Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn

Establishes the family recovery court fund (fund). Provides that the fund consists of money appropriated by the general assembly from the state unrestricted opioid settlement account as well as donations, gifts, and money received from other sources. Provides that money in the fund is continuously appropriated for the purpose of funding family recovery courts and safe baby courts. Provides that family recovery courts: (1) target cases of abuse or neglect wherein a parent or primary caregiver suffers from a substance use disorder or co-occurring disorders; and (2) are certified as problem solving courts by the office of judicial administration.

Maddy summaryThis is a commemorative resolution (HR 1) introduced by Representatives Garcia Wilburn and Jeter on December 2, 2025. It formally honors John Kautzman with no substantive policy changes or direct impact on constituents. The bill serves as a symbolic gesture of recognition, as is typical for resolutions naming individuals or commemorating events. It does not establish new laws, alter funding, or affect any specific group or policy area.

Provides that a policy of accident and sickness insurance and health maintenance organization that require an insured to select a primary care provider to receive coverage may permit an insured to select a participating provider who is a physical therapist to provide physical therapy services or an occupational therapist to provide occupational therapy services.

Provides that the insurance commissioner shall discharge the powers and duties of the commissioner's office with respect to policies of accident and sickness insurance and health maintenance organization contracts in a specified manner. Requires the commissioner to consider, before approving or disapproving a rate increase or decrease for a policy of accident and sickness insurance or a health maintenance organization contract, whether the filer's products are affordable and whether the filer has implemented effective strategies to enhance the affordability of the filer's products. Allows the commissioner to disapprove a rate increase if the rate is increased by an amount that exceeds the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy percentage increase plus 1%.

Establishes a limited medical license for individuals who: (1) have graduated from certain international medical programs; (2) obtain a health care facility sponsor in an underserved area; and (3) meet certain other criteria. Provides that a limited medical license authorizes the recipient to practice medicine only at a health care facility in an underserved area. Enables the medical licensing board of Indiana (board) to revoke a limited medical license if the recipient stops working as a physician at a health care facility in an underserved area. Provides that a limited medical license may be converted to an unlimited license. Allows the board to require a comprehensive evaluation to determine the individual's competency before issuing an unlimited medical license. Allows, until June 30, 2027, an applicant for an unlimited license to practice osteopathic medicine to take all levels of the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination not later than ten years from the date the applicant first passes level 1 of the examination.

Provides that an individual's duty to report suspected child abuse or neglect may only be delegated to another person if certain conditions are met. Requires that if a report of suspected child abuse or neglect alleges that a staff member, youth coach, or volunteer of an institution, school, facility, organization, or agency is the abuser, law enforcement shall investigate to determine whether the institution, school, facility, organization, or agency knew that the alleged abuse was happening and failed to report the alleged abuse. Allows law enforcement to consider certain facts when determining whether the institution, school, facility, organization, or agency knew about the alleged abuse. Provides that a child is not a child in need of services due to a parent, guardian, or custodian referring to and raising a child consistent with the child's biological sex. Makes conforming changes.

