Indiana Bills

Defines "qualified test". Specifies that a law enforcement officer may not arrest a person solely because the person tested positive on a qualified test. Provides that the results of a qualified test are admissible if certain circumstances are met, and permits a laboratory technician to testify by video unless certain conditions exist.

Prohibits, in accordance with the federal Stark Law (42 U.S.C. 1395nn), a referring physician from receiving compensation or an incentive from a health care entity or another physician, who is in the same health care network as the referring physician, for referring a patient to the health care entity or other physician. Provides that the attorney general may investigate certain complaints. Provides that the attorney general may cooperate with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in the investigation of certain complaints. Provides that the attorney general may take certain actions when conducting an investigation of certain complaints. Requires the all payer claims data base to publish the physician reimbursement rates as a separate line item for each contract instead of in the aggregate.

Requires a county to use eminent domain to increase the apparent right-of-way for a county highway, instead of by requiring dedication of additional right-of-way as part of a subdivision plat. Requires a county, city, or town (unit) to use eminent domain to expand an existing thoroughfare, instead of by requiring dedication of private property as part of a subdivision plat. Prohibits a unit that must proceed with eminent domain regarding a right-of-way or thoroughfare from imposing an additional fee on an applicant for filing a subdivision plat.

Provides that for a supervised loan that is made under the Uniform Consumer Credit Code (UCCC) and that: (1) is entered into after June 30, 2025; (2) is not secured by an interest in land or by personal property used or expected to be used as the debtor's principal dwelling; and (3) has a principal amount that does not exceed $5,000; a lender may contract for and receive, in addition to the loan finance charge and any other permitted charges and fees, a monthly service fee that is based on the amount of principal originally contracted for, and must report the borrower's payments on the supervised loan to at least one consumer reporting agency that compiles and maintains files on consumers on a nationwide basis (as defined in 15 U.S.C. 1681a(p)) in accordance with the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.). Provides that for a supervised loan that: (1) is entered into after June 30, 2025; (2) is not secured by an interest in land or by personal property used or expected to be used as the debtor's principal dwelling; (3) has a principal amount that is more than $5,000 but does not exceed $25,000; and (4) is for a term of at least six months; a lender may contract for and receive a loan finance charge not exceeding 36% per year on the unpaid balances of the principal. For a supervised loan that qualifies for the flat 36% annual finance charge (instead of the blended loan finance charge that applies to all other supervised loans), requires the lender to: (1) report the borrower's payments on the loan to at least one nationwide consumer reporting agency; and (2) offer to the borrower, at or before the consummation of the loan and at no cost to the borrower, a consumer credit education program provided by the lender or a third party provider. Provides that, based on information contained in annual composite reports filed with the department of financial institutions (department) by creditors required to be licensed under the UCCC, the department shall publish annually on the department's website a report that contains specified information concerning supervised loans made after June 30, 2025, by nondepository licensees during the reporting period covered by the composite reports. Makes conforming amendments to: (1) the UCCC; and (2) the statutes governing: (A) pawnbrokers; and (B) loansharking.

Provides that depositing or causing or allowing the deposit of contaminants or solid waste upon the land is a Class C misdemeanor in certain circumstances.

Requires the Indiana office of technology (office) to establish a state public notice website not later than July 1, 2026. Prohibits the office from charging a fee for publishing or viewing notices. Allows a person to satisfy any notice statute by publishing notice in any of the following forms of media: (1) Newspaper, including print edition or electronic edition. (2) Locality newspaper, including print edition or electronic edition. (3) The state public notice website. (4) Political subdivision website. Requires the Indiana archives and records administration (administration) to establish standards and guidelines and enter into memoranda of understanding with agencies for the transfer and preservation of public notices from the state public notice website to the administration to preserve public notices for historical purposes. Phases out the publication of notices on the political subdivision website. Phases in the publication of notices on the state public notice website.

Provides that a recipient may appeal to the legislative body an enforcement action issued or taken by a local health officer under IC 16-20-1 in response to a food establishment inspection. Adds provisions concerning limited meat product sales. Prohibits a grocery store from selling, offering for sale, or distributing an alternative meat product misbranded as a meat product. Requires a food manufacturer to label alternative meat products as "THIS IS AN IMITATION MEAT PRODUCT".

