Rep. Randy Frye

Recognizing Officer Dustin Moody.

Provides that the Indiana state veterans' cemetery may include more than one physical location. Provides eligibility for burial in the Indiana state veterans' cemetery to certain members of: (1) a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States; (2) the Indiana Army National Guard or the Indiana Air National Guard; and (3) the Reserve Officers' Training Corps of the United States Army, Navy, or Air Force. Provides eligibility for burial in the Indiana state veterans' cemetery to spouses of, minor children of, and unmarried adult children of certain members of: (1) a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States; (2) the Indiana Army National Guard or the Indiana Air National Guard; and (3) the Reserve Officers' Training Corps of the United States Army, Navy, or Air Force. Removes program directors of the state approving agency from the list of the employees who must satisfy certain criteria to qualify as a director of veterans' affairs. Amends language addressing one time grants provided by the military family relief fund. Provides that the Indiana department of veterans affairs may provide grants to a qualified entity that provides services to veterans and is exempt from taxation under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code for veteran suicide prevention.

Provides that the Indiana crime guns task force area may include Allen County.

Provides that the statewide 911 board (board) may conduct a feasibility study on potential ways in which the computer aided dispatch (CAD) systems used by public safety answering points (PSAPs) in Indiana could be made interoperable to facilitate the standard dispatch of EMS resources based on using the EMS resource that represents the closest and most appropriate EMS resource to respond to an emergency. Provides that the board may submit a report on the study to the following not later than July 1, 2024: (1) The executive director of the legislative services agency to distribute to members of the general assembly. (2) The department of homeland security. (3) The integrated public safety commission. (4) The Indiana department of health. Sets forth information that may be included in the report. Provides that these provisions expire January 1, 2025.

Provides that, after June 30, 2024, an Indiana fire department may not purchase firefighting gear unless it contains a permanently affixed label indicating whether or not the firefighting gear contains PFAS.

Provides that it is the continuing policy of the state that decisions concerning Indiana's electric generation resource mix, energy infrastructure, and electric service ratemaking constructs must take into account the following attributes of electric utility service: (1) Reliability. (2) Affordability. (3) Resiliency. (4) Stability. (5) Environmental sustainability. Requires the Indiana utility regulatory commission (IURC) to take each of these attributes into account when: (1) reviewing, and preparing a final director's report for, an integrated resource plan submitted by an electric utility; (2) acting upon a petition for the construction, purchase, or lease of an electric generation facility; and (3) reviewing whether the public convenience and necessity continues to require the completion of an electric generation facility under construction. Requires the IURC to commence before September 1, 2023, a comprehensive study to consider the appropriate: (1) design and framework for; and (2) requirements with respect to; performance based ratemaking for investor-owned electricity suppliers. Sets forth certain topics that the IURC shall consider and evaluate in conducting the required study. Requires the IURC to include in its annual report that is due before October 1, 2025, a report containing the IURC's analysis and recommendations on the specified topics. Provides that the report must contain recommendations, supported by sufficient data and analysis from the IURC's study, with respect to the appropriate: (1) design and framework for; and (2) requirements with respect to; performance based ratemaking for electricity suppliers, so as to enable the general assembly to fully evaluate the impact of performance based ratemaking on all classes of ratepayers, while considering the five attributes of electric utility service set forth as state policy in the bill. Amends the statute governing reliability adequacy metrics for certain electric utilities ("public utilities" under the statute) as follows: (1) Defines the terms: (A) "fall unforced capacity", or "fall UCAP"; and (B) "spring unforced capacity", or "spring UCAP"; for purposes of the prescribed reliability adequacy metrics. (2) Reduces to 15% the 30% limit (under current law) for a public utility's summer or winter unforced capacity (UCAP) that the public utility is authorized to acquire from capacity markets, for purposes of the reliability adequacy metrics included in a resource planning report (report) submitted to the IURC after June 30, 2023. (3) Provides that the reliability metrics included in a report submitted to the IURC after June 30, 2026, must include specified information concerning a public utility's ability to meet its spring UCAP and fall UCAP. (4) Provides that if, after reviewing a public utility's report, the IURC is not satisfied that the public utility can: (A) provide reliable electric service to its Indiana customers; or (B) either: (i) satisfy both its planning reserve margin requirement or other federal reliability requirements and the reliability adequacy metrics set forth in the bill; or (ii) provide sufficient reason as to why it is unable to satisfy both its planning reserve margin requirement or other federal reliability requirements and the reliability adequacy metrics set forth in the bill; the IURC may conduct an investigation into the matter. (Current law does not require the IURC to consider whether the public utility can provide sufficient reason as to its inability to satisfy both its planning reserve margin requirement or other federal reliability requirements and the reliability adequacy metrics set forth in the bill.) (5) Requires the IURC to include in its 2025 annual report its analysis regarding the appropriate percentage or portion of: (A) total spring UCAP; and (B) total fall UCAP; that public utilities should be authorized to acquire from capacity markets.

Amends the Indiana Code provision concerning a system of accounting for public utilities to provide the following: (1) That a public utility, municipally owned utility, or not-for-profit utility may defer for consideration by the Indiana utility regulatory commission (IURC) and for future recovery costs incurred or to be incurred in a regulatory asset, to the extent that the specific costs are incremental and are not otherwise already included for recovery in the utility's rates. (2) That preapproval of the IURC is not required for the creation of a regulatory asset. (3) That a public utility, municipally owned utility, or not-for-profit utility may recover through the utility's rates over a reasonable period, as determined by the IURC, costs that are: (A) deferred under these provisions; and (B) found to be reasonable and prudent by the IURC. Amends the Indiana Code provision concerning a public utility's depreciation account and depreciation rates to provide the following: (1) That depreciation rates shall be calculated to recover a reasonable estimate of the future cost of removing retired assets of the public utility. (2) That in a proceeding in which the costs of a capital asset are being recognized for ratemaking purposes, a public utility may account for any asset retirement obligations and recover, through rates charged to customers, reasonably and prudently incurred costs associated with asset retirement obligations, to the extent the specific asset retirement obligation costs are incremental and have not been included in depreciation rates. (3) That the IURC shall make changes in a public utility's depreciation rates as necessary to reflect changes in: (A) the public utility's estimated asset retirement costs, including all reasonable and prudent costs of removing retired assets; and (B) the estimated retirement dates of the public utility's assets. Amends the Indiana Code chapter concerning federally mandated requirements for energy utilities to specify that recovery of the 80% of IURC-approved federally mandated costs that an energy utility may recover through a rate adjustment mechanism must commence no earlier than: (A) the date of a final agency action regarding the federally mandated requirement; or (B) in the absence of a final agency action, the date on which the federally mandated requirement becomes effective.

Requires the commission for higher education (CHE) and the Indiana department of veterans' affairs to develop and implement the higher education purple star designation for the following purposes: (1) To recognize postsecondary educational institutions that are supportive and inclusive of veterans and military connected families. (2) To provide veterans and military connected families with enhanced support for pursuing and finishing a degree or postsecondary credential. Provides that the application for a designation must be made available to interested postsecondary educational institutions on the website of the CHE before May 1, 2024.

Provides that a fire department of a fire protection district or fire protection territory is subject to certain disciplinary and due process requirements.

Provides that a public safety agency may not establish or maintain residency requirements for a public safety telecommunicator employed by a public safety agency.