Requires the family and social services administration (FSSA) to provide address information to the department of child services (department) under specified circumstances subject to federal approval of a state plan amendment or waiver allowing FSSA to do so. Provides that it is the policy of the state of Indiana and the purpose of Indiana family and juvenile law to: (1) recognize the responsibility of the state and of the department for the safety of children who are abused or neglected; (2) recognize that a parent's interest in receiving services at the time and expense of the state for purposes of reunification is limited; (3) promote the safety of all children involved in the juvenile justice system; and (4) ensure timely placement of children in foster care into permanent homes. Provides that a procedural deadline in a: (1) child in need of services (CHINS) proceeding; or (2) termination of parent-child relationship (TPR) proceeding; is not subject to waiver by a party to the proceeding, except as permitted in specified circumstances under current law. Provides that an individual with whom a child is placed during CHINS proceedings is entitled to attend, in its entirety, any hearing conducted as part of: (1) the CHINS proceedings; or (2) TPR proceedings resulting from a TPR petition filed with regard to the child during the CHINS proceedings. Provides that a court shall allow an individual who is providing care and supervision of a child as: (1) a foster parent; (2) a long term foster parent; or (3) an unlicensed kinship caregiver; at the time the child is the subject of a CHINS proceeding or TPR proceeding to intervene as a party during any stage of the proceeding if the court makes specified findings. Provides that a court shall allow an individual who is providing care and supervision for a child to intervene in a TPR proceeding concerning the child. Provides that a child is a CHINS if, before the child becomes 18 years of age: (1) the child's physical or mental health is seriously endangered due to failure of the child's parent, guardian, or custodian to protect the child from exposure to the use, possession, sale, or manufacture of illegal drugs; and (2) the child needs care, treatment, or rehabilitation that the child is not receiving and that is unlikely to be provided or accepted without the coercive intervention of the court. Removes a rebuttable presumption in current law that a child's physical or mental health is seriously endangered based on evidence of illegal manufacture of a drug or controlled substance occurring at the child's residence and provides that there is a rebuttable presumption that a child is a CHINS if the court finds that the child's parent, guardian, or custodian willfully or knowingly: (1) exposed the child to the illegal manufacture or distribution of a legend drug or controlled substance; or (2) exposed the child to: (A) methamphetamine; (B) fentanyl; or (C) a fentanyl containing substance; for which the parent, guardian, or custodian did not have a valid prescription. Amends the factors a court must consider when determining whether to detain a child who has been removed from the child's parent, guardian, or custodian to include considerations relating to exposure of the child to a fentanyl containing substance or fentanyl related substance. Provides that the rights of the: (1) child; (2) child's parents, guardian, or custodian; (3) department; and (4) guardian ad litem or court appointed special advocate; as parties to a proceeding regarding the child under Indiana juvenile law include rights of discovery, subpoena, examination of witnesses, and presentation of evidence at any hearing in the proceeding. Provides that the statutory deadline for holding of a factfinding hearing in a CHINS proceeding may be extended if the court finds that the extension is necessitated by: (1) unanticipated, emergent circumstances; (2) the circumstances of the case; or (3) the Indiana Rules of Trial Procedure. Provides that there is a rebuttable presumption that a child is a CHINS if the court finds that the child lives in the same household as an adult who is subject to an order issued in a CHINS proceeding that requires the adult to participate in a program of care, treatment, or rehabilitation. Adds factors that a court must consider in determining appropriate reunification services in which a child's parent, guardian, or custodian will be required to participate under the child's dispositional decree. Provides that: (1) a dispositional decree that: (A) is entered under specified circumstances; and (B) requires a parent, guardian, or custodian to complete reunification services; may not provide for the parent, guardian, or custodian to receive the reunification services for more than a specified length of time, subject to extension for specified causes; and (2) a court reviewing the dispositional decree shall consider the amount of time remaining for the parent, guardian, or custodian to complete the reunification services. Specifies that the requirement that a court reviewing a dispositional decree must determine whether the department has made reasonable efforts to provide family services does not apply if a finding has been made that reasonable efforts for family preservation or reunification are not required. Provides that in determining the extent to which reasonable efforts to reunify or preserve a family are appropriate, the child's welfare (in addition to the child's health and safety, under current law) is of paramount concern. Provides that if the department conducts a criminal history check of: (1) a parent, guardian, or custodian; or (2) a household member of the parent, guardian, or custodian; before reunifying a child with the parent, guardian, or custodian, the department shall (rather than may, under current law) use the results of the criminal history check to decide whether it is safe for the child to return home and shall provide the results of the criminal history check to the court. Requires a court to hold a permanency hearing for a child: (1) who has been removed from the child's parent, guardian, or custodian for at least 12 months; or (2) with regard to whom at least 12 months have expired since a dispositional decree was entered; at the request of any party to the CHINS proceeding that requests a permanency hearing on the basis that continuation of efforts to reunify or preserve the child's family are inconsistent with the best interests of the child. Provides that if a child has, at the time of a permanency hearing, been removed from the child's parent for at least 12 of the most recent 22 months, the permanency plan for the child must include at least one intended permanent or long term care and custody arrangement that would not return the child to the care and custody of the parent, guardian, or custodian from whose care and custody the child has been removed. Provides that if a child is less than 16 years of age, the intended permanent or long term care and custody arrangement for the child may be guardianship or placement with a permanent custodian only if the proposed guardian or custodian appears before the court and testifies as to the individual's willingness to assume custody of the child. Provides that: (1) if a court approves a permanency plan for a child under which adoption is the only intended permanent or long term care and custody arrangement, the department shall publish specified information regarding the child to facilitate adoption of the child; and (2) the information published by the department to facilitate adoption of a child who is: (A) a CHINS; and (B) a hard to place child; may include the child's first name and picture. Requires a court to hold an initial hearing on a TPR petition not later than 30 days after the petition is filed. Provides that under specified circumstances, a TPR petition regarding a child and the child's parent: (1) must be filed by the department; and (2) may be filed by: (A) the child's guardian ad litem or court appointed special advocate; or (B) an individual: (i) with whom the child is placed during the CHINS proceedings; and (ii) who is an intervenor in the CHINS proceedings. Amends the allegations that may be asserted in a TPR petition. Removes a provision requiring a person that files a TPR petition to also file a: (1) copy of the order approving the permanency plan for the child; or (2) permanency plan for the child. Provides that the deadline for holding a hearing regarding a TPR petition may be extended if the court finds that extension of the deadline is necessitated by: (1) unanticipated, emergent circumstances; (2) the circumstances of the case; or (3) the Indiana Rules of Trial Procedure. Provides that a representative of a licensed child placing agency that is providing services to a child during child in need of services (CHINS) proceedings is entitled to attend, in its entirety, any hearing conducted as part of: (1) the CHINS proceedings; or (2) termination of parent-child relationship (TPR) proceedings resulting from a TPR petition filed with regard to the child during the CHINS proceedings. Provides that the requirement that DCS publish specified information regarding a child to facilitate adoption of the child does not apply if the child is already in a pre-adoptive placement in a proposed adoptive home. Makes conforming and technical changes.

