Requires the department of child services (department) to establish before October 1, 2021, policies and procedures to allow for child and family services to be provided remotely. Specifies factors that a child and family services provider and the department may consider in making a determination as to whether remote provision of services is appropriate for a child. Provides that a child and family services provider's first meeting with a family, or with a child who lives with the child's family, must be conducted in person unless a declared health emergency makes an in person meeting unsafe. Provides that after a child and family services provider's first meeting with a family or with a child who lives with the child's family, or for purposes of providing services to a child who does not live with the child's family, the provider has the discretion to provide services to the family or child remotely for up to 14 days after the initial request for consultation if providing services remotely is in the best interest of the child and family, unless: (1) a decision is reached on the use of remote services at a child and family team meeting less than 14 days after the request for consultation; or (2) the department communicates to the provider a preliminary determination as to the role of remote services pending the child and family team meeting.
Allows a person admitted as a patient to a hospital or ambulatory outpatient surgical center (facility) to receive visitation by specified individuals during a declared emergency or public health emergency. Requires visitors to comply with applicable disease control or prevention guidelines issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when visiting a patient. Requires a facility to permit the visitation of a person admitted as a patient in a facility during specified compassionate care scenarios. Allows a facility to limit visitation in certain instances. Provides certain civil immunity for a facility, its employees, and contractors for an injury or harm caused by or resulting from: (1) the exposure of a contagious disease or other harmful agent that is specified during a disaster emergency; or (2) acts or omissions by visitors who are present in the facility; as a result of the implementation of the required protocols. Requires health facilities and residential care facilities (health facilities) to allow visitation of a resident in a compassionate care situation. Requires the state department of health to adopt standards and guidelines concerning the essential family caregiver program during a declared emergency or public health emergency and requires facilities to participate in the program. Allows for the designation of an essential family caregiver for a resident of a health facility and allows for visitation during restricted visitation at the health facility. Specifies requirements for an individual to be designated as an essential family caregiver and allows for the reconsideration and reporting of a denial of a request for designation. Allows the state department of health to adopt certain rules concerning the program. Provides certain civil immunity for a health facility, its employees, and contractors for an injury or harm caused by or resulting from: (1) the exposure of a contagious disease or other harmful agent that is specified during a disaster emergency; or (2) acts or omissions by visitors who are present in the health facility; as a result of the implementation of the required protocols.
Provides that the secretary of state (secretary) may remove a name or assumed name from its entity filing records if a name or assumed name falsely indicates or implies that the domestic filing entity or the foreign filing entity is, or is connected with, a government agency of this state, another state, or the United States. Expands what qualifies as an emergency as it relates to shareholder meetings. Sets forth the actions a corporation may take to address an emergency, including postponing a meeting or conducting a meeting by means of remote communication. Provides that a nonprofit corporation may hold meetings by means of remote communication, if provided for in the nonprofit corporation's bylaws. Allows a public corporation governed by IC 23-1 to elect not to have a staggered board system if the board of directors adopts a bylaw expressly electing not to. Provides that trademark filings shall be submitted electronically to the secretary.
Provides that net proceeds from an allowable activity and related activities may be used only for the lawful purposes of the qualified organization, including the: (1) repair; (2) maintenance; or (3) improvement; of owned real property used for the lawful purposes of the qualified organization. Increases the single prize limit for a progressive or carryover pull tab game in charity gaming to $15,000. Also increases the total prize limit for one pull tab, punchboard, or tip board game in charity gaming to $15,000. Provides that a qualified organization must abide by the rules and regulations of the Internal Revenue Service regarding reporting and withholding rules for charitable prizes paid. Provides that for a raffle drawing, a retailer may not retain more than 20% of the proceeds, a retailer must establish and publish house rules, and the maximum amount of prizes in a raffle game is limited to $30,000. Provides that the total prizes for one type II gambling game, except for a raffle game, may not exceed $10,000. Provides that a single prize award for a winning ticket on a seal card game may not exceed $1,000. Provides that a single prize on a progressive or carryover pull tab game in a type II gambling game may not exceed $5,000. Provides that a type II gambling game includes raffles, progressive or carryover pull tab games, and sports-themed tip board and pull tab games. Specifies the end date for a licensed entity's accounting period. Replaces "annual casino night license" with "annual activity license". Specifies that the Indiana gaming commission (commission) may issue to a qualified organization an annual activity license to conduct a gambling activity approved by the commission, if certain requirements are met. Modifies restrictions applicable to a festival license. Modifies the restrictions applicable to a worker at a raffle conducted by a qualified organization. Removes a provision that allows the commission to authorize two bingo events each year at which the total prizes may not exceed $10,000. Provides that the commission may authorize a qualified organization to conduct a bingo event at which the total prizes exceed $6,000, and specifies that such a bingo event may be conducted at a festival. Provides that a person less than 18 years of age may sell tickets or chances for a raffle. Modifies a provision relating to the license fee for a three year charity gaming license issued to a qualified organization that is a bona fide veterans organization. Makes technical corrections and conforming amendments.
