Rep. Jake Teshka

Requires, not later than December 31, 2022, the department of education (department) to: (1) issue a request for proposals for the purpose of contracting with a company to provide; or (2) enter into a memorandum of understanding with a statewide entity to facilitate the procurement of; adequate employer liability and worker's compensation insurance coverage for employers that employ students in work based learning courses. Specifies an exception. Provides that the total amount of funds that the department may expend to carry out the request for proposals or the memorandum of understanding must be less than $100,000. Provides that an employer: (1) may purchase the employer liability and worker's compensation coverage; and (2) is responsible for paying any costs associated with purchasing the coverage. Requires that, if the state board of education grants the designation of a transformation zone within a school corporation after June 30, 2022, the governing body of the school corporation may enter into an agreement with a nonprofit organization to manage and operate all of the schools included in the transformation zone. Provides that the governing body of a school corporation or entity that is a party to any agreement for the management and operation of a transformation zone may submit a complaint first to the governing body, and second to the department for an alleged violation of the agreement. Provides that, not later than 15 days after the date an entity submits a complaint to the department, the department shall issue a decision concerning the complaint. Provides that employees of a transformation zone may organize and create a separate bargaining unit to collectively bargain with the entity operating the transformation zone.

Requires a governing body of a school corporation (school board) to allow each member of the public attending a meeting (attendee) the opportunity to provide oral public comment. Allows a school board to permit oral public comment at a public meeting that is conducted electronically during a state or local disaster emergency. Restricts the circumstances in which the governing body of a state or local public agency may hold a virtual meeting during a declared disaster emergency without any of the governing body members physically present.

Adds a new chapter to the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) that governs transactions involving controllable electronic records and that does the following: (1) Defines "controllable electronic records". (2) Establishes the following: (A) The extent to which a purchaser acquires rights and interests in controllable electronic records. (B) The circumstances under which a qualifying purchaser acquires rights in a controllable electronic record free of any adverse claim. (C) The conditions that must be satisfied for a person to be considered to have control over controllable electronic records. Amends certain sections in the UCC chapter concerning secured transactions to reference controllable electronic records and to provide for the perfection of a security interest in controllable electronic records by: (1) control; or (2) the filing of a financing statement. Amends the Indiana statute concerning unclaimed personal property to: (1) add a definition of "controllable electronic record" in that statute; and (2) authorize (rather than require, as specified in current law) the attorney general to adopt rules regarding virtual currency, controllable electronic records, and digital assets, to the extent such rules are consistent with, and not otherwise covered by: (A) the bill's provisions; or (B) any other Indiana law concerning virtual currency, controllable electronic records, or digital assets.

Authorizes police officers appointed by a tribe to exercise police powers in Indiana if the tribal police officer meets the standards of the Indiana law enforcement academy. Provides that a tribe may authorize a tribal police officer to exercise police powers in the entire state, or in any part of the state, if certain conditions are met. Requires a tribe seeking to employ an individual as a tribal police officer who will exercise police powers in Indiana to request the individual's employment history, if the individual was previously employed by a law enforcement agency. Makes conforming amendments.

Provides that the commission's annual schedule of awards must provide award amounts on the basis of a federal needs calculation. Amends language concerning teacher stipends to teacher scholarships. Provides that the total amount of scholarships or other financial aid received by an individual may not exceed certain total expenses.

Specifies that the amount of excess combined reserves that may be transferred to the pre-1996 account in 2022 may not exceed $2,500,000,000. Reduces the individual adjusted gross income tax rate from 3.23% in 2022 to 3.15% in 2023 and 2024. Phases down the individual adjusted gross income tax rate after 2024 depending on certain conditions being met. Allows a taxpayer to elect a special property tax valuation method for mini-mill equipment. (Current law allows the method to be used only for certain integrated steel mill and oil refinery/petrochemical equipment.) Repeals the utility receipts and utility services use taxes. Requires a utility that is subject to the jurisdiction of the Indiana utility regulatory commission (IURC) for the approval of rates and charges to file a rate adjustment with the IURC that adjusts the utility's rates and charges to reflect the repeal of the utility receipts tax. Requires a utility that is subject to the utility receipts tax and not under the jurisdiction of the IURC to adjust the utility's rates and charges to reflect the repeal of the utility receipts tax. Requires each utility to provide notice to the utility's customers that the adjustment in rates and charges reflects the repeal of the utility receipts tax. Specifies taxpayer procedure for the repeal of the utility receipts and utility services use tax. Provides that the office of the secretary of family and social services may not enter into a final contract that would implement a risk based managed care program or capitated program for the specified Medicaid population before January 31, 2023. Makes conforming changes.

Reaffirming the commitment of sister ties between Indiana and Taiwan.

Amends and updates certain terms involving direct placement in a community corrections program. Updates the definition of "community corrections program". Specifies that a court may suspend any portion of a sentence and order a person to be placed in a community corrections program for the part of the sentence which must be executed. Provides that a person placed on a level of supervision as part of a community corrections program: (1) is entitled to earned good time credit; (2) may not earn educational credit; and (3) may be deprived of earned good time credit. Provides that when a person completes a placement program, the court may place the person on probation. Provides that a court may commit a person convicted of a Level 6 felony for an offense committed after June 30, 2022, to the department of correction (department), and that, consistent with current law, a court may commit a person convicted of a Level 6 felony for an offense committed before July 1, 2022, to the department only if certain circumstances exist. Establishes certain conditions of parole for a person on lifetime parole and makes the violation of parole conditions and commission of specified other acts by a person on lifetime parole a Level 6 felony, with an enhancement to a Level 5 felony for a second or subsequent offense. Provides that, for purposes of calculating accrued time and good time credit, a calendar day includes a partial calendar day. Makes conforming changes.

Allows a teacher preparation program to report the program's admission practices, in accordance with the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) standards, for teacher preparation programs accredited by the AAQEP. Requires the department of education (department) to approve at least two accreditors that: (1) accredit teacher preparation programs; and (2) are recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation; to accredit teacher preparation programs for use in Indiana. Requires the department to annually report to the legislative council the percentage of teachers who complete a particular teacher preparation program who are teaching in Indiana: (1) five years; and (2) ten years; after completion of the particular teacher preparation program. Removes a requirement that each charter school and school corporation annually provide to the department: (1) the name of the teacher preparation program that recommended the initial license for each teacher employed by the school; and (2) the annual retention rate for teachers employed by the school.

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION honoring the Washington High School girls basketball team on winning the IHSAA 3A championship.