Rep. Alex Zimmerman

Defines, for purposes of the unsafe building law, a "building or structure". Increases from $10,000 to $25,000 the estimated cost of work required by an order of a unit's enforcement authority which the unit's enforcement authority may perform using its own workers and equipment. Provides, with certain exceptions, that a governmental body may not regulate or restrict, by regulation or otherwise, the continued residential use of a mobile home, a manufactured home, or an industrialized residential within a mobile home community based on certain characteristics of the structure. Provides that a mobile home, manufactured home, or industrialized residential structure on private property constituting a legal, nonconforming use, may not be replaced with a mobile home, manufactured home, or industrialized residential structure that is older or smaller than the legal, nonconforming structure being replaced. Makes certain changes to local planning and zoning standards and requirements relating to manufactured homes.

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.

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.

Specifies that the alcohol and tobacco commission may issue restaurant permits for a municipal riverfront development district established by a town.

Amends as follows the statute setting forth the procedures by which certain small water or wastewater utilities may withdraw from and return to the jurisdiction of the Indiana utility regulatory commission (IURC): (1) Specifies that a sewage disposal company that is subject to the jurisdiction of the IURC for having been issued more than one enforcement order from the department of environmental management (department) may not seek to withdraw from the IURC's jurisdiction during the rate regulation period prescribed in the statute setting forth various requirements with respect to wastewater utilities that have been issued one or more enforcement orders by the department. (2) Authorizes a member or shareholder of the utility to cast a vote by secret absentee ballot on the question of the IURC's jurisdiction over the utility. (3) Provides that notice of the meeting on the question of the IURC's jurisdiction over the utility must be sent not less than 45 days (instead of 30 days, under current law) before the meeting and must include: (A) instructions regarding how a member or shareholder who wishes to cast a vote by absentee ballot may request an absentee ballot; (B) a statement that a request for an absentee ballot precludes a member or shareholder from voting in person at the meeting held on the question of withdrawal from the IURC's jurisdiction; (C) instructions for returning or delivering an absentee ballot; and (D) the deadline for returning an absentee ballot, which must be: (i) not earlier than 10 calendar days; and (ii) not later than five calendar days; before the meeting on the question, along with information as to when an absentee ballot will be considered received by the board. (4) Provides that the 5% quorum required for members or shareholders to transact business and to take official action regarding the question of the IURC's jurisdiction over the utility includes votes cast by absentee ballot. (5) Provides that if: (A) a utility successfully withdraws from the IURC's jurisdiction; (B) after the withdrawal, a referendum is held on the question of the utility returning to the IURC's jurisdiction; and (C) less than a majority of the votes cast are in favor of returning to the IURC's jurisdiction; another referendum on the question of returning to the IURC's jurisdiction may not be conducted for two years (instead of four years, under current law) following the date of the meeting at which the vote is conducted. (6) Makes conforming changes.

Requires the state police department to disclose to the board of veterinary medicine (board) the criminal history or activity of veterinary license or certificate holders or applicants. Requires veterinarians and veterinary technicians to disclose certain information when renewing a license or registration certificate electronically and requires the board to compile that information into an annual report. Provides that a licensed veterinarian is not required to obtain a controlled substance registration or separate controlled substance registration if certain criteria are met. Permits a veterinarian or a registered veterinary technician to renew an expired license or registration certificate more than three years after the date of the expiration.

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.

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.

Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States of America and Ireland.