A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION urging the Indiana Department of Transportation to rename that portion of State Road 5 from State Road 218 to State Road 22 the "Ralph Duckwall Memorial Highway".
Establishes the space science and technology grant program to provide grants to eligible entities to develop and implement high quality, innovative educational opportunities in schools, with a focus in atmospheric and outer space exploration. Provides a procedure for eligible entities to apply to the department of education (department) to receive a grant. Establishes the space science and technology fund. Provides that the department shall develop criteria to award grants to eligible entities.
Requires, beginning January 1, 2026, Medicaid reimbursement for dental procedures performed where the patient is under anesthesia at an ambulatory outpatient surgical center at a rate that is equal to 100% of the Medicare reimbursement rate for the same service.
Defines "antisemitism", specifies that the public policy of the state is to provide educational opportunities free of religious discrimination, and provides that antisemitism is discrimination on the basis of race, creed, religion, or national origin.
Requires an adult oriented website operator that displays material harmful to minors to use a reasonable age verification method to prevent a minor from accessing an adult oriented website. Creates a cause of action to permit: (1) the parent or guardian of a child harmed by a violation of the age verification requirement to obtain monetary damages, injunctive relief, and reasonable attorney's fees; and (2) any other person to bring an action to obtain injunctive relief and reasonable attorney's fees. Prohibits a person that conducts age verification from retaining the identifying information of an individual seeking to access an adult oriented website that displays material harmful to minors, and permits an individual whose identifying information is retained to bring an action to obtain monetary damages, injunctive relief, and reasonable attorney's fees. Requires adult oriented website operators to use commercially reasonable methods to secure all information collected and transmitted. Provides that the attorney general may bring an action to obtain an injunction, a civil penalty of not more than $250,000, or the attorney general's reasonable costs in investigating and maintaining the action. Provides that when the attorney general has reasonable cause to believe that any person has engaged in, is engaging in, or is about to engage in a violation, the attorney general is empowered to issue civil investigative demands under IC 4-6-3-3 to investigate the suspected violation. Requires verification information of minors to be kept confidential with certain exceptions. Adds verification information to the definition of "personal information". Adds a violation of IC 24-4-23 as a deceptive act.
Provides that a pregnant woman charged with a drug crime may be referred to a forensic diversion program or a drug court at an initial hearing.
Amends the definition of "eligible student" to include a sibling of a student with a disability with regards to the education scholarship account program (ESA). Provides that the sibling may not use the ESA account for certain ESA qualified expenses. Provides that an annual grant amount awarded under the career scholarship account (CSA) program may be used for costs related to obtaining a driver's license if certain conditions are met. Establishes conditions regarding the amount of funds that may be used from CSA annual grant amounts for transportation costs. Amends certain requirements regarding ESA and CSA participating entities regarding providing evidence of unencumbered assets. Changes certain CSA application time frames from seven days to 30 days. Requires each state educational institution to provide to the commission for higher education (commission) certain information regarding degrees, degree completion, faculty members, administrative support staff, costs, compensation, and debt loads. Requires the commission to prepare longitudinal analysis regarding certain data. Requires each private postsecondary educational institution and each out-of-state public and nonprofit degree granting institution that offers instructional or educational services or training in Indiana to provide to the department of education information to carry out certain reporting requirements and requirements related to the Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed dashboard. Allows for the revocation of an out-of-state public or nonprofit degree granting institution's authorization if the institution fails to provide the information. Adds teaching to the employment sectors eligible for the next level jobs employer training grant program. Amends requirements regarding: (1) eligibility for career coaching grants; and (2) instruction on career awareness.
Provides that a state employee may affirmatively elect to enroll in the deferred compensation plan prior to the auto enroll date on day 31 of the state employee's employment. Removes a provision that sets a maximum employer surcharge for the legislators' defined benefit plan, state excise police, gaming agent, gaming control officer, and conservation enforcement officers' retirement plan, public employees' retirement fund, and Indiana state teachers' retirement fund (fund). Requires the board of trustees of the Indiana public retirement system (board) to develop the technological and administrative capabilities sufficient to categorize fund members into separate groups in which: (1) certain members receive a service based thirteenth check; and (2) certain members receive a cost of living adjustment. Requires the board to set the surcharge rates at a level to actuarially prefund: (1) annual indexed thirteenth checks for all current retired members and beneficiaries retired before July 1, 2025; and (2) 1% annual cost of living adjustments to future in-payment members and beneficiaries retired on or after July 1, 2025. Provides that the board shall not reduce the surcharge rates from the prior year. Allows the board to increase the surcharge rates by not more than 0.1% of payroll from the prior year. Requires certain political subdivisions to present to the interim study committee on pension management oversight regarding a delinquent employee retirement plan offered by the political subdivision. Requires, effective July 1, 2025, the trustee of the state police pension trust to maintain two supplemental allowance reserve accounts for the purpose of paying postretirement benefit adjustments. Increases the maximum date that a member or participant of certain retirement funds can participate in the deferred retirement option plan from 36 to 60 months. Requires the member or participant to notify their employer if the member or participant elects to enter or extend the deferred retirement option plan. Provides for a thirteenth check in 2024 for certain members, participants, or beneficiaries of the: (1) Indiana state teachers' retirement fund; (2) Indiana public employees' retirement fund; (3) state excise police, gaming agent, gaming control officer, and conservation enforcement officers' retirement plan; (4) state police pre-1987 benefit system; and (5) state police 1987 benefit system.
Removes references to a quality review in provisions relating to the licensing of accountants. Requires the Indiana board of accountancy (board) to adopt rules requiring the firm to allow the administering entity to provide access to the results of its most recently accepted peer review and other objective information to the board. Removes language requiring the administering entity to make a peer review report available to the oversight committee not more than 30 days after the issuance of the peer review report. Provides that the results of a peer review may be treated as a complaint submitted by the board. Removes language requiring the peer review committee issuing a report to cooperate with an investigation of a complaint. Allows the use of certain titles by an individual who is enrolled in or has graduated from a school or college of architecture or an accredited curriculum of landscape architecture. Specifies that the renewal of a professional geologist license after June 30, 2025, requires continuing education. Allows certain individuals to take various licensing examinations early if certain conditions are met. Increases the number of clinical or supervised hours certain individuals may obtain through virtual supervision.
Provides that an action for injury to a person that results from the sexual abuse of a child, that has expired under the current statute of limitations, may be commenced before July 1, 2025, against specified entities seeking bankruptcy protection, if certain circumstances exist. Provides that certain images created by artificial intelligence or similar means constitute an "intimate image" for purposes of: (1) a civil action involving nonconsensual pornography; or (2) the crime of distributing an intimate image. Specifies that an intimate image, for purposes of the criminal offense, must appear to depict the alleged victim. Exempts certain news media and internet and cloud service providers from the criminal offense under certain circumstances. Provides that "peep", for purposes of the voyeurism statute, includes the use of a concealed camera with the intent of capturing an intimate image. Makes conforming amendments.
