HB 1596 authorizes the city of Richmond to impose a tax on food and beverage sales. This bill grants Richmond the legal authority to establish such a tax, directly affecting local businesses that sell food or beverages within the city. The legislation does not set a specific tax rate or details but enables the city to develop and implement the tax through its own processes. (1 sentence summary per procedural bill guidelines)
Establishes the primary care access revolving fund (fund) for the purpose of making loans to primary care medical practices in Indiana. Specifies the purposes for which money in the fund may be loaned. Provides that the Indiana finance authority shall administer the fund. Requires the Indiana economic development corporation (IEDC) to transfer $15,000,000 to the fund from the amount appropriated to the IEDC by the general assembly in the 2025-2026 state fiscal year. Increases the employee threshold for purposes of eligibility for the health reimbursement arrangement income tax credit. Increases the maximum amount of tax credits that may be granted in a year. Specifies the procedure for claiming the credit. Allows an employer to establish a long term care savings account program that allows an employee to save with favorable tax treatment for services required when the employee's or the employee's dependents' functional capacities become chronically impaired due to advanced age or other circumstances. Expands the physician practice ownership tax credit (tax credit) against state tax liability to practicing physicians (instead of only primary care physicians) who have an ownership interest in a physician practice and meet other eligibility criteria. Requires a taxpayer claiming the tax credit to certify that each physician with an ownership interest provides health care services to patients. Provides that the total amount of tax credits awarded in a state fiscal year may not exceed $20,000,000.
Requires the governor to annually issue a proclamation designating the seventh day of November as Victims of Communism Remembrance Day. Provides that suitable exercises in appropriate and solemn remembrance of the estimated 100,000,000 people whose deaths are attributed to the actions or policies of the world's communist regimes must be held in Indiana. Provides that a school corporation must include a study of the deaths attributed to the world's communist regimes in the school corporation's social studies curriculum. Requires the state board of education to adopt standards for teaching United States history in grade 9 through grade 12 that require at least 45 minutes of instruction on the history of communism.
Provides a nonrefundable state income tax credit to an individual for interest paid on an outstanding loan or lease agreement for a personal motor vehicle during a taxable year.
Repeals provisions added in the 2020 session in HB 1059 that provide that for certain transactions involving a cargo trailer or recreational vehicle, the state gross retail tax rate is the rate of the nonreciprocal state or foreign country in which the cargo trailer or recreational vehicle will be titled or registered. Provides instead that the purchase of a recreational vehicle or cargo trailer that is transported out of Indiana for registration and use in another state or foreign country is exempt from the state gross retail tax regardless of whether the destination state or country provides a similar exemption for Indiana residents.
Prohibits a pharmacy benefit manager from taking certain actions. Requires a pharmacy benefit manager to submit a report to the insurance commissioner every six months. (Current law requires a pharmacy benefit manager to submit the report annually.) Provides that if a contract holder requests an audit of compliance with the contract from a pharmacy benefit manager, the pharmacy benefit manager must provide the audit requested to the contract holder not later than 30 business days after receiving the request. Removes the provision specifying that the files or forms disclosed to the contract holder by the pharmacy benefit manager as part of an audit of compliance with the contract may be modified to redact trade secrets. Establishes civil penalties that the department of insurance (department) shall impose for a violation of the provisions concerning pharmacy benefit managers. Requires a pharmacy benefit manager to provide additional information in the pharmacy benefit manager's report to the department. Requires, after June 30, 2025, a health payer to include information relating to prescription drug pricing in the data submitted to the all payer claims data base by the health payer. Requires a health plan to credit toward a covered individual's deductible and annual maximum out-of-pocket expenses any amount the covered individual pays directly to any health care provider for a medically necessary covered health care service if a claim for the health care service is not submitted to the health plan and the amount paid by the covered individual to the health care provider is less than the average discounted rate for the health care service paid to a health care provider in the health plan's network.
Expands the Indiana fair housing statute to prohibit discrimination on the basis of a person's: (1) source of income; (2) military active duty status; or (3) veteran status. Defines "source of income", "active duty", and "veteran" for purposes of the statute.
Changes the current incremental finance charge limits that apply to a small loan to a maximum annual rate. Prohibits certain acts with respect to financing of a small loan and makes a violation a deceptive act and subject to penalties.
Requires the Indiana utility regulatory commission (commission) to adopt rules governing community solar facilities not later than July 1, 2026. Provides that, not later than 180 days after adoption of the rules, an electricity provider shall begin: (1) allowing interconnection of the electricity provider's facilities with community solar facilities in which at least three of the electricity provider's customers have entered into a subscription; and (2) crediting the electricity provider's subscribing customers for the amount of electricity from the community solar facility for which the customer subscribes. Requires the commission to: (1) establish an interconnection working group composed of representatives of electricity suppliers and other stakeholders with respect to electric utility service; and (2) implement the working group's recommendations regarding creation, revision, or elimination of policies, processes, tariffs, rules, or standards relating to the interconnection of community solar facilities and electricity suppliers as necessary for transparent, accurate, and efficient implementation of community solar facilities.
Establishes a task force to study the impact of climate change in Indiana and annually report findings to the general assembly and the governor from December 1, 2025, to December 1, 2028.
Provides a child and dependent care refundable tax credit against an individual's Indiana adjusted gross income tax for employment related child and dependent care expenses based on the taxpayer's Indiana adjusted gross income and a percentage of the federal child and dependent care tax credit the taxpayer claimed for the taxable year for federal income tax purposes. Provides a refundable tax credit against an individual's Indiana adjusted gross income tax for employment at a child care facility with a rating in the paths to QUALITY program.
Provides that an applicant who has previously received a baccalaureate degree or an associate degree may be eligible for a high value workforce ready credit-bearing grant if the applicant: (1) received a diploma of graduation, a high school equivalency certificate, or a state of Indiana general educational development diploma five or more years before the applicant applies for a grant; and (2) is not working in the subject matter field in which the applicant received the baccalaureate degree or associate degree. (Current law provides that an applicant for a high value workforce ready credit-bearing grant may not have previously received a baccalaureate degree, an associate degree, or an eligible certificate.)