Repeals the unclaimed property act and replaces it with the revised unclaimed property act. Makes conforming amendments.
Makes Indiana Code publication amendments. Resolves technical conflicts between various enrolled acts passed during the 2021 legislative session. Corrects technical errors in various enrolled acts passed during the 2021 legislative session. (The introduced version of this bill was prepared by the code revision commission.)
Specifies that it is the policy of the state to recognize the parenting rights of a parent regardless of whether the parent has a disability. Provides that the right of a person with a disability to parent the person's child may not be denied or restricted solely because the person has a disability. Provides that: (1) a court, in: (A) considering the appointment of a person as a guardian; (B) hearing an action to modify custody or an action to determine or modify parenting time; or (C) determining whether to grant a petition for adoption; and (2) the department of child services, in determining whether to grant a person a license to operate a foster family home; may not discriminate against, and shall take into consideration the provision of reasonable accommodations to, a person with a disability.
Allows the division of family resources (division) to send certain notices to: (1) an applicant for licensure as a child care center, licensure as a child care home, or registration as a child care ministry; and (2) a licensed child care center, a licensed child care home, and a registered child care ministry; by electronic mail instead of by certified mail. Requires: (1) an applicant for licensure as a child care center, licensure as a child care home, or registration as a child care ministry to provide a current and valid electronic mail address to the division in the application; and (2) a licensed child care center, a licensed child care home, and a registered child care ministry to maintain the provided electronic mail address for the duration of the licensure or registration.
Establishes the Indiana broadband connectivity program (program) for the purpose of expanding availability of broadband Internet connectivity throughout Indiana. Provides that as part of the program, the office must establish a public broadband portal through which an individual may report that minimum broadband Internet (defined as a connection to the Internet at an actual speed of at least 25 megabits per second downstream and at least three megabits per second upstream) is unavailable at the individual's residential or business address. Provides that a broadband Internet provider may: (1) register with the program; (2) receive, at least every three months, listings of addresses submitted to the office as addresses at which minimum broadband Internet is unavailable; (3) report to the office any listed address at which the provider's minimum broadband Internet service is already available; and (4) bid for an award of a grant for purposes of extending connectivity to broadband Internet service (defined as a connection to the Internet at an actual speed of at least 50 megabits per second downstream and at least five megabits per second upstream) to an address at which minimum broadband Internet is unavailable. Provides that in evaluating any bids received under the program, the office shall select the provider whose bid presents the lowest cost to the state. Provides that a grant awarded to a provider under the program may not exceed the following: (1) A per-line extension amount that exceeds $25,000, regardless of the number of addresses served by the line extension. (2) A per-passing amount that exceeds the state's cost per passing for all rural broadband grants awarded from the fund as of the last day of the immediately preceding state fiscal year. Requires the office to provide to the general assembly an annual report containing specified data regarding the program. Provides that the office may maintain a geographic information system (GIS) or similar data base that contains spatial data regarding the availability of broadband Internet service in Indiana. Provides that the office may evaluate the broadband Internet coverage map created by the Federal Communications Commission under the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act (FCC map) and: (1) if the office finds that the FCC map: (A) provides address level broadband Internet coverage information; or (B) provides a greater level of detail than the office's broadband Internet coverage map; use the FCC map to update the office's broadband Internet coverage map; or (2) if the office finds that the FCC map does not: (A) provide address level broadband Internet coverage information; or (B) provide a greater level of detail than the office's broadband Internet coverage map; report that finding to the interim study committee on energy, utilities, and telecommunications during the 2022 legislative interim.
