Indiana Bills

Makes changes to the duties of the Indiana department of veterans' affairs commission (commission). Makes changes to the duties of the director of the department of veterans' affairs (department). Requires, before January 1, 2026, the commission to establish and maintain certain standards for the state accreditation program. Requires, after June 30, 2026, each service officer employed by a county or city to maintain the accreditation standards to provide service on behalf of the county or city. Provides that a county executive shall employ a service officer and may employ service officer assistants. Provides, that with the approval of the commission, two or more counties may enter into an agreement to employ a service officer if each county demonstrates to the commission that the workload does not justify each county employing a separate county service officer. Requires every county or city official and department of the county or city to cooperate with the service officer and provide the service officer with information necessary in connection with the performance of the service officer's duties.

Requires the department of education (department) to: (1) evaluate, approve, and publish a list of high quality curricular materials for use in English/language arts; and (2) collaborate with teachers in evaluating and approving the English/language arts curricular materials. Provides that the evaluation process for certain curricular materials must include the age appropriateness of the content. Specifies that the curriculum used by a school in which fewer than 70% of students achieved a valid passing score on the determinant evaluation of reading skills must be age appropriate. Requires, subject to available funding, certain schools to participate in the Indiana literacy cadre. Amends the definition of "eligible school" for purposes of the choice scholarship program. Provides that a parent who: (1) is an education scholarship account (ESA) participating entity; and (2) teaches a course or program only to an eligible student who is the parent's child and does not teach a course or program to any other eligible student; may not submit a claim for reimbursement of an ESA qualified expense of tuition and fees to teach the parent's child. Establishes penalties for certain violations by an ESA participating entity.

Provides that a physician and a hospital, a parent company of a hospital, an affiliated manager of a hospital, or a hospital system may not enter into a noncompete agreement on or after July 1, 2025.

Defines an "attachment request" as a request made: (1) by an attaching entity, other than an electricity supplier, to the owner (pole owner) of an electric distribution pole (pole) for authorization to install, within a period of not more than 30 days, communications service equipment on 300 or more poles owned by the pole owner; and (2) in connection with, and using funds obtained from, a state or federal program directly related to the expansion of communications services to unserved, underserved, or rural areas (program). Defines a "process management agreement" as a written agreement entered into by: (1) an attaching entity that has been awarded funding under a program; and (2) a pole owner that owns at least 300 poles with respect to which the attaching entity intends to submit an attachment request in connection with a project under the program; for the purpose of establishing processes, timelines, mutual performance obligations, and conflict resolution options for timely completing attachment requests. Provides that not later than five business days after the execution of a contract that: (1) is entered into by an attaching entity and a governmental agency; and (2) sets forth the terms and conditions for a project for which funding has been awarded under a program; the Indiana broadband office (office) shall publish the contract on the office's website. Provides that not later than 60 days after a contract is executed: (1) the attaching entity that executed the contract; and (2) each pole owner that owns at least 300 poles with respect to which the attaching entity intends to submit an attachment request in connection with a project under the program; shall hold a meeting for the purpose of discussing general project plans. Provides that not later than four months after the National Telecommunications Information Administration approves the office's final proposal for funding under the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program, if an attaching entity that has been awarded funding under a program does not have a process management agreement in effect with a pole owner that owns at least 300 poles with respect to which the attaching entity intends to submit an attachment request in connection with a project under the program, the attaching entity and the pole owner shall negotiate an agreement that sets forth specified processes, timelines, mutual performance obligations, and conflict resolution options. Provides that if the attaching entity and a pole owner do not reach an agreement as to the terms, conditions, and timelines for a process management agreement, or otherwise have the prescribed negotiated agreement in effect, within the required four month period, certain conditions apply with respect to the dealings between the attaching entity and the pole owner with respect to any application for a pole attachment permit that does not seek the attachment of more than 3,000 poles within a period of not more than 30 days. Authorizes the office to adopt a rapid response mediation process to be followed if a dispute arises between an attaching entity and a pole owner regarding the processes and timelines for the timely completion of an attachment request. Provides that these provisions expire July 1, 2030.

Provides that an applicant for a certificate of death has a direct interest in a certificate of death if the applicant is a beneficiary of the deceased's individual retirement account, retirement account, brokerage transfer on death account, annuity, or life insurance policy. Provides that if a charitable organization is designated as the beneficiary of an individual retirement account, retirement account, brokerage transfer on death account, annuity, or life insurance policy, a financial institution or insurance company in control of the funds must transfer the funds directly to the charitable organization without requiring certain conditions to be satisfied, if the: (1) charitable organization submits a certain affidavit.

Allows, subject to a written agreement concerning the transport of individuals, an emergency medical responder, an emergency medical technician, an advanced emergency medical technician, or a paramedic (emergency medical services personnel) to transport an individual to: (1) a health care facility; (2) a mental health facility; or (3) an urgent care facility; that can provide the individual with appropriate and necessary treatment. Specifies information that must be included in a written agreement. Allows reimbursement for transporting the individual to the facility.

