Rep. Randy Frye

Allows a fire protection district or fire protection territory to establish a merit system. Provides that unless a resolution or ordinance to establish a merit system is rejected not later than December 31, 2024, a merit system is established on January 1, 2025, for eligible: (1) city and town police and fire departments and township fire departments; and (2) fire protection districts and fire protection territories. Provides that the merit system may be dissolved after January 1, 2025. Requires a unit, district, or territory to vote to either retain or dissolve the merit system after January 1, 2029, and before January 31, 2029. Repeals a provision containing definitions and moves the definitions to another location.

Provides that, subject to certain procedures and requirements, the office of the secretary of family and social services may apply to the United States Department of Health and Human Services: (1) for a Medicaid state plan amendment, a waiver, or an amendment to an existing waiver to require reimbursement for eligible certified community behavioral health clinic services; or (2) to participate in the expansion of a community mental health services demonstration program. Requires the division of mental health and addiction to establish and maintain a help line: (1) to provide confidential emotional support and referrals to certain resources to individuals who call the help line; and (2) that is accessible by calling a toll free telephone number. Establishes the Indiana behavioral health commission (commission) and sets forth the commission's membership. Changes the name of the "9-8-8 crisis hotline center" to "9-8-8 crisis response center". Makes conforming changes.

Provides that a unit shall provide by ordinance the number of police reserve officers a law enforcement agency may appoint. Provides that the law enforcement training board may revoke, suspend, modify, or restrict a document showing compliance and qualifications for a unit's police reserve officer who has committed misconduct. Provides that a law enforcement agency hiring a police reserve officer must contact every other law enforcement agency that employed (or employs) the applicant and request the applicant's employment file and disciplinary record. Provides that a special law enforcement officer employed by the city of Indianapolis full time after June 30, 2023, to perform park ranger duties (park ranger) is subject to the same training requirements as regular law enforcement officers. Provides that the facilities of the Indiana law enforcement academy must be used to provide a park ranger with the required basic training.

Specifies certain entities, actions taken, or factors considered to which the ESG commitment provisions do not apply. Provides that if the treasurer of state concludes that the service provider has made an ESG commitment, the treasurer of state shall provide the name of the service provider and research supporting the conclusion to the board of trustees of the Indiana public retirement system (board). Prohibits the board from making an investment decision with the purpose of influencing any social or environmental policy or attempting to influence the governance of any corporation for nonfinancial purposes. Prohibits the Indiana public retirement system (system) from making an ESG commitment with respect to system assets. Provides that in making and supervising investments of the system, the board shall discharge its duties solely in the financial interest of the participants and beneficiaries of the system for the exclusive purposes of providing financial benefits to participants and beneficiaries and defraying reasonable expenses of administering the system. Provides that the board, in accordance with certain fiduciary duties, shall make investment decisions with the primary purpose of maximizing the target rate of return on the board's investments. Prohibits the board from entering a contract or modifying, amending, or continuing a contract with a service provider that has made an ESG commitment unless taking the action violates the board's fiduciary duty to the system's participants and beneficiaries. Requires the board to continue contracting with a service provider that has made an ESG commitment if the board determines that there is not a comparable service provider to replace the service provider. Requires the board to, at least annually, tabulate and report all proxy votes made by a service provider that is not a private market fund in relation to the administration of the system. Specifies certain persons and entities that are immune from civil liability and entitled to indemnification. Requires the board to: (1) ensure that reasonable efforts are made during the due diligence process before an investment is made and in monitoring investments in the public employees' defined contribution plan, an annuity savings account for the public employees' retirement fund or the Indiana state teachers' retirement fund, the teachers' defined contribution plan, the legislators' defined contribution plan, and a private market fund to determine whether any investments would violate the requirement that the board discharge its duties solely in the financial interest of the participants and beneficiaries of the system; and (2) take appropriate action, if necessary, consistent with the board's fiduciary duties. Defines terms and makes conforming amendments.

Establishes the Indiana cyber civilian corps program advisory board (board). Provides for the membership of the board. Requires the adjutant general to provide staff support for the board. Requires the board to provide findings and recommendations concerning the establishment of an Indiana cyber civilian corps program to the legislative council.