Specifies that provisions of law governing the office of administrative law proceedings apply to the Indiana department of health (state department) in matters concerning the involuntary transfer or discharge of a resident of a health facility. Specifies conditions for the use of updated publications for design enforcement by the state department in the regulation of hospitals and ambulatory outpatient surgical centers. Amends the list of crimes or acts that preclude a home health aide, nurse aide, or other unlicensed employee from employment at a home health agency and certain health care facilities. Amends the list of crimes that preclude a person from operating a home health agency or personal services agency. Requires the state department to: (1) investigate any report that a nurse aide or home health aide has been convicted of a certain crime; and (2) remove the individual from the state nurse aide registry. Makes it a Class A infraction for a person convicted of a certain crime to knowingly or intentionally apply for a job as a home health aide or other unlicensed employee at a home health agency or certain health care facilities. For provisions concerning the women, infants, and children nutrition program (WIC program), defines "WIC vendor agreement". Requires the state department to: (1) select WIC program vendors based on selection criteria set forth in federal regulations; (2) review the selection criteria annually; (3) include the selection criteria in the WIC state plan; and (4) publish the selection criteria on the state department's website. For purposes of submitting a death record of a stillborn, requires the physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) last in attendance to initiate the document process unless the physician, physician assistant, or APRN was not present upon the deceased. Includes reporting to local child fatality review teams, the statewide child fatality review committee, local fetal-infant mortality review teams, and suicide and overdose fatality review teams for the release of mental health records without the consent of the patient. Requires the state department to: (1) approve courses concerning auto-injectable epinephrine that meet criteria established by the state department (rather than courses offered by an approved organization as defined in current law); and (2) publish the criteria on its website. Removes a provision allowing the state department to contract with a third party to create a certificate of completion for a course. Removes the expiration of the statewide maternal mortality review committee. Amends the membership of the statewide child fatality review committee.

Amends the duties of the statewide juvenile justice oversight body established by the commission on improving the status of children in Indiana (oversight body). Requires the Indiana criminal justice institute (institute) to consider the recommendations of the oversight body (rather than consider only a single, specified plan developed by the oversight body as provided under current law) in adopting a funding formula for the juvenile diversion grant program, juvenile community alternatives grant program, and juvenile behavioral health competitive grant program. Requires a recipient of a grant under the juvenile diversion grant program, juvenile community alternatives grant program, or juvenile behavioral health competitive grant program to engage in collaborative service planning with specified entities, and sets out the characteristics of collaborative service planning. Makes the following changes with regard to the juvenile behavioral health competitive grant program (program): (1) Provides that the institute may use available funds to strengthen the institute's capacity to manage grants under the program. (2) Requires the institute to submit an annual report to specified recipients regarding the program. (3) Removes references to pilot program from the juvenile behavioral health competitive grant pilot program. Amends comparable provisions regarding: (1) the juvenile diversion grant program and juvenile community alternatives grant program; and (2) the program; to bring the provisions into closer conformity with one another. Amends certain deadlines concerning funds.

Prohibits an employer from taking an adverse employment action against an employee as a result of the employee's absence from work to attend an attendance conference or a case conference committee meeting with respect to the employee's child, except under certain circumstances. Provides that an employer is not required to pay an employee for travel or attendance time with respect to a conference or meeting. Requires certain persons to provide documentation related to a conference or meeting under certain circumstances.