Rep. Dale DeVon

Requires specified types of residential child care facilities to: (1) implement specified personnel policies, including with regard to: (A) minimum qualifications for specified employee classifications; and (B) maintenance of personnel records; (2) comply with specified restrictions on caseloads; (3) obtain specified health records, immunizations, and examinations for each child under the facility's care; and (4) follow specified processes in providing medical care for children in the facility's care, including with regard to administering psychotropic medications. Provides that certain individuals at least 18 years of age but less than 21 years of age are included in the definitions for "child", "child abuse or neglect", and "victim of child abuse or neglect". Makes conforming and technical changes.

Revises the definition of "child care home". Limits the number of children under twelve months of age that may be provided care in a child care home. Provides that certain child care programs are exempt from licensure. Amends certain licensing requirements for a class II child care home and a child care center. Provides that certain child care providers are eligible for voucher payments. Allows certain child care programs at schools to provide services to business employees' children when the business enters into a contract with the school and certain conditions are met.

Requires the Indiana economic development corporation to annually report to the general assembly regarding funds dedicated to supporting child care under specified state and federal programs. Defines an "out-of-school-time program". Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services (FSSA) to publish on the FSSA website a dashboard providing monthly information regarding state and federal child care subsidies available to Indiana residents. Provides that a household is eligible to begin receiving assistance under the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) voucher program if the household, at the time of FSSA's initial determination of the household's income eligibility: (1) has a household income that does not exceed 85% of Indiana's state median income for the household's family size; (2) includes an individual who is employed by a licensed child care center, a licensed child care home, or a licensed or registered child care ministry; and (3) otherwise meets federal eligibility requirements for the CCDF program. Provides, with respect to the individual with certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) required to be present at all times when a child is in the care of a child care provider that is eligible to receive reimbursement through the CCDF program, that the individual is not required to be recertified in CPR annually. Provides that: (1) the early learning advisory committee must commission a third party evaluation to assess existing regulations for child care providers not later than May 1, 2024 (rather than July 1, 2024, under current law); and (2) FSSA must initiate the process of amending FSSA's rules in consideration of the findings of the third party evaluation not later than July 1, 2024. Requires, not later than September 30, 2024, the early learning advisory committee to: (1) complete a study regarding compensation in Indiana for early childhood educators and caregivers at out-of-school-time programs; (2) create an online dashboard to allow access to compensation data; and (3) issue a report containing the committee's findings and recommendations. Amends provisions regarding the On My Way Pre-K voucher program (program) to: (1) provide eligibility for children of child care employees; and (2) amend references to funds provided to children under the program as prekindergarten vouchers, rather than grants. Requires FSSA to establish a micro facility pilot program, under which FSSA shall: (1) develop a regulatory model that: (A) is applicable only to certain licensed or registered child care providers that provide child care for not less than three children and not more than 30 children for at least four hours per day (micro facilities); and (B) incorporates waivers or variances from FSSA's rules applicable to certain child care providers; (2) apply the regulatory model to at least three micro facilities and evaluate the operation of the micro facilities under the regulatory model; and (3) not later than October 1, 2026: (A) make a determination as to whether FSSA will adopt rules specific to micro facilities that incorporate some or all aspects of the regulatory model; and (B) submit to the general assembly a report regarding the pilot program. Requires FSSA to do the following: (1) Amend FSSA's rules to define a "substitute educator" caregiver type for purposes of FSSA's rules pertaining to all categories of child care providers regulated by FSSA. (2) Amend FSSA's rules to allow an employee of a child care provider who: (A) is 16 or 17 years of age; (B) is assigned to a lead caregiver who supervises the employee at all times during which the employee is supervising a child; (C) is never left alone with a child; and (D) meets specified qualifications; to be counted in child/staff ratios for school age child care rooms. (3) Amend FSSA's rules to allow an employee of a child care provider who: (A) is at least 18 years of age; and (B) meets specified qualifications; to serve as the staff person in charge of an infant/toddler room. (4) Issue a report to the general assembly not later than October 31, 2024, documenting the results attributable to: (A) the employer sponsored child care fund; and (B) the employer child care expenditure credit. (5) Study, in collaboration with other specified state agencies, opportunities for resource sharing across state agencies and local units of government to facilitate the fingerprinting of individuals for purposes of conducting national criminal history background checks and issue a report to the governor and the general assembly regarding the results of the study. Makes technical corrections.

Amends the definition of "eligible student" to include a sibling of a student with a disability with regards to the education scholarship account program (ESA). Provides that the sibling may not use the ESA account for certain ESA qualified expenses. Provides that an annual grant amount awarded under the career scholarship account (CSA) program may be used for costs related to obtaining a driver's license if certain conditions are met. Establishes conditions regarding the amount of funds that may be used from CSA annual grant amounts for transportation costs. Amends certain requirements regarding ESA and CSA participating entities regarding providing evidence of unencumbered assets. Changes certain CSA application time frames from seven days to 30 days. Requires each state educational institution to provide to the commission for higher education (commission) certain information regarding degrees, degree completion, faculty members, administrative support staff, costs, compensation, and debt loads. Requires the commission to prepare longitudinal analysis regarding certain data. Requires each private postsecondary educational institution and each out-of-state public and nonprofit degree granting institution that offers instructional or educational services or training in Indiana to provide to the department of education information to carry out certain reporting requirements and requirements related to the Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed dashboard. Allows for the revocation of an out-of-state public or nonprofit degree granting institution's authorization if the institution fails to provide the information. Adds teaching to the employment sectors eligible for the next level jobs employer training grant program. Amends requirements regarding: (1) eligibility for career coaching grants; and (2) instruction on career awareness.

