Rep. Dale DeVon

Allows licensed child caring institutions, group homes, and secure private facilities (residential child care facilities) to hire not more than one trauma informed support employee per living unit per shift. Provides for full reimbursement of the cost of employment of a trauma informed support employee for residential child care facilities that have four or more children residing in a living unit. Excludes trauma informed support employees from calculation of the ratio of direct care staff to children for purposes of rate setting for residential child care facilities.

Provides that the commission for higher education shall determine a tuition rate and mandatory fee cost of living adjustment for specified postsecondary educational institutions. Requires that, except for cost of living adjustments, the tuition rate and mandatory fees at specified postsecondary educational institutions may not increase from the time the student initially enrolls until the student graduates for an undergraduate student who is an Indiana resident.

Renames the "unemployment compensation system" to the "reemployment assistance program". Changes the maximum total amount of reemployment assistance benefits, with respect to initial claims filed for any week beginning on and after January 1, 2023, to a range between 12 times the individual's weekly benefit if the state average unemployment rate is not more than 5.5% and 20 times the individual's weekly benefit if the state average unemployment rate is greater than 9%. (Under current law, the maximum total amount of benefits is 26 times the individual's weekly benefit, or 28% of the individual's wage credits with respect to the individual's base period, whichever is less.) Makes corresponding changes.

Requires the commission on improving the status of children in Indiana to study and evaluate issues regarding the adoption tax credit, make findings and recommendations regarding the tax credit, including whether the credit amount needs to be increased, and submit a report with its findings and recommendations to the general assembly by November 1, 2022.

Establishes the reservist tuition supplement program (program) and reservist tuition supplement program fund (fund). Requires the commission for higher education to administer the program and fund. Provides that money in the fund is continually appropriated.

Defines "exigent circumstances" for purposes of action taken by the department of child services (DCS) with respect to a child. Allows DCS to interview a child at the child's school, except for at a nonaccredited nonpublic school with less than one employee, without parental consent if: (1) the DCS employee presents their credentials upon arrival at the school; and (2) DCS presents a written statement that DCS has parental consent, a court order, or exigent circumstances. Requires that the written statement shall not be maintained in the child's file and must protect the child's and child's family's confidentiality. Mandates that DCS provide assurances that the child's school, or its representative, has been invited to participate in the case plan process.

Establishes the interim study committee on child services (committee). Provides that the committee: (1) shall review the annual reports submitted by local child fatality review teams and by the statewide child fatality review committee and shall report to the legislative council regarding the committee's review of the reports; and (2) may make recommendations regarding changes in policy or statutes to improve child safety; in addition to reporting to the legislative council regarding any other issue assigned to the committee by the legislative council. Provides that a local child fatality committee may meet at the call of members of the local child fatality committee other than the county prosecutor for purposes of the first meeting of the local child fatality committee. Requires the summary information included in the department's annual report regarding child fatalities to indicate, with regard to a child fatality that was the result of abuse or neglect, whether the child was a ward of the department at the time of the event that led to the child's death. Requires the department to provide the annual report to the committee. Urges the legislative council to assign the following topics to the committee, or to another appropriate study committee, for study during the 2021 legislative interim: (1) Amending the Indiana Code to provide for a structured, limited, confidential process by which members of the general assembly may, in the regular course of legislative duties, individually request and view reports and other materials regarding cases of child abuse or neglect and child fatalities resulting from abuse or neglect, while protecting personally identifying information and confidentiality. (2) The child fatality review process, including recommendations from the department and the state department of health with regard to improving reporting and data collection. Requires a local child fatality review committee that has not held its first meeting as of the effective date of the bill to hold its first meeting not later than December 31, 2021.

Increases the state earned income tax credit to an amount equal to 10% (instead of 9%) of the federal earned income tax credit that an individual claimed for a taxable year. Provides that for purposes of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, income earned by a certain individual in the household who is participating in or pursuing a postsecondary degree, a workforce certificate, a pre-apprenticeship, or an apprenticeship may not disqualify an eligible household from receiving benefits, and may not be considered in determining the amount of assistance.

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 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.