Rep. Tim O'Brien

Requires each public school to provide curricular materials at no cost to each student enrolled in the public school. Establishes the student resource fund (fund) to provide state advancements for costs incurred by public schools in providing curricular materials to students at no cost. Provides that the department of education (department) shall administer the fund. Provides that for state fiscal years beginning after June 30, 2023, money in the fund is continually appropriated. Provides that a governing body or organizer of a charter school: (1) may purchase from a publisher any curricular materials selected by proper officials; (2) may rent curricular materials to certain nonpublic schools; and (3) may not rent the curricular materials to any student enrolled in any public school. Repeals a requirement that a school corporation must offer curricular materials at a reasonable rate to a family that moves during the school term. Repeals a requirement that a township trustee must use specified accounting methods for a curricular materials rental fund. Makes conforming changes. Requests an appropriation in the state budget to the fund for the biennium beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2025. Appropriates from the state general fund to the office of the secretary of family and social services an amount sufficient to meet maintenance of effort requirements in the state budget for the biennium beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2025.

Requires the department of natural resources (department) to provide free admission to: (1) members of the armed forces of the United States or Indiana National Guard; and (2) certain veterans of the armed forces of the United States or Indiana National Guard; as well as the individual's motor vehicle, including passengers within the individual's motor vehicle to Indiana state parks, recreation areas, reservoirs, forests, historic sites, museums, memorials, and other department properties. Eliminates provisions that provide that an individual who: (1) is eligible for a disabled Hoosier veteran license plate; or (2) is issued a prisoner of war license plate; may purchase a Golden Hoosier Passport.

Provides that not later than October 1, 2022, the department of administration (department), on behalf of the office of technology (office), shall issue a request for information for purposes of exploring how blockchain technology could be used by a state agency to: (1) achieve greater cost efficiency and cost effectiveness; and (2) improve consumer convenience, experience, data security, and data privacy. Requires the office to compile a report concerning the request for information and submit the report to the legislative council in an electronic format not later than March 31, 2023. Defines "blockchain technology" and "distributed ledger technology". Requires an agency to submit an emergency rule to the attorney general for review and approval before the emergency rule may take effect. Provides that emergency rules may not be effective for a period that exceeds 180 days. Provides that certain emergency rules expire not more than two years after the rule takes effect. Requires an agency adopting an administrative rule to submit an economic impact statement and an explanation of any penalty, fine, or other similar negative impact included in the proposed rule to the publisher of the Indiana Administrative Code (publisher). Requires the publisher to provide a copy of the materials concerning a proposed rule or pending readoption to the members of the appropriate standing committee, the governor, and the office of management and budget. Provides that administrative rules expire on July 1 of the fourth year after the year in which the rule takes effect (instead of January 1 of the seventh year after the year in which the rule takes effect). Requires an agency intending to readopt an administrative rule to provide to the publisher, not later than January 1 of the third year after the year in which the rule most recently took effect: (1) notice of; and (2) information concerning; the pending readoption. Requires that all broadband infrastructure projects that are funded in whole or in part by a grant or loan from the regional economic acceleration and development initiative (READI) fund must satisfy the criteria and requirements as described in the rural broadband program. Makes corresponding changes.

Requires a governing body of a school corporation or charter school to permit oral public comment on a topic before the governing body takes final action on the topic. Allows the governing body of a state or local public agency to conduct a meeting electronically without any governing body members physically present if a state or local disaster emergency is declared and the following circumstances exist: (1) Meeting in person would present an imminent risk to the health or safety of the governing body and public. (2) In the case of a governing body of a school corporation or charter school, in addition to the presence of the circumstances described in (1), at least one school within the jurisdiction of the school corporation or charter school is closed because of the disaster emergency. Adds a definition of "charter school" for purposes of the open door law that includes a virtual charter school.

Changes the date by which a county must provide a voter verifiable paper audit trail for electronic voting systems from December 31, 2029, to July 1, 2024. Provides that, after July 1, 2022, a county must meet certain requirements when using any direct record electronic voting system that does not include a voter verifiable paper audit trail for an election. Provides that the security agreement that counties are required to enter into with the secretary of state must be funded by money received from the federal government or from money appropriated by the general assembly. Specifies requirements of a statement that must be printed on the envelope of an absentee ballot application. Provides that before an individual can access an absentee ballot application that is submitted in an electronic format using a module of the computerized list, the individual must provide either the individual's Indiana driver's license number or the last four digits of the individual's Social Security number. Requires that voting before an absentee voter board at the circuit court clerk's office or at a satellite office be referred to as "early voting" on all forms prescribed by the election division and in all communications with voters. Requires an electronic poll book to have the capacity to transmit certain information that a voter cast a provisional ballot. Requires certain information to be included in the computerized list concerning a voter's casting of a provisional ballot. Repeals language that requires the circuit court clerk to provide notice containing certain information to each voter who casts a provisional ballot. Changes the term "risk-limiting audit" to "post-election audit". Removes the word "pilot" from the chapter concerning post-election audits. Provides that the secretary of state shall determine the number of elections that are subject to a post-election audit.

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.

Establishes the housing task force (task force) to review issues related to housing and housing shortages in Indiana. Sets forth membership, and requires the task force to issue a report to the general assembly and the governor not later than November 1, 2022.

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.