Rep. Dale DeVon

Maddy summaryHR 12 is a ceremonial resolution celebrating Indiana's cultural and economic connections with Ireland. It does not create new laws, allocate funding, or affect any specific policies or groups. The bill formally recognizes these ties through a congressional resolution, as is standard for such commemorative measures. It was introduced on February 10, 2025, by Representative O'Brien and multiple co-authors, and passed its first reading. This is a procedural measure with no concrete policy impact.

Creates the Indiana adoption services authority (authority) and establishes the board of directors of the authority. Sets forth the duties and powers of the authority and the board. Establishes the zero cost adoption fund (fund) to provide financial assistance, benefits, services, or other assistance for specified purposes pertaining to foster care, adoption, and postadoption assistance, including assistance with college savings and arrangements for reduced college tuition for an adopted child. Provides that money in the fund may not be used to pay the general operating, administrative, and capital expenses and establishes a separate, general operating fund for the authority to pay those expenses. Specifies that assistance provided from the fund is supplemental to adoption assistance payments or an adoption subsidy. Provides a tax credit for contributions made to the fund in an amount equal to 50% of the contribution. Specifies that the total amount of tax credits allowed may not exceed $18,500,000 for each state fiscal year. Makes conforming changes. Makes an appropriation.

Maddy summaryHR 11 is a commemorative resolution celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Professional Fire Fighters Union of Indiana. It does not create new laws or affect any policies, rights, or regulations. The resolution simply recognizes the union's history and contributions through a formal statement by the Indiana House of Representatives. It was introduced and coauthored by multiple representatives on January 30, 2025, and passed its first reading.

Maddy summaryHB 1598 changes how property taxes are calculated for community land trusts (CLTs). It requires that the true market value of both the land and any buildings or structures on it be used for tax assessment, rather than alternative methods. This directly affects CLTs, which own land and lease it to residents for affordable housing, ensuring their property taxes reflect actual market value. The bill aims to create a fairer tax system for these organizations that provide long-term affordable housing.

Provides that when the department of child services (department) enters into a contract with a provider to provide services under the department's community partners for child safety program, the contract must require the provider to: (1) submit monthly reports to the department regarding the progress of an individual receiving services from the provider; and (2) immediately report to the department under specified circumstances. Requires a court in an action regarding a report of child abuse or neglect or an action regarding a petition alleging that a child is a child in need of services (CHINS action) to appoint a guardian ad litem or court appointed special advocate, or both, if the court finds that there is a documented history of: (1) chronic abuse of alcohol or a controlled substance by; or (2) substantiated allegations of physical or sexual abuse having been committed by; the child's parent, guardian, or custodian. Provides that evidence that a child's parent, guardian, or custodian is actively engaged in chronic use of a controlled substance creates a rebuttable presumption that the child's physical or mental health is seriously endangered for purposes of finding that the child is a child in need of services. Provides that if the court in a CHINS action finds that a child is a child in need of services and that the child's parent, guardian, or custodian is actively engaged in chronic use of a controlled substance: (1) there is a rebuttable presumption that removal of the child from the child's home is in the child's best interests; and (2) the dispositional decree entered by the court must require the parent, guardian, or custodian to: (A) participate in drug abuse treatment services; and (B) submit to routine, randomly scheduled drug testing.

Requires: (1) a public utility to notify the Indiana utility regulatory commission (commission) of the public utility's intention to retire an electric generation facility not later than 18 months before the planned retirement date; and (2) the commission to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of using the location and infrastructure of the electric generation facility for development of alternative energy generation projects, including consideration of the suitability of the location and infrastructure for use in developing a nuclear energy facility.

Provides that a biological mother and biological father have joint legal custody unless otherwise provided by law. Requires a court to award joint legal custody unless it is in the child's best interests that sole legal custody be awarded. Provides that an award of joint legal custody creates a rebuttable presumption in favor of equal division of parenting time, and to rebut the presumption, a parent must prove that equal parenting time would be detrimental to the child.

Revises the definition of "bullying". Requires each public school, including a charter school, to track, monitor, and analyze specified aspects of bullying, and provides that a parent of a student or a student, if the student is an emancipated minor, may submit a grievance to the school for a violation of this requirement. Requires each school corporation and charter school to: (1) document and track all acts of bullying and abusive behavior for analysis; (2) prepare and implement interventions to deter and prevent bullying; and (3) compile, prepare, and submit an annual report beginning July 1, 2026, to the department of education, the state board of education, and the legislative council summarizing the information collected. Requires the state board of education to review the report and provide recommendations to certain schools to reduce the frequency of acts of bullying or abusive behavior.

Requires a court in certain circumstances to make decisions to promote continuity of relationship by both parents with the child through maximum practical parenting time with each parent. Provides that the ability of the parties to encourage the sharing of love, affection, and contact between the child and the other party is a permissible factor to consider in weighing the best interests of a child. Provides that: (1) parents must be encouraged to develop the parents' own parenting plans and parenting time calendars, but if the parents cannot agree to a part of the plan, the court shall provide the required components according to the best interests of the child; (2) if the parents cannot agree at all, the parenting time guidelines apply; and (3) the court must make specific findings of fact and conclusions of law on the record to support any deviation of parenting time that falls below the minimum standards in the parenting time guidelines.

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.