Provides that a state employee may affirmatively elect to enroll in the deferred compensation plan prior to the auto enroll date on day 31 of the state employee's employment. Removes a provision that sets a maximum employer surcharge for the legislators' defined benefit plan, state excise police, gaming agent, gaming control officer, and conservation enforcement officers' retirement plan, public employees' retirement fund, and Indiana state teachers' retirement fund (fund). Requires the board of trustees of the Indiana public retirement system (board) to develop the technological and administrative capabilities sufficient to categorize fund members into separate groups in which: (1) certain members receive a service based thirteenth check; and (2) certain members receive a cost of living adjustment. Requires the board to set the surcharge rates at a level to actuarially prefund: (1) annual indexed thirteenth checks for all current retired members and beneficiaries retired before July 1, 2025; and (2) 1% annual cost of living adjustments to future in-payment members and beneficiaries retired on or after July 1, 2025. Provides that the board shall not reduce the surcharge rates from the prior year. Allows the board to increase the surcharge rates by not more than 0.1% of payroll from the prior year. Requires certain political subdivisions to present to the interim study committee on pension management oversight regarding a delinquent employee retirement plan offered by the political subdivision. Requires, effective July 1, 2025, the trustee of the state police pension trust to maintain two supplemental allowance reserve accounts for the purpose of paying postretirement benefit adjustments. Increases the maximum date that a member or participant of certain retirement funds can participate in the deferred retirement option plan from 36 to 60 months. Requires the member or participant to notify their employer if the member or participant elects to enter or extend the deferred retirement option plan. Provides for a thirteenth check in 2024 for certain members, participants, or beneficiaries of the: (1) Indiana state teachers' retirement fund; (2) Indiana public employees' retirement fund; (3) state excise police, gaming agent, gaming control officer, and conservation enforcement officers' retirement plan; (4) state police pre-1987 benefit system; and (5) state police 1987 benefit system.

Adds language providing that supporting and facilitating two-way communication between parents and foster parents or kinship caregivers is a state policy.

Relocates the definition of "foster youth". Defines "licensed kinship caregiver". Makes the following changes with regard to state adoption subsidies: (1) Removes the age requirement for eligibility. (2) Provides that a child who is a ward of the department of child services (DCS) is considered hard to place for purposes of eligibility. Removes language regarding medical passports. Provides that if a child in foster care receives medical care, the person having custody of the child shall inform the provider that the child is in foster care and require a copy of the medical treatment record to be sent to the DCS local office. Provides that DCS shall not make an out-of-home placement of a child in a home if a person residing in the home has been convicted of a nonwaivable offense. Makes technical and conforming changes.

Amends the law governing demolitions and excavations in the area of underground facilities as follows: (1) Provides that for purposes of required notifications regarding excavation or demolition: (A) the time of receipt of a notice is the time as observed in Indianapolis ("prevailing time"); and (B) a "working day" is the period of time beginning at 7 a.m. and ending at 6 p.m. prevailing time. (2) Defines the "tolerance zone" of a physical plant for purposes of the clearance that must be maintained between the physical plant and an excavation or demolition. (3) Provides that the route or boundary of a proposed excavation or demolition may be marked by electronic means approved by the Indiana Underground Plant Protection Service (association). (4) Requires documentation of required actions through submission of electronic positive responses to the association. (5) Provides that: (A) notice of intent to conduct an excavation or demolition must be received by the association not more than 10 calendar days (rather than 20 calendar days, under current law) before the commencement of the work; and (B) a notice is considered received by the association at the prevailing time the association receives the notice from the person responsible for the excavation or demolition. (6) Provides that a notice of intent to conduct an excavation or demolition may specify a starting date and time of the excavation or demolition, which may not be later than 10 days after the time of the association's receipt of the notice, and that required notifications, communication, and marking with regard to the excavation or demolition must be completed not later than: (A) the starting date and time specified in the notice, if the notice specifies a starting date and time; or (B) 7 a.m. prevailing time on the next working day that follows the elapse of two full working days after the association's receipt of the notice; whichever is later. (7) Provides that a notice of intent to conduct an excavation or demolition expires at 11:59 p.m. prevailing time 20 days after the date the notice is submitted to the association. (8) Requires that the association develop and implement guidelines to provide notice to an operator regarding the association's receipt of a notice of intent of: (A) an excavation or demolition; or (B) preliminary engineering studies or construction planning activities; at the prevailing time the association receives the notice of intent. (9) Requires a person responsible for an emergency excavation or demolition to provide notice to the association in the manner prescribed by the association. (Under current law, notice of an emergency excavation or demolition must be provided orally.) Makes technical corrections.

Allows the division of aging to contract with a person qualified to provide adult protective services. Removes language that allowed the division to contract with a governmental entity if a prosecuting attorney decides not to enter into a contract.

Provides that the department of child services may use a child advocacy center to coordinate a multidisciplinary team for responding to reports involving child abuse or neglect. Requires the child advocacy center to: (1) coordinate a multidisciplinary team that consists of specified professionals; (2) ensure that the multidisciplinary team members have specified training; (3) provide a dedicated child-focused setting designed to provide a safe, comfortable, and neutral place for a forensic interview and other child advocacy center services; (4) use written protocols; (5) use a case tracking system to provide information on essential demographic and case information; and (6) verify that multidisciplinary team members responsible for providing medical evaluations and mental health services have specified training. Provides civil immunity for a child advocacy center's employees, volunteers, and board members under certain circumstances. Allows otherwise confidential information regarding an investigation of child abuse or neglect to be made available to a child advocacy center when the child advocacy center has before it an investigation of child abuse or neglect in which it is facilitating a forensic interview or facilitating a case discussion or case review.