Requires that contractors on a public works project meet certain standards relating to the welding of structural steel.
Provides that the department of transportation (department) may accept a proposal and award a contract for the construction, improvement, or maintenance of a road if the lowest responsive and qualified bid is less than $3,000,000. (Current law says if the lowest responsive and qualified bid is less than $1,000,000.) Provides that the department may accept a proposal and award a contract for the construction, improvement, or maintenance of a road if the lowest responsive and qualified bid is one of three or more bids received by the department for the contract. (Current law says if the lowest responsive and qualified bid is one of four or more bids received by the department for the contract.) Authorizes the department to use construction manager general contractor and progressive design-build delivery methods for certain projects. Defines a "bicycle traffic control signal". Provides that a person may cautiously enter an intersection and make a left turn if turning from the left lane or a designated left-turn lane of a one-way street into another one-way street with the flow of traffic. Provides for the requirements and explanations of colors for bicycle traffic control signals exhibiting colored lights. Urges the legislative council to assign certain topics to an existing study committee. Makes conforming and technical changes.
Provides that a fire department of a fire protection district or fire protection territory is subject to certain disciplinary and due process requirements.
Provides that the county executive of Lake County has jurisdiction over the county purchasing agency and the county data processing agency. Provides that the county executive of St. Joseph County has jurisdiction over the county purchasing agency. (Under current law, the legislative body of Lake County has jurisdiction over both the county purchasing agency and the county data processing agency, and the legislative body of St. Joseph County has jurisdiction over the county purchasing agency.)
Provides that if an examination of an audited entity is unable to be performed because the audited entity's accounts, records, files, or reports are not properly maintained or reconciled, the entity may be declared unauditable. Requires an unauditable entity to bring its accounts, records, files, or reports into an auditable condition within 90 days. Requires the state board of accounts (SBOA) to publish a list of entities declared to be unauditable on the SBOA's website. Provides that if an entity is declared unauditable and the fiscal officer is unable to perform the fiscal requirements of their position, the entity is required to hire outside assistance for guidance or to perform the fiscal requirements. Clarifies an exception regarding the liability of an elected official for acts that constitute gross negligence or intentional disregard of the official's duties. Requires the SBOA to annually call a conference for: (1) city and town controllers and clerk-treasurers, newly appointed city and town controllers, and city and town clerk-treasurers elect; and (2) township trustees and township trustees elect. Provides that elected officials must attend training every two years and that the SBOA shall keep attendance of elected officials and publish it on the SBOA's website. Makes an exception for school corporation treasurer personal liability. Provides that if there is an office of town clerk-treasurer that is vacant, and the town legislative body is unable to fill the office, the town legislative body may either: (1) enter into a local agreement with the town clerk-treasurer and town legislative body of another town in the state to assist a selected town legislative body member in performing the duties of the clerk-treasurer's office; or (2) enter into a contract with a certified public accountant to assist the town legislative body member in performing the duties of the clerk-treasurer's office. (Current law provides that the town legislative body may only enter into a contract with a certified public accountant after the town legislative body is unable to reach an agreement with another town.) Provides that if, after reasonable diligence, a town may hire any qualified person to perform the duties of the clerk-treasurer's office until the vacancy can be filled, or until the end of the current clerk-treasurer's term, whichever is first. Provides that newly elected officials shall complete five hours of training before taking office. Provides that elected officials shall certify completion of training requirements to the SBOA annually. Excludes self-supporting school lunch and the rental or sale of curricular materials as programs that may be established as separate funds. Repeals obsolete provisions. Makes technical corrections.
Provides that a statewide standing order for the dispensing of an overdose intervention drug must allow for choice in the: (1) purchasing; (2) dispensing; and (3) distributing; of any formulation or dosage of a naloxone product that is approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
Decreases the number of experiential practice hours required to obtain a license as a marriage and family therapist or a therapist associate. Specifies that the hours must be completed during at least 12 months.
Provides that if a person dies under certain circumstances in a county that is not the county where the incident occurred resulting in the death, the county coroner where the death occurred may not bill the county where the incident occurred for the costs of the autopsy, unless the coroners of both counties agree as to the necessity of an autopsy. Provides the following: (1) Allows a coroner to determine the means of copying an original record of the coroner. (2) With the exception of a record concerning a death subject to a criminal investigation or proceeding, allows a coroner to destroy or transfer the original record at the time determined by the coroner after copying the record. Provides that a coroner is immune from criminal liability for destroying a public record if the coroner acts in accordance with the coroner's authority to copy and destroy the coroner's records. Removes a requirement that the county fix the compensation of a coroner who is a licensed physician at 1.5 times the compensation of a coroner who is not a licensed physician for coroners who are elected or reelected in the 2024 general election and thereafter.
Provides that a public safety agency may not establish or maintain residency requirements for a public safety telecommunicator employed by a public safety agency.
Requires the Indiana utility regulatory commission (IURC) to issue an order granting or denying an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity (certificate) not later than 240 days after the filing of the application and the submission of the applicant's case in chief. Authorizes the IURC to issue a general administrative order establishing guidelines regarding the information to be included in an applicant's case in chief. Amends the statute providing certain financial incentives for energy utilities in connection with clean energy projects as follows: (1) Provides that a "clean energy project" includes a project to construct or repower, after July 1, 2011, a natural gas facility to displace electricity generation from an existing coal fired generation facility. (2) Provides that an "eligible business" for purposes of eligibility for incentives authorized under the statute includes a joint agency created under the Indiana Code chapter authorizing municipal electric utility programs. (3) Provides (through an amendment to a cross-referenced definition in the Indiana Code chapter governing the Indiana voluntary clean energy portfolio standard program) that for purposes of a clean energy project involving a renewable energy resource project, a "renewable energy resource" includes gas that is derived from the decomposition of organic matter and that: (A) is fully interchangeable with; or (B) can be combined with; conventional natural gas for purposes of generating electricity. (4) Provides that the IURC may provide an incentive under the statute for a project that the IURC finds to be just and reasonable (rather than "reasonable and necessary" under current law). (5) Provides that the IURC may not approve the timely recovery of costs and expenses incurred during the construction and operation of a project unless the IURC finds that recovery of the costs and expenses: (A) is just and reasonable; and (B) will result in a gross financing costs savings over the life of the project. (6) Eliminates the incentive authorizing up to three percentage points on the return on shareholder equity that would otherwise be allowed to be earned on certain clean energy projects. (7) Amends the language prescribing the time frame within which the IURC must issue a determination as to a project's eligibility for the available financial incentives to require the IURC to issue the determination not later than: (A) 120 days after the date of the application; or (B) the time frame prescribed in the bill for the IURC to grant or deny a certificate if a certificate is required for the project. Provides, for purposes of the oil and gas law (which requires the natural resources commission to adopt rules to prevent waste and prohibits actions in the extraction of coal bed methane that would waste commercially minable coal resources), that the term "waste" does not include capturing and destroying coal bed methane for a commercial purpose, including the generation of carbon credits.
Provides that, if the coroner reasonably suspects the cause of the person's death to be accidental or intentional overdose of an opioid or if the person was administered an overdose intervention drug prior to death and was unresponsive to the overdose intervention drug, the coroner shall test certain bodily fluids to determine whether the bodily fluid contained any amount, including a trace amount, of xylazine at the time of the person's death.
Provides that a regular, paid firefighter and a volunteer firefighter are "covered persons" under the statute that requires local government units that operate a public data base website containing the names and addresses of property owners to restrict disclosure to the general public of the covered person's home address. Removes an obsolete date reference.
