Rep. Greg Steuerwald

Honoring Representative Denny Zent.

Honoring Representative Randy Lyness.

Requires an agency to conduct a regulatory analysis for certain proposed rules, including if the implementation and compliance costs are at least $1,000,000. Requires the office of management and budget to notify the legislative council of certain proposed rules that have a fiscal impact of over $1,000,000 over the course of two years. Provides that certain proposed rules shall not be effective until the general assembly passes a bill authorizing the rule.

Establishes the mastery based education pilot program (pilot program) to allow school corporations and charter schools selected by the department of education (department) to implement a mastery based education program. Establishes requirements and exemptions to certain laws and rules for schools participating in the pilot program. Changes the date by which formal collective bargaining may begin to October 1 and amends similar date requirement under the collective bargaining provisions to October 1. Establishes minimum minute instructional time requirements for each school year. Amends the instructional day and instructional time hour requirements for each instructional day. Provides that a governing body of a school corporation (governing body) may not enter into a contract with a superintendent on or after the date of the election for two or more members of the governing body (instead of one member) until January 1 of the year immediately following the year of the election. Establishes a minimum number of students that may receive an alternate diploma that may be counted for purposes of a school's or school corporation's graduation rate. Requires schools to adopt a teacher appreciation grant policy every four state fiscal years instead of every state fiscal year. Repeals or removes provisions that require: (1) a governing body to hold a public meeting on a proposed superintendent contract; (2) a governing body to post an employment contract entered into with a superintendent on the school corporation's website; (3) public schools to provide information concerning employees who are physically injured on the job by a student; (4) principals and school corporations to report aggregate results of staff performance evaluations; (5) principals to complete a survey; (6) certain teachers to complete a form after the initial year of teaching at a particular school; (7) the department to report to each teacher preparation program regarding certain surveys and evaluations; and (8) a public hearing before privately negotiating matters during the formal collective bargaining time period. Repeals provisions concerning the following: (1) Strategic and continuous school improvement and achievement plans. (2) Cultural competency in educational environments. (3) The primetime program.

Allows a complaint that alleges the commission of an unfair practice under dealer services law to be filed with the office of administrative law proceedings (instead of with the dealer services division of the secretary of state). Provides that an administrative law judge with relevant experience shall preside over the proceedings and issue a written decision. Provides that the administrative law judge may recommend, and the secretary of state may adopt, remedial measures or other equitable remedies. Provides that the administrative law judge may recommend mediation during the pendency of the action.

Provides that a unit shall provide by ordinance the number of police reserve officers a law enforcement agency may appoint. Provides that the law enforcement training board may revoke, suspend, modify, or restrict a document showing compliance and qualifications for a unit's police reserve officer who has committed misconduct. Provides that a law enforcement agency hiring a police reserve officer must contact every other law enforcement agency that employed (or employs) the applicant and request the applicant's employment file and disciplinary record. Provides that a special law enforcement officer employed by the city of Indianapolis full time after June 30, 2023, to perform park ranger duties (park ranger) is subject to the same training requirements as regular law enforcement officers. Provides that the facilities of the Indiana law enforcement academy must be used to provide a park ranger with the required basic training.

Specifies the circumstances under which a person may be involuntarily committed to a facility for mental health services and specifies that these services are medically necessary when provided in accordance with generally accepted clinical care guidelines. Establishes a local mental health referral program to provide mental health treatment for certain persons who have been arrested. Repeals obsolete provisions and makes technical corrections.

