Allows a child care program that: (1) is operated by a public or private school; and (2) provides day care on the school premises for children of students or employees of schools in the school corporation in which the public or private school is located; to be exempted from licensure as a child care facility. Provides that: (1) a preschool program that is operated by a public or private school; and (2) either or both: (A) a child care program that is located in the public or private secondary school and provides child care for children of employees or students of the public or private secondary school; and (B) a latch key program; are exempt from licensure as child care facilities if located in the same public or private school building. Provides that for purposes of determining the child to staff ratio and group size requirements for a child care program that: (1) enrolls children at least two and one-half years of age, but not more than six years of age; and (2) is validated as a Montessori program by the United Montessori Schools of Indiana; the division of family resources of the family and social services administration shall use the average age of the children in the group as of January 1 of the school year.
Defines "merger" and "merger agreement" for purposes of the certificate of public advantage (certificate) for certain hospital mergers. Requires the state department of health (state department) to actively supervise a merger. Allows the state department to enter into an agreement with a nonprofit organization or a postsecondary educational institution to study the impacts of the certificate of public advantage on the community's health metrics and outcomes. Requires holders of a certificate to pay for reasonable charges incurred by the state department.
Provides that the IURC may approve periodic tracking mechanisms for water or wastewater utilities to permit such utilities to recover the following: (1) Changes in property taxes. (2) With respect to customers located within the geographic boundaries of local units of government, incremental costs of operation and maintenance resulting from policies or ordinances that are adopted by those local units and that the IURC determines to be unusual but not necessarily unreasonable. Requires the IURC to adopt rules to define what is unreasonable with respect to road cut permits and other specifications or policies established by a local unit that imposes costs on water or wastewater utilities. Amends the statute concerning wholesale water sales between small water utilities by increasing from 5,000 to 8,000 the threshold number of customers served by a water utility (as either a purchaser or supplier) for purposes of the statute. Amends the statute governing infrastructure improvement charges for water or wastewater utilities as follows: (1) Specifies that an "eligible infrastructure improvement" includes: (A) a project to relocate existing utility plant, including projects to accommodate the construction, reconstruction, or improvement of a highway, street, or road; and (B) a project that does not increase revenues by connecting to new customers, even if the project provides greater available capacity with respect to an eligible utility's distribution or collection plant. (2) Sets forth distinctions for public utilities, municipally owned utilities, and not-for-profit utilities with respect to: (A) costs that are eligible for recovery under the statute; (B) the factors the IURC may consider in determining the amount of allowable cost recovery; and (C) the resetting of the adjustment amount after a base rate case. (3) Specifies that the limitation restricting total adjustment revenues to 10% of an eligible utility's most recently approved base revenue level does not apply with respect to property taxes associated with eligible infrastructure improvements. Amends provisions in the Indiana Code chapter concerning a utility company's acquisition of an offered water or wastewater utility, by providing that the rates charged by the acquiring utility company are not considered to increase unreasonably as a result of the acquisition if the net original cost of the acquired assets does not exceed 2% of the acquiring utility company's net original cost rate base as determined in the acquiring utility's most recent general rate case, plus any adjustments to the rate base resulting from: (1) an infrastructure improvement charge; or (2) an adjustment rider for service enhancement improvement costs; that have occurred after the rate case. Makes a similar change to the Indiana Code section concerning the sale of a municipally owned utility's nonsurplus utility property.
Specifies that "agritourism activity" includes camping, canoeing, kayaking, tubing on a river, and winter sports activities, including activities that take place on a facility or on grounds used for or in connection with winter sports activities. Provides that failure to post a warning sign or provide a warning notice does not create a cause of action against an agritourism provider. Allows the use of an electronic signature to sign a contract or release in connection with engaging in an agritourism activity.
Allows a third class city to annex: (1) a noncontiguous residential development; and (2) the right of way of a public highway connecting the development to the city. Provides that annexation is initiated by: (1) the homeowner's association board petitioning the city legislative body for annexation of the development; and (2) the city legislative body adopting a resolution approving initiation of the annexation process. Requires the city to satisfy statutory requirements for annexation including adopting a written fiscal plan and annexation ordinance and conducting an outreach program. Changes population parameters to reflect the population count determined under the 2020 decennial census.
