Rep. Beau Baird

Provides that a retailer may not sell, offer for sale, or distribute for sale a covered battery or battery containing product unless: (1) the producer joins a battery stewardship organization; and (2) the battery is approved under a battery stewardship plan. Provides that a battery stewardship organization shall submit a battery stewardship plan (plan) to the Indiana department of environmental management (department) for approval. Sets out certain requirements with respect to a plan. Establishes the battery stewardship fund to cover the department's expenses in administering this act. Requires the department to publish certain information regarding battery recycling on the department's website. Provides that a battery stewardship organization may recover, under certain circumstances, all costs associated with collecting a covered battery from the producer. Allows fee based and nonfee based collection and recycling programs to operate under certain conditions. Prohibits a person from improperly recycling a covered battery. Defines certain terms. Provides that a producer and battery stewardship organization are exempt from state antitrust law with respect to planning, reporting, or operating a battery stewardship program.

Maddy summaryHR 9 is a non-binding resolution that states the U.S. national debt poses a threat to national security. It does not create new laws, alter policies, or directly affect any individuals or groups. The bill simply makes a formal statement recognizing this concern, as reflected in its title and abstract. It was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means after being introduced on January 22, 2026.

Provides that a racing facility or racetrack or any of its appurtenances is not and does not become a nuisance, public or private, within the area of the racing facility or racetrack, in an action brought by a person who purchased or improved property within the area of the racing facility or racetrack or its appurtenances after the racing facility or racetrack initially commenced operation as a racing facility or racetrack.

Provides that a person may circulate a petition to create a tourism improvement district (district) within the territory of a county, city, or town (local unit). Specifies the contents of the tourism improvement district plan that must be filed with a petition to establish a district. Provides that the legislative body of the local unit may require in the district plan that the boundaries of the district be drawn to: (1) exclude businesses; or (2) prevent overlap of the district with another area or district in which a special assessment is imposed. Provides that owners of businesses located within a district may be charged a special assessment to fund improvements and other district activities. Provides that, after a hearing on a petition to establish a district, a local unit's legislative body may adopt the ordinance establishing the district only if it determines that the petition has been signed by: (1) at least 50% of the owners of businesses within the proposed district; and (2) the owners of businesses within the proposed district that constitute more than 50% of the revenue to be collected from the special assessments. Requires the county, city, or town legislative body, at the public hearing on the establishment of a district, to hear from each individual business owner that wishes to make a request for exclusion from the district. Specifies the contents of the ordinance establishing a district and the length of time for which a district may exist. Allows a district to issue bonds and specifies the term of any bonds issued. Provides that a district may be renewed. Sets forth an annual 30 day period in which the owners of the businesses in the district may request disestablishment of the district under specified conditions. Requires the local unit to contract with a private nonprofit district management association to administer and implement the district's activities and improvements. Excludes from inclusion within a district: (1) property that receives a homestead standard deduction; (2) property used for single family residential housing; and (3) property used for multi-unit residential housing.

Maddy summaryHB 1203 requires research facilities to offer dogs or cats for adoption when they are no longer needed for research purposes. This bill directly affects research facilities that house dogs or cats used in scientific studies. The key provision mandates that facilities make these animals available through adoption programs instead of euthanizing or rehoming them through other channels. The legislation aims to provide a second chance for animals previously used in research, focusing on their welfare without altering research protocols.

Establishes the Indiana emergency efficiency and resilience task force (task force). Provides that the task force shall study certain topics related to disaster resilience. Requires the task force to submit a written report with specific findings and recommendations to the legislative council not later than December 1, 2026.

Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, requires administration of the naturalization examination provided by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (exam) in grade 8. Beginning in the 2030-2031 school year, requires administration of the exam in high school, and requires a student to complete the exam with a score of not less than 70% in order to graduate high school. Allows a student to retake the exam. Allows certain students to obtain an academic waiver for the exam. Makes conforming changes.

Requires an initial in-person examination to establish a veterinarian-client-patient relationship beginning July 1, 2026. Provides an exception for veterinarian-client-patient relationships established on or before June 30, 2026.

