Senate Bill 1, authored by Sen. Michael Crider (R-Greenfield), recently passed unanimously out of the Indiana Senate.

This bill helps address an important issue for Hoosier businesses.

Mental health concerns cost Indiana employers $885 million annually in lost productivity and costs the state $708 million per year in direct health care costs.

Representative Ann Vermilion (R-Marion) is carrying the legislation in the House.

Crider says now the effort will be piece together the framework including funding.

Some members of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce would like to see a $2 per pack cigarette tax increase be used to fund this instead of taxes or fees.

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