Two Democratic members of the Indiana House Public Health Committee are urging Gov. Micah Braun to lift secrecy requirements placed on his newly created Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy working group.

State Rep. Maureen Bauer (D-South Bend) and State Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn (D-Fishers) criticized the governor’s directive that members of the group sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in order to participate. They argue the move keeps the policy review hidden from both lawmakers and the public.

The working group was established through Executive Order 25-31 in response to rising Medicaid costs. Its purpose is to examine spending on autism therapy services across the state.

Garcia Wilburn said she formally requested to serve on the panel but received no response. Both lawmakers expressed concern that the governor’s approach limits public input in a process that directly affects families who rely on Medicaid for autism services.

“Families across Indiana depend on Medicaid services to access life-changing therapies. They deserve transparency and accountability, not secrecy,” Bauer said in a statement. “It is deeply concerning that decisions affecting real people are being made out of the public eye.”

Garcia Wilburn added that autism services are “too important for closed-door politics,” and said Hoosiers deserve to know how policy decisions are being made, particularly when cost-cutting measures are under consideration.

In a joint statement, Bauer and Garcia Wilburn called on Braun to open the meetings, allow bipartisan participation, and center the discussion on families rather than finances.

The governor’s office has not yet responded publicly to the lawmakers’ concerns.