, in a single day, addressed all five of the unresolved bills. I’d like to conclude with a quick welcome to two new members of IBA’s GR Team – Eric Augustus, our new hire as VP-government relations, and Michelle Long, whose responsibilities are being realigned to include government relations. Amber Van Til announces these, plus two other personnel changes, on page 6. It’s an exciting time at the IBA, as we gear up with a full staff in order to better serve our members’ needs. HB Dax Denton Senior Vice PresidentGovernment Relations Indiana Bankers Association ddenton@indianabankers.org @ibagovrelations
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTg3NDExNQ==