Rep. Wendy McNamara

Provides that a parent is presumed indigent for purposes of parental payment or reimbursement for services provided by the department of child services to a child adjudicated delinquent or a child in need of services. Further provides that, when the department of correction is awarded wardship of a child, the juvenile court may not order a parent to pay or reimburse the department unless the juvenile court makes a specific finding that the parent is able to pay. Removes fees and costs associated with a child alleged to be a delinquent child from the supplemental public defender services fund and the public defense administration fee. Allows the alternative dispute resolution fund (fund) to be used for guardian ad litem services. Requires the court to determine whether, when a party is charged or convicted with a crime against the person, participation in services provided by the fund poses an unreasonable risk of harm. Makes conforming changes.

Increases the annual scholarship amount that the commission for higher education (commission) may award under the next generation Hoosier educators scholarship program from $7,500 to $10,000. Removes limits on the number of next generation Hoosier educators scholarships that may be awarded. Establishes the next generation Hoosier minority educators scholarship program and fund. Provides that the commission may award a next generation Hoosier minority educators scholarship to an eligible applicant in an amount of $10,000 each academic year for not more than four academic years. Establishes criteria an applicant must meet and terms an applicant must agree to in order to receive a next generation Hoosier minority educators scholarship. Increases the annual scholarship amount that an Earline S. Rogers student teaching scholarship for minority students recipient may receive from $4,000 to $5,000.

Makes changes to the permissible uses of the Indiana secured school fund. Moves provisions in the Indiana Code pertaining to the appointment of a school safety specialist, school safety specialist programs, and school safety plans. Makes changes to the Indiana secured school fund application procedures. Makes changes to the Indiana secured school fund reporting requirements. Makes various changes to provisions regulating the appointment of a school safety specialist, school safety specialist program, and school safety plans. Requires before December 31, 2023, that each county shall establish a county school safety commission. (Current law provides that a county may establish a county school safety commission.) Requires each school corporation and charter school to establish a safe school committee. Requires the division of school building physical security and safety of the department of education to establish and maintain guidelines, in consultation with the department of homeland security and institute for criminal justice, for developing and maintaining school safety plans and assist the secured school safety board in conducting the review and submitting certain reports. Provides that the governing body of a school corporation or charter school organizer shall: (1) approve or disapprove all school safety specialists chosen by the superintendent of the school corporation or leadership of the charter school; and (2) review the school safety plan. Makes changes to the duties of a school resource officer. Makes changes to information reported by a school corporation or charter school pertaining to a school resource officer that is reported to the department of homeland security. Requires the secured schools safety board to include certain aggregate information relating to the number of school resource officers employed by schools. Provides that an organizer of a charter school shall require each charter school under the authority of the organizer to conduct annual emergency preparedness drills. Makes changes to distribution amounts from the state user fee fund. Makes conforming amendments. Repeals provisions establishing the Indiana safe schools fund, school safe haven programs, and existing provisions relating to the establishment of school safety specialists, county school safety commissions, school safety specialist training and safe school programs. Defines various terms. Provides that a school corporation, charter school, or accredited nonpublic school may receive a matching grant from the Indiana secured school fund to purchase student safety management technology. Makes a technical correction.

Provides that if a community water system that discharges wastewater into the Ohio River demonstrates to the satisfaction of the department of environmental management that the discharged wastewater does not increase the mass of mercury in the Ohio River by an amount greater than the mass of mercury in the water withdrawn from the Ohio River by the community water system: (1) the community water system's discharge into the Ohio River shall not be considered to cause, have a reasonable potential to cause, or contribute to an excursion above any applicable water quality standard governing mercury in the Ohio River; and (2) no water quality-based effluent limitations for mercury shall be required in a new or renewal NPDES permit issued to the community water system.

Provides that an adult criminal court has jurisdiction over a person at least 21 years of age who committed an offense as a child (an adult child offender), if the offense could have been waived to adult court, and provides that the juvenile court has jurisdiction over an adult child offender if the offense could not have been waived. Specifies that an adult child offender may be required to register as a sex offender in the same manner as a delinquent child, and permits a court to remove the obligation for an adult child offender and a delinquent child to register after the completion of sex offender treatment. Specifies when a child commits a delinquent act. Allows a court, in sentencing an adult child offender, to consider as a mitigating factor that the person was a child at the time the person committed the offense. Provides an additional opportunity for an adult child offender to obtain sentence modification. Permits a court to suspend a sentence imposed on an adult child offender, except for murder.

Specifies what a court shall order a father to pay for pregnancy and childbirth expenses.

Provides that the bureau of motor vehicles shall require an applicant who is applying for a commercial driver's license for the first time to attest to having watched an instructional video on how to recognize, prevent, and report human trafficking.

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION directing the Indiana State Police to study Rapid Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) and provide a report with findings and recommendations to the Legislative Council before December 15, 2023.

Provides that an offense other than murder or treason is not bailable if: (1) the proof is evident or the presumption strong; and (2) the state proves by clear and convincing evidence that no release conditions will reasonably protect the safety of any other person or the community.

Provides that a person who knowingly or intentionally approaches within 25 feet of a law enforcement officer after the law enforcement officer has ordered the person to stop commits a Class C misdemeanor. Specifies that "emergency incident area" may include an area 25 feet in all directions from the perimeter of an emergency incident area. (Under current law, the area is 150 feet).