Establishes the: (1) student learning recovery grant program; and (2) student learning recovery grant program fund (fund). Provides that, to be eligible to receive a grant, an eligible entity must develop and submit a student learning acceleration plan (plan). Establishes requirements for a plan and certain information reporting requirements for those eligible entities that are awarded a grant. Requires, before November 1, 2021, and November 1, 2022, the department of education to prepare and submit a report to the interim committee on education. Appropriates to the fund from the state general fund for the purposes of the program $150,000,000 for the 2021 state fiscal year.
Allows the priority enrollment period for the prekindergarten pilot program to begin later than April 1, 2021, in calendar year 2021. Provides that a school corporation may not enter into or renew a contract with an outside vendor to operate or manage a dedicated virtual education school of the school corporation unless the school corporation submits the most recent contract or proposed contract with the vendor to the department of education (department). Amends limits on the percentage of appropriated funds that may be used for grants to limited eligibility children under the prekindergarten pilot program. Provides that the department of education (department) shall make informational material that is evidenced based available on the department's Internet web site that may help teachers and other school employees identify a student who may have been impacted by trauma. Requires the department to provide a notice to each school corporation and charter school on how to access the informational material. Provides that a charter school may give enrollment preference to children who attend another charter school that is closed because of action by the state board of education (state board). Establishes the Cambridge International program (program). Requires the department to: (1) administer the program; and (2) submit a report regarding the program to the state board each year. Establishes the Indiana postsecondary prior learning assessment clearinghouse (clearinghouse). Requires the governor to direct the commission, department, and governor's workforce cabinet (cabinet), in collaboration with state educational institutions, to: (1) develop and regularly update the clearinghouse; and (2) collect information concerning prior learning assessments used by state educational institutions to award advanced standing or postsecondary credit. Requires each state educational institution to report prior learning assessment information. Requires the commission, department, and the cabinet to publish the clearinghouse information on its respective Internet web site. Requires the governor to direct the commission, department, and cabinet, in consultation with state educational institutions, to prepare model guidance and informational resources concerning postsecondary enrollment opportunities that incorporate work based learning experiences. Requires the governor to direct the commission, department, and cabinet to publish model guidance and information resources on its respective Internet web site. Prohibits a charter school organizer from entering into contracts under which an officer or employee of the organizer or a relative of an officer or employee of the organizer will receive compensation or proceeds. Provides an exception for de minimis contracts valued at $1,000 or less. Repeals a provision regarding high school credit for Cambridge International courses.
Provides that the judicial nominating commission (commission) for the Lake and St. Joseph superior courts consists of seven voting members, with three voting members appointed by the governor and three voting members appointed by the county board of commissioners, and the chief justice of Indiana or the chief justice's designee serving ex officio as a voting member only to resolve tie votes and as chairperson of the commission. (Current law provides that the commission for the Lake superior court consists of nine members.) Provides that the governor must appoint to the commission one attorney member, one nonattorney member who has never been licensed to practice law, and one member that is a woman. Provides that the county board of commissioners must appoint to the commission one attorney member, one nonattorney member who has never been licensed to practice law, and one member that is from a minority group. Provides that the chairperson of the commission shall have standing to dispute the validity of an appointed member. Provides that a voting member of the commission for: (1) the Lake superior court shall reside in Lake County; and (2) the St. Joseph superior court shall reside in St. Joseph County. Provides that a voting member may not have a prior felony conviction. Repeals provisions concerning the appointment of nonattorney commissioners and the election of attorney commissioners to the commission. Provides that after the commission has nominated and submitted to the governor the names of five persons to fill a vacancy in the Lake or St. Joseph superior court, the governor shall select the most qualified person to fill the vacancy. (Current law provides that the commission for the Lake superior court nominate and submit to the governor the names of three people to fill a vacancy in the superior court.) Makes conforming changes.