Adds provisions to the title in the Indiana Code concerning financial institutions to provide for the replacement, by operation of law, of the United States Dollar LIBOR as the benchmark index for any contract, security, or instrument, with a recommended benchmark replacement that is based on the secured overnight financing rate (SOFR). Sets forth certain events that serve to trigger the replacement of LIBOR with the recommended benchmark replacement. Specifies that such replacement by operation of law applies with respect to a contract, security, or instrument that either: (1) contains no fallback provisions setting forth a methodology or procedure for determining a benchmark replacement; or (2) contains fallback provisions that result in a benchmark replacement that: (A) is not a recommended benchmark replacement; and (B) is based in any way on any LIBOR value. Provides that if a recommended benchmark replacement becomes the benchmark replacement for any contract, security, or instrument, any applicable benchmark replacement conforming changes become an integral part of the contract, security, or instrument by operation of law. Provides that the bill's provisions do not alter or impair contracts, securities, or instruments that contain certain provisions. Provides that the selection or use of a recommended benchmark replacement as a benchmark replacement for a contract, security, or instrument: (1) constitutes a commercially reasonable replacement for and a commercially substantial equivalent to LIBOR; and (2) does not: (A) impair or affect certain rights and performance obligations under; (B) constitute a breach of; or (C) void or nullify; the contract, security, or instrument. Provides that a person is not liable for damages, and is not subject to any claim for equitable relief, in connection with: (1) the selection or use of a recommended benchmark replacement; or (2) the determination, implementation, or performance of benchmark replacement conforming changes; with respect to any contract, security, or instrument. Makes a cross reference to this immunity provision in the chapter of the Indiana Code that lists statutes outside of Title 34 of the Indiana Code that confer civil immunity.
Provides that beginning July 1, 2022, only a disorder recommended by a perinatal genetics and genomics advisory committee (committee) with expertise in newborn screening, and through protocols prescribed by the state department, may be added to the list of disorders requiring the examination of infants. Provides that beginning July 1, 2022, a committee with expertise in newborn screening, and through protocols established by the state department, may recommend the addition of a disorder to, or deletion of a disorder from, the required examination. Provides that the state department shall adopt rules to add disorders to, or delete disorders from, the required examination. Provides that the state department shall include any disorder added to or deleted from the required examination on a list on the state department's Internet web site. Provides that the committee shall affirm the addition of, or deletion of, any disorder to the examination requirement on an annual basis.
Provides that a governmental body may enter into a public-private agreement with respect to a transportation project. Provides that any public-private agreement with respect to a transportation project may use availability payments to finance all or a portion of the project. Provides that a governmental body may also enter into a development agreement with a private party for the development, construction, and financing of a privately owned and operated transportation or infrastructure project if the development agreement meets certain conditions. Specifies the contents of public-private agreements for transportation facilities or transportation projects and establishes requirements for the operator of the transportation facility or transportation project. Provides for a property tax exemption and a sales tax exemption. Defines terms.
Changes the population point that distinguishes a second class city from a third class city from 35,000 to 34,000. Authorizes a town with a population of more than 34,000 to create the office of town controller, appointed by the town legislative body.
Provides that a manufacturing business, defined as a business that processes raw materials or parts into finished goods, is not a small business if it employs more than 100 persons or if its annual sales for its most recently completed fiscal year exceed $4,000,000. Provides that any state agency that purchases goods, supplies, or services for the state must report by October 1 of each year to the budget committee the amount of Indiana business and Indiana small business preferences granted in the agency's procurement of goods, supplies, or services for the state.
Provides, for purposes of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF), that a TANF assistance group that has qualified for and is receiving assistance under TANF does not cease to qualify for assistance under TANF due solely to an increase in the value of the resources of the TANF assistance group so long as the resources of the TANF assistance group are valued at not more than $10,000. Provides that: (1) the value of a child's primary residence; and (2) $20,000 of total equity value in motor vehicles belonging to members of a child's family; are exempt from consideration for purposes of determining the child's eligibility for TANF. Provides that up to $15,000 in income earned by a household member while the household member is a student participating in or pursuing: (1) the household member's first postsecondary degree; (2) a workforce certificate; (3) a preapprenticeship; or (4) an apprenticeship; may not be considered in determining the amount of assistance for which the household is eligible under the Child Care and Development Fund voucher program.
Authorizes police officers appointed by a tribe to exercise police powers in Indiana if the tribal police officer meets the standards of the Indiana law enforcement academy. Provides that a tribe may authorize a tribal police officer to exercise police powers in the entire state, or in any part of the state, if certain conditions are met. Requires a tribe seeking to employ an individual as a tribal police officer who will exercise police powers in Indiana to request the individual's employment history, if the individual was previously employed by a law enforcement agency. Makes conforming amendments.