Requires certain entities authorized to participate in the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program to annually report specified data to the Indiana department of health (state department). Requires the state department to submit a report of the aggregated data to the legislative council and post the report on the state department's website.

Modifies the definition of "auxiliary party organization". Specifies that the definition of "contribution" includes certain donations of property through a payment platform that acts as a conduit. Requires each county to submit to the secretary of state (secretary) information concerning the county's information technology provider. Repeals a provision that allows the Indiana election commission (commission) to issue advisory opinions. Provides that an advisory opinion issued by the commission before July 1, 2025, is void. Permits a pollbook holder, challenger, or watcher to enter, leave, and reenter multiple polling places at any time on election day. Requires the county voter registration official to send a notice requesting proof of citizenship to an individual who uses an identification number from a temporary credential as part of the individual's voter registration application. Provides that an applicant may not list on the voter registration form a post office box or a commercially available mailing box as the residence address of the applicant. Prohibits, with some exceptions, an individual from printing or setting forth information on any part of a voter registration form that will be mailed to another individual. Requires a person who receives a completed petition for nomination of a candidate and has reason to believe that the petition is materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent to deliver the petition to a county election board. Requires the county election board to take certain actions to determine if a violation of election law has occurred. Provides that certain paid political advertising or campaign material does not falsely represent that the candidate is or has been an officeholder. Requires the reporting of certain information if a contribution is made through a payment platform that acts as a conduit. Allows a voter who resides in any precinct to challenge a voter or person who offers to vote at a primary election. Provides that an absentee ballot affidavit that does not contain an accurate date of signature is insufficient and must be rejected. Permits the secretary to conduct a procedure audit of a primary or general election after the election occurs. Requires the secretary to issue orders concerning procedure audits. Specifies the deadlines by which procedure audits must be completed. Makes it a Class A misdemeanor to circulate or publish material in an election without printing a certain statement on the envelope of an absentee ballot application that a person sends to an individual.

Provides that provisions of law concerning the statewide waiver ombudsman apply to an individual who has a disability and receives services administered by the bureau of disabilities services. (Current law specifies that these provisions apply to an individual who has a developmental disability and receives services under the federal home and community based services program.) Specifies that these provisions do not apply to an individual served by the long term care ombudsman program. Changes references from "statewide waiver ombudsman" to "statewide bureau of disabilities services ombudsman". Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services (office of the secretary) to prepare an annual report on the provision of Medicaid home and community based waiver services. Specifies the information that must be included in the report. Requires the division of disability and rehabilitative services advisory council to provide recommendations to the division of disability and rehabilitative services to ensure the delivery of appropriate high quality services to recipients. Requires the office of the secretary to provide to the division of disability and rehabilitative services advisory council reports on the office of the secretary's plans to provide services to individuals who require extraordinary care and specifies the timing of the reports.

Provides that the judges of the Marion County juvenile courts may not appoint more than 11 magistrates. Eliminates a court in Blackford County and Monroe County. Eliminates a magistrate in Jennings County. Allows the judges of the Elkhart circuit and superior courts to appoint four full-time magistrates. (Current law allows for the appointment of two magistrates.) Adds two superior courts to Hamilton County. Provides that the first judges of Hamilton superior courts No. 8 and No. 9 shall: (1) be elected at the November 2026 general election; (2) take office January 1, 2027; and (3) serve a term of six years. Allows the judges of the Hamilton circuit and superior courts to jointly appoint two additional magistrates to serve the Hamilton County courts. Allows the judge of the Lawrence County juvenile court to appoint not more than one full-time magistrate. Allows the judges of the Vigo circuit and superior courts to jointly appoint one magistrate to serve the Vigo County courts.

Defines "chronically absent". Requires the department of education (department) to do the following: (1) Create a list of best practices to reduce student discipline and absenteeism. (2) Study and prepare a report regarding the basis for the categorization of certain suspensions and expulsions. (3) Establish a categorization framework for excused absences based on the reason for the absence. (4) Collect certain information regarding absences from school corporations and charter schools and prepare and post a report regarding the information on the department's website. Provides that the absence policy adopted by the governing body of a school corporation must provide for the categorization of excused absences in accordance with the categorization framework established by the department. Allows a prosecuting attorney to conduct a meeting, collaborate, and make reasonable efforts to secure appropriate support services for a child and the child's family before filing an affidavit with regard to a violation of compulsory school attendance requirements. Amends the definition of "absent student" for purposes of the truancy prevention policy provisions. Requires a public school to hold an attendance conference not later than 10 instructional days (instead of five instructional days) after the student's fifth absence. Prohibits a public school from expelling or suspending a student solely because the student is chronically absent or a habitual truant.

Requires reporting of certain ownership information by: (1) a hospital to the Indiana department of health (state department); (2) certain health care entities to the secretary of state; and (3) an insurer, a third party administrator, and a pharmacy benefit manager to the department of insurance. Requires the secretary of state and the department of insurance to provide the ownership information to the state department. Requires the state department to annually publish a report concerning the ownership information. Amends the definition of "health care entity" for provisions governing health care entity mergers and acquisitions. Allows the office of the attorney general to investigate the market concentration of a health care entity.