Requires a public utility company that owns or operates a wind power device after a change in ownership of the wind power device to report, when filing its first statement of value and description of property with the department of local government finance (department), the valuation of the device at the same valuation amount that the previous owner reported on the previous owner's last annual report before the change in ownership if the valuation amount that the acquiring public utility company would otherwise enter on its first report is lower than the valuation amount at which the previous owner valued the wind power device before the change in ownership. Requires the new owner, for years subsequent to the first year after the change in ownership, to calculate and report the valuation of the wind power device in accordance with: (1) the statute concerning the taxation of public utility companies; and (2) rules prescribed by the department. Provides that for any year subsequent to the first year after the change in ownership of a wind power device, the department, in determining the just value of the property, shall not consider valuations determined by another governmental agency. Provides that these requirements do not apply to a public utility company that owns or operates one or more wind power devices and that has signed or countersigned an economic development agreement, or another financial agreement, that is entered into: (1) with the county in which the public utility company's wind power devices are located; and (2) for the purpose of repowering, or upgrading the technology used in, the wind power devices; before a sale or transfer of the wind power devices. Requires the department to make necessary conforming changes to the annual report form. Requires the Indiana utility regulatory commission to include a provision in an order declining to exercise jurisdiction over a public utility company that: (1) owns or operates one or more wind power devices; or (2) plans to own or operate one or more wind power devices; requiring the public utility to notify the department of any change in ownership of the wind power devices. Requires that before November 1, 2024, and before November 1, 2025, the department shall prepare, submit in an electronic format, and present a report on: (1) the valuation of wind power devices; and (2) the department's progress in implementing the bill's provisions; to the interim study committee on energy, utilities, and telecommunications. Amends the Indiana Code provision that sets forth how the department is to determine the just value of the property of a public utility company to provide an exception from the specified procedures with respect to the determination of the just value of wind power devices.

Amends the chapter in the Indiana Code concerning electric transmission facilities as follows: (1) Specifies that the term "electric transmission facility" does not include a line installed solely for the purpose of connecting an electric generation facility to facilities owned by a public utility. (2) Repeals the definition of "local reliability electric transmission facility" and makes conforming changes. (3) Amends the provisions concerning an incumbent electric transmission owner's right of first refusal to construct, own, operate, and maintain certain electric transmission facilities, or upgrades to certain electric transmission facilities, as follows: (A) Specifies that the right of first refusal applies with respect to: (ii) the construction; or (ii) upgrades; of electric transmission facilities if the construction or upgrades have been approved through a regional transmission organization (RTO) planning process. (B) Provides that if an electric transmission facility has been approved for construction through an RTO planning process: (i) each incumbent electric transmission owner that has a right to construct, own, operate, and maintain the electric transmission facility shall give written notice to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC), not later than 90 days after the construction is approved, regarding the incumbent electric transmission owner's intent to construct, own, operate, and maintain the approved electric transmission facility; and (ii) if an incumbent electric transmission owner gives notice of intent not to construct the approved electric transmission facility, another entity may seek to construct the approved electric transmission facility in accordance with the RTO planning process and the bill's provisions. (C) Provides that if an incumbent electric transmission owner gives to the IURC during a calendar year notice of its intent to construct, own, operate, and maintain an approved electric transmission facility, the incumbent electric transmission owner shall, not later than May 1 of the subsequent calendar year, provide the IURC with certain specified information. (D) Provides that an incumbent electric transmission owner that exercises its right to construct an approved electric transmission facility must, to the extent commercially practicable, use competitively bid engineering, procurement, or construction contracts that meet the specifications required by the incumbent electric transmission owner with respect to the facility.

Increases the size of the fire prevention and building safety commission (commission) from 11 members to 12 members. Requires commission members to represent certain defined interests or professions, beginning August 1, 2023. Requires a commission member to be a resident of Indiana, beginning August 1, 2023. Provides that a commission member serves at the pleasure of the governor. Increases the number of members required for a quorum from six members to seven members. Provides that the affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of the commission members present and voting is necessary for purposes of adopting a rule. Provides certain procedures for the review and adoption of building codes. Provides that a local unit of government may not adopt an ordinance concerning construction and remodeling that: (1) conflicts with the statute or a building code adopted by the commission; or (2) includes more stringent or detailed requirements than those set forth in the statute or a building code adopted by the commission. Provides that this prohibition does not apply to a unit's architectural design standards or its zoning ordinances.

Exempts military pay for members of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States or the national guard from the individual income tax. (Current law provides an individual income tax exemption for members of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States or the national guard for the period the member is mobilized and deployed.) Exempts military pay earned by members of an active component of the armed forces of the United States from the individual income tax. (Current law exempts from the individual income tax the military pay earned by members of the National Guard and reserve components of the armed forces of the United States while serving on active duty.)

Defines "aggregate". Provides that a penalty for transporting a load in excess of the registered limit of the load for the transporting vehicle does not apply to a vehicle or combination of vehicles that transports aggregate if the weight of the vehicle with load does not exceed the gross weight limit and the axle weight limit by more than 10%. Provides for when the department of state revenue (department) may assess a civil penalty for a vehicle or load that is in excess of the legal weight or dimensional limits. Provides for the penalties the department may charge for a violation. Urges the legislative council to assign to the appropriate interim study committee the task of studying civil penalty assessments and the enforcement of overweight loads as it pertains to the impact on state infrastructure.