Rep. Dave Hall

Specifies that the existing Indiana statute concerning the awarding of grants by the office of community and rural affairs for certain eligible broadband projects does not apply to subgrants awarded by the Indiana broadband office (office) under the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program (program). Establishes a new Indiana Code chapter governing the administration of the program by the office. Requires the office to administer the program in Indiana in compliance with all mandatory provisions set forth in: (1) the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Act); and (2) the BEAD Notice of Funding Opportunity (BEAD NOFO); with respect to the program. Provides that before awarding a subgrant to an eligible broadband service provider during any round of funding under the program, the office shall submit to the budget committee for review the proposed amount and terms of the subgrant. Provides that in awarding subgrants for the deployment of a broadband network using program funds, the office may not exclude cooperatives, nonprofit organizations, public-private partnerships, private companies, public or private utilities, public utility districts, or local governments from eligibility for those funds, as set forth in the Act. Provides that the final proposal submitted by the office to the National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) with respect to the program must include the specifications for the required low cost broadband service option that are set forth in the office's initial proposal, as submitted to and approved by NTIA.

Provides that the commissioner of the department of environmental management (department) may, not later than 10 days after the last day of a public comment period, decide to hold a public hearing or meeting before the issuance or denial of a permit. Requires the department to provide notice if a public hearing or meeting will be held.

Amends the statute concerning the acquisition by a utility company of a water or wastewater utility to provide that if: (1) the appraised value of the utility property to be acquired does not exceed $3,000,000; and (2) the purchase price for the utility property is less than the appraised value of the utility property; the acquiring utility company may submit to the Indiana utility regulatory agency (IURC) a filing under a procedure, based on the procedures set forth in the IURC's rules governing 30 day administrative filings, to include in the acquiring utility company's rate base specified costs associated with the acquisition. Sets forth certain information that must be included in an acquiring utility company's filing. Provides that if the IURC approves an acquiring utility company's filing, the IURC: (1) may only authorize that: (A) the full purchase price; and (B) estimated: (i) incidental expenses; and (ii) other costs of acquisition; be recorded as the acquiring utility company's net original cost of acquisition; and (2) shall provide that any estimated: (i) incidental expenses; and (ii) other costs of the acquisition; are subject to a reasonableness review as part of the acquiring utility company's next base rate case. Adds language specifying that the Indiana Code chapter that governs the transfer, acquisition, and improvement of utilities by municipalities applies to a municipally owned natural gas utility (in addition to a municipally owned electric, water, wastewater, or combined water and wastewater utility).

Provides that: (1) a rural electric membership corporation (REMC); (2) a nonprofit corporation that is an electric cooperative and that has at least one member that is an REMC; and (3) certain corporations resulting from a merger or consolidation of an REMC and a telephone cooperative corporation; are exempt from the requirement that a public utility obtain a certificate of public convenience and necessity before beginning the construction, purchase, or lease of certain facilities to be used for furnishing public utility service.

Prohibits a unit from preventing development exclusively on the basis of slope, if the predevelopment slope of the site is less than 25%, unless the site is within a watershed area of a reservoir that is a source of a municipality's drinking water.