Requires a public school to do the following: (1) Notify a parent of a student not later than 24 hours after the student makes an allegation that an employee of the public school engaged in misconduct. (2) If the public school determines that an allegation is unsubstantiated or otherwise dismissed, provide written notification to the employee and parent of the student not later than 14 days after the determination. Amends the definition of "bullying". Provides that certain discipline rules adopted by the governing body of a school corporation include timetables for reporting of bullying incidents to the parents of both the targeted student and the alleged perpetrator not later than one business day after the incident is reported. (Current law provides reporting of bullying incidents not later than five business days after the incident is reported.) Requires the governing body of a school corporation to: (1) require a school corporation to determine the severity of an incident of bullying and whether the incident may warrant transfer of the victim or the alleged perpetrator to another school in the school corporation; and (2) require a school corporation to approve the transfer of a victim or the alleged perpetrator of an act of bullying to another school in the school corporation under certain circumstances.

Prohibits the use of specific devices to take minnows from a waterway unless certain conditions are met. Provides an exemption for bait dealers and individuals with a scientific purposes license. Requires, not later than July 1, 2030, that the department of natural resources submit a report to legislative council regarding Sugar Creek's environmental condition and the status of the fish and wildlife population at Sugar Creek.

Allows the town of Plainfield in Hendricks County to annex: (1) a noncontiguous residential development; and (2) the right-of-way of a public highway connecting the development to the town. Provides that the annexation is initiated by: (1) the homeowner's association board petitioning the town legislative body for annexation of the residential development; and (2) the town legislative body adopting a resolution approving initiation of the annexation process. Provides that the Town of Plainfield redevelopment commission may only enact a housing tax increment financing district in Liberty Township in Hendricks County if the district is approved by a resolution passed by the Mill Creek School Corporation.

Provides that a correctional professional is considered a public safety officer for purposes of determining eligibility for line of duty death benefits. (Current law provides that a correctional officer is considered a public safety officer for determining eligibility line of death benefits.) Provides, with certain exceptions, that a law enforcement officer, including a constable, school resource officer, special deputy, or reserve officer, who has completed a pre-basic course but who has not completed Tier I or Tier II basic training requirements may not exercise police powers outside the jurisdiction of the appointing law enforcement agency. Provides that a school resource officer who has completed Tier I or Tier II basic training has statewide jurisdiction. Provides that all deputies, excluding reserve deputies and jail deputies, employed by the Marion County sheriff's office on July 1, 2025, shall be certified by the law enforcement training board (board) as Tier II law enforcement officers. Requires the Marion County sheriff's office to submit to the board a list of deputies who have successfully completed at least the minimum basic training requirements at the Marion County Sheriff's Office Academy. Makes changes to the definition of a "law enforcement officer" for purposes of mandatory training for law enforcement officers. Increases the penalty for criminal recklessness from a Class B to a Class A misdemeanor. Specifies that the immunities and limitations on liability that apply to a law enforcement officer (and the officer's employing agency) acting within the officer's jurisdictional area also apply to an officer (and employing agency) acting outside the jurisdictional area under certain circumstances. Makes pointing a firearm by a passenger in a vehicle whose driver is committing criminal recklessness a Level 6 felony under certain circumstances. Provides that a school resource officer may pursue a person who flees from a school resource officer after the school resource officer has, by visible or audible means, including the operation of the school resource officer's siren or emergency lights, identified themself and ordered the person to stop. Adds a hospital police department to the definition of police departments required to provide police officers with certain rights.

Prohibits a prohibited person from entering into a contract for the provision of goods or services with the state, a state agency, and a political subdivision. Provides that a local hospital authority or corporation is excluded from a political subdivision for purposes of a prohibition on contracts with certain foreign owned companies and individuals. Requires agents acting on behalf of certain countries of concern to register with the attorney general. Requires schools and school corporations in Indiana to disclose certain foreign gifts and contracts. Requires public and private postsecondary educational institutions in Indiana to disclose certain foreign gifts and contracts. Prohibits certain individuals and business entities from acquiring: (1) an interest in business entities governed under Indiana law; and (2) real property located in Indiana. Provides that a prohibited person shall not act as an instrumentality of a foreign adversary. Repeals existing statutes regarding foreign ownership of real property. Makes conforming changes.