Specifies certain entities, actions taken, or factors considered to which the ESG commitment provisions do not apply. Provides that if the treasurer of state concludes that the service provider has made an ESG commitment, the treasurer of state shall provide the name of the service provider and research supporting the conclusion to the board of trustees of the Indiana public retirement system (board). Prohibits the board from making an investment decision with the purpose of influencing any social or environmental policy or attempting to influence the governance of any corporation for nonfinancial purposes. Prohibits the Indiana public retirement system (system) from making an ESG commitment with respect to system assets. Provides that in making and supervising investments of the system, the board shall discharge its duties solely in the financial interest of the participants and beneficiaries of the system for the exclusive purposes of providing financial benefits to participants and beneficiaries and defraying reasonable expenses of administering the system. Provides that the board, in accordance with certain fiduciary duties, shall make investment decisions with the primary purpose of maximizing the target rate of return on the board's investments. Prohibits the board from entering a contract or modifying, amending, or continuing a contract with a service provider that has made an ESG commitment unless taking the action violates the board's fiduciary duty to the system's participants and beneficiaries. Requires the board to continue contracting with a service provider that has made an ESG commitment if the board determines that there is not a comparable service provider to replace the service provider. Requires the board to, at least annually, tabulate and report all proxy votes made by a service provider that is not a private market fund in relation to the administration of the system. Specifies certain persons and entities that are immune from civil liability and entitled to indemnification. Requires the board to: (1) ensure that reasonable efforts are made during the due diligence process before an investment is made and in monitoring investments in the public employees' defined contribution plan, an annuity savings account for the public employees' retirement fund or the Indiana state teachers' retirement fund, the teachers' defined contribution plan, the legislators' defined contribution plan, and a private market fund to determine whether any investments would violate the requirement that the board discharge its duties solely in the financial interest of the participants and beneficiaries of the system; and (2) take appropriate action, if necessary, consistent with the board's fiduciary duties. Defines terms and makes conforming amendments.

Incorporates into Indiana's Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) the Amendments to the Uniform Commercial Code (2022) approved and recommended for enactment in all states by the Uniform Law Commission (ULC) to address emerging technologies. Makes conforming amendments to general provisions and definitions that apply throughout the UCC. Makes conforming amendments to chapters of the UCC governing the following: (1) Sales. (2) Leases. (3) Negotiable instruments. (4) Fund transfers. (5) Letters of credit. (6) Documents of title. (7) Investment securities. (8) Secured transactions. Repeals the chapter in the UCC governing controllable electronic records. Amends the definition of "money" for purposes of Indiana's Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) to specify that money: (1) is a medium of exchange that is not in an electronic form; and (2) does not include a central bank digital currency that is currently adopted, or that may be adopted, by the United States government, a foreign government, a foreign reserve, or a foreign sanctioned central bank. Establishes a new chapter in the UCC that: (1) governs controllable electronic records; and (2) incorporates the provisions of the ULC's amendments governing controllable electronic records. Provides that a "controllable electronic record" does not include an electronic record that is currently authorized or adopted by a domestic or foreign government and is not a medium of exchange that was recorded and transferable in a system that existed and operated for the medium of exchange before the medium of exchange was authorized or adopted by a government. Establishes a new chapter in the UCC that: (1) addresses the validity, enforceability, and perfection of certain commercial transactions, including secured transactions, entered into before the effective date of the amendments on July 1, 2023; and (2) establishes July 1, 2025, as an "adjustment date" on or after which certain transactions must conform to the requirements of the amendments to remain valid, enforceable, or perfected. Adds language to incorporate into Indiana's UCC the Amendments to Uniform Commercial Code Article 9 (2018), as approved by the American Law Institute and the National Conference of Commissioners of Uniform State Laws. Provides, through the incorporation of these amendments, that the provisions in the UCC providing that restrictions on the transfer of property pledged as collateral are ineffective do not apply in the case of a security interest in an ownership interest in a general partnership, limited partnership, or limited liability company.

Exempts military pay for members of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States or the national guard from the individual income tax. (Current law provides an individual income tax exemption for members of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States or the national guard for the period the member is mobilized and deployed.) Exempts military pay earned by members of an active component of the armed forces of the United States from the individual income tax. (Current law exempts from the individual income tax the military pay earned by members of the National Guard and reserve components of the armed forces of the United States while serving on active duty.)