Specifies that, for purposes of the statute concerning the replacement of customer owned lead service lines by water utilities, a municipally owned utility includes a utility company owned, operated, or held in trust by a consolidated city. Provides that the following apply with respect to the owner of a building, structure, or dwelling, other than a multi-family residential property that contains more than four dwelling units, that is served by a customer owned lead service line within or connected to a water utility's system: (1) That upon request by the water utility, the owner shall replace, or cause to be replaced, the customer owned portion of the lead service line by: (A) enrolling in the water utility's lead service line replacement program; or (B) replacing the customer owned portion of the lead service line through the owner's own agents or contractors and at the owner's own expense. (2) That if the owner: (A) does not enroll in the water utility's lead service line replacement program; (B) does not replace the customer owned portion of the lead service line; or (C) fails to communicate with the water utility regarding the replacement; the water utility or the water utility's agent may enter the property to replace the customer owned portion of the lead service line. (3) That the: (A) water utility; and (B) occupant of the property, if the property is occupied by a person other than the owner; are not liable to the owner with respect to any replacement made under these provisions. (4) That if a water utility attempts to avail itself of the remedies set forth in these provisions and is prevented from doing so by the owner of the property, the water utility may, in accordance with state law, disconnect water service to the owner's property. Provides that the following apply with respect to the owner of a multi-family residential property that contains more than four dwelling units: (1) That the owner may elect to participate in the water utility's lead service line replacement program. (2) That the owner must communicate to the water utility the owner's election to participate not later than 45 days after receiving the water utility's request. (3) That if the owner does not communicate the owner's election to participate within this 45 day period, the owner, or any future owner of the property, is responsible for replacing the customer owned portion of the lead service line through the owner's own agents or contractors and at the owner's own expense. Provides that in the case of a: (1) building; (2) structure; or (3) dwelling; that a water utility has determined to be abandoned or unserviceable, the water utility may disconnect water service to the property and require the owner, or any future owner, of the property to install a new service line. Provides that these provisions may be incorporated, without the need for further approval by the Indiana utility regulatory commission (IURC), into a water utility's lead service line replacement plan that has been previously approved by the IURC.

Terms of US Senators and members of Congress. Applies to Congress for a Convention for proposing Amendments under Article V of the Constitution of the United States to provide limits to the number of terms that an individual may serve in the United States House of Representatives and in the United States Senate.

Terms of US Senators and members of Congress. Applies to Congress for a Convention for proposing Amendments under Article V of the Constitution of the United States to provide limits to the number of terms that an individual may serve in the United States House of Representatives and in the United States Senate.

Prohibits a public employer from requiring or stating a preference for a postsecondary degree for employment, rejecting an applicant solely on the basis of the applicant lacking a postsecondary degree, or giving preferential treatment to an applicant who holds a postsecondary degree. Provides an exemption if the job duties require a postsecondary degree and the public employer demonstrates the necessity of a specific postsecondary degree in the job posting. Requires a public employer to provide written notice to each applicant who has been eliminated from hiring consideration. Allows an applicant to appeal a hiring decision to the department of labor (department) if the applicant believes the decision was based on the applicant's lack of a postsecondary degree. Allows any person to report to the department a job posting that includes a requirement or preference for a postsecondary degree and fails to include an explanation of the necessity of the postsecondary degree. Requires the department to take certain actions if an appeal or a report is substantiated by the department.

Requires a qualified inspector to inspect a residential onsite sewage system (residential system) before a sale of a dwelling connected to the residential system. Requires that the sales disclosure form must disclose if the inspection indicated that the residential system is failing. Provides that a failure of the owner of the dwelling to satisfy the notice requirement makes transfer of ownership of the dwelling voidable at the election of the buyer even after the closing. Requires a qualified inspector to inspect a commercial onsite sewage system (commercial system) before a transfer of the nondwelling structure connected to the commercial system. Requires that the results of the inspection must be disclosed to the local health department, the county recorder, and the transferee. Requires that the transferee must present to the county recorder an affidavit stating that the cause of the commercial system failure has been eliminated or will be eliminated before the transferee uses the nondwelling structure for the transferee's intended purpose. Provides that the county recorder may not record a deed transferring the nondwelling structure unless certain requirements are satisfied. Provides that the failure of the nondwelling structure owner to provide the required documents is a complete defense to an action for breach of contract to purchase the nondwelling structure and is a breach of a legal duty for which the transferee may bring civil action for compensatory damages. Requires water from a water well to be tested by a qualified tester before transferring a lot containing both a water well and a dwelling connected to a residential onsite sewage system. Requires that the test results must be disclosed to the local health department, the county recorder, and the transferee. Provides that the county recorder may not record a deed transferring the lot unless certain requirements are satisfied. Provides that the failure of the lot owner to provide the required documents is a complete defense to an action for breach of contract to purchase the lot and is a breach of a legal duty for which the transferee may bring civil action for compensatory damages. Makes certain exceptions. Requires the Indiana department of health to adopt rules to: (1) establish requirements and standards for inspections of residential onsite sewage systems and commercial onsite sewage systems and testing of water wells; and (2) establish qualifications for inspectors of residential onsite sewage systems and commercial onsite sewage systems and testers of well water.