Provides a credit against state tax liability for expenses incurred in the manufacture of a small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) in Indiana. Establishes procedures under which certain energy utilities may request approval for one or more of the following from the Indiana utility regulatory commission (IURC): (1) An expedited generation resource plan (EGR plan) to meet customer load growth that exceeds a specified threshold. (2) A generation resource submittal for the acquisition of a specific generation resource in accordance with an approved EGR plan. (3) A project to serve one or more large load customers. Sets forth: (1) the requirements for approval of each of these types of requests; (2) standards for financial assurances by large load customers; and (3) cost recovery mechanisms for certain acquisition costs or project costs incurred by energy utilities. Amends the statute concerning public utilities' annual electric resource planning reports to the IURC to provide that for an annual report submitted after December 31, 2025, a public utility must include information as to the amount of generating resource capacity or energy that the public utility plans to retire or refuel with respect to any electric generation resource of at least 125 megawatts. Provides that for any planned retirement or refueling, the public utility must include, along with other specified information, information as to the public utility's plans with respect to the following: (1) For a retirement, the amount of replacement capacity identified to provide approximately the same accredited capacity within the appropriate regional transmission organization (RTO) as the capacity of the facility to be retired. (2) For a refueling, the extent to which the refueling will maintain or increase the current generating resource accredited capacity or energy that the electric generating facility provides, so as to provide approximately the same accredited capacity within the appropriate RTO. Requires IURC staff to prepare a staff report for each public utility report that includes a planned electric generation resource retirement. Provides that if, after reviewing a public utility's report and any related staff report, the IURC is not satisfied that the public utility can satisfy both its planning reserve margin requirement and the statute's prescribed reliability adequacy metrics, the IURC shall conduct an investigation into the reasons for the public utility's inability to meet these requirements. Provides that if the public utility's report indicates that the public utility plans to retire an electric generating facility within one year of the date of the report, the IURC must conduct such an investigation. Provides that: (1) a public utility may request, not earlier than three years before the planned retirement date of an electric generation facility, that the IURC conduct an investigation into the planned retirement; and (2) if the IURC conducts an investigation at the request of the public utility within that three year period, the IURC may not conduct a subsequent investigation that would otherwise be required under the bill's provisions unless the IURC is not satisfied that the public utility can satisfy both its planning reserve margin requirement and the statutory reliability adequacy metrics as of the time the investigation would otherwise be required. Provides that if a CPCN is granted by the IURC for a facility intended to repower or replace a generation unit that is planned for retirement, and the CPCN includes findings that the project will result in at least equivalent accredited capacity and will provide economic benefit to ratepayers as compared to the continued operation of the generating unit to be retired, the CPCN constitutes approval by the IURC for purposes of an investigation that would otherwise be required. Provides that if, after an investigation, the IURC determines that the capacity resources available to the public utility will not be adequate to allow the public utility to satisfy both its planning reserve margin requirements and the statute's prescribed reliability adequacy metrics, the IURC shall issue an order: (1) directing the public utility to acquire or construct; or (2) prohibiting the retirement or refueling of; such capacity resources that are reasonable and necessary to enable the public utility to meet these requirements. Provides that if the IURC does not issue an order in an investigation within 120 days after the initiation of the investigation, the public utility is considered to be able to satisfy both its planning reserve margin requirement and the statutory reliability adequacy metrics with respect to the retirement of the facility under investigation. Provides that if the IURC issues an order to prohibit the retirement or refueling of an electric generation resource, the IURC shall create a sub-docket to authorize the public utility to recover in rates the costs of the continued operation of the electric generation resource proposed to be retired or refueled, subject to a finding by the IURC that the continued costs of operation are just and reasonable. Makes a technical change to another Indiana Code section to recognize the redesignation of subsections within the section containing these provisions.

Establishes a two year moratorium on the sale of cultivated meat products in Indiana. Prohibits a person from misbranding a cultivated meat product as a meat product. Provides that the cultivated meat product is misbranded as a meat product if the cultivated meat product is: (1) advertised; (2) labeled; or (3) offered for sale or sold; in a manner that does not clearly indicate that it is a cultivated meat product or not in accordance with rules adopted by BOAH. Requires BOAH to administer the chapter.