Rep. Chris Judy

Establishes a business license and technician license with respect to fire suppression equipment professionals. Bestows certain powers, duties, and rulemaking authority upon the board of firefighting personnel standards and education (board). Provides that the board may take disciplinary action if certain conditions are met. Provides that certain actions with respect to the licensure of fire suppression equipment professionals are a Class B misdemeanor. Makes conforming changes.

Defines "noncompete agreement". Provides that a noncompete agreement entered into: (1) on or after April 1, 2026; and (2) between an employer and certain persons in the plumbing trade; is void and unenforceable.

Provides a credit against state tax liability for expenses incurred in the manufacture of a small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) in Indiana. Establishes procedures under which certain energy utilities may request approval for one or more of the following from the Indiana utility regulatory commission (IURC): (1) An expedited generation resource plan (EGR plan) to meet customer load growth that exceeds a specified threshold. (2) A generation resource submittal for the acquisition of a specific generation resource in accordance with an approved EGR plan. (3) A project to serve one or more large load customers. Sets forth: (1) the requirements for approval of each of these types of requests; (2) standards for financial assurances by large load customers; and (3) cost recovery mechanisms for certain acquisition costs or project costs incurred by energy utilities. Amends the statute concerning public utilities' annual electric resource planning reports to the IURC to provide that for an annual report submitted after December 31, 2025, a public utility must include information as to the amount of generating resource capacity or energy that the public utility plans to retire or refuel with respect to any electric generation resource of at least 125 megawatts. Provides that for any planned retirement or refueling, the public utility must include, along with other specified information, information as to the public utility's plans with respect to the following: (1) For a retirement, the amount of replacement capacity identified to provide approximately the same accredited capacity within the appropriate regional transmission organization (RTO) as the capacity of the facility to be retired. (2) For a refueling, the extent to which the refueling will maintain or increase the current generating resource accredited capacity or energy that the electric generating facility provides, so as to provide approximately the same accredited capacity within the appropriate RTO. Requires IURC staff to prepare a staff report for each public utility report that includes a planned electric generation resource retirement. Provides that if, after reviewing a public utility's report and any related staff report, the IURC is not satisfied that the public utility can satisfy both its planning reserve margin requirement and the statute's prescribed reliability adequacy metrics, the IURC shall conduct an investigation into the reasons for the public utility's inability to meet these requirements. Provides that if the public utility's report indicates that the public utility plans to retire an electric generating facility within one year of the date of the report, the IURC must conduct such an investigation. Provides that: (1) a public utility may request, not earlier than three years before the planned retirement date of an electric generation facility, that the IURC conduct an investigation into the planned retirement; and (2) if the IURC conducts an investigation at the request of the public utility within that three year period, the IURC may not conduct a subsequent investigation that would otherwise be required under the bill's provisions unless the IURC is not satisfied that the public utility can satisfy both its planning reserve margin requirement and the statutory reliability adequacy metrics as of the time the investigation would otherwise be required. Provides that if a CPCN is granted by the IURC for a facility intended to repower or replace a generation unit that is planned for retirement, and the CPCN includes findings that the project will result in at least equivalent accredited capacity and will provide economic benefit to ratepayers as compared to the continued operation of the generating unit to be retired, the CPCN constitutes approval by the IURC for purposes of an investigation that would otherwise be required. Provides that if, after an investigation, the IURC determines that the capacity resources available to the public utility will not be adequate to allow the public utility to satisfy both its planning reserve margin requirements and the statute's prescribed reliability adequacy metrics, the IURC shall issue an order: (1) directing the public utility to acquire or construct; or (2) prohibiting the retirement or refueling of; such capacity resources that are reasonable and necessary to enable the public utility to meet these requirements. Provides that if the IURC does not issue an order in an investigation within 120 days after the initiation of the investigation, the public utility is considered to be able to satisfy both its planning reserve margin requirement and the statutory reliability adequacy metrics with respect to the retirement of the facility under investigation. Provides that if the IURC issues an order to prohibit the retirement or refueling of an electric generation resource, the IURC shall create a sub-docket to authorize the public utility to recover in rates the costs of the continued operation of the electric generation resource proposed to be retired or refueled, subject to a finding by the IURC that the continued costs of operation are just and reasonable. Makes a technical change to another Indiana Code section to recognize the redesignation of subsections within the section containing these provisions.

Provides that a physician and a hospital, a parent company of a hospital, an affiliated manager of a hospital, or a hospital system may not enter into a noncompete agreement on or after July 1, 2025.

Requires certain media entities operating in Indiana to disclose: (1) foreign ownership; (2) foreign funding; and (3) the use of foreign sourced or influenced content. Authorizes the secretary of state to impose a civil penalty of not more than $50,000 for a knowing or intentional violation of the disclosure requirements. Provides that the secretary of state shall publish a list of Indiana media entities that have complied with certain requirements. Requires certain media entities to obtain special accreditation from the department of administration to attend state media events, and allows the department of administration to revoke the special accreditation under certain circumstances.

Provides that a state agency and the Indiana economic development corporation may not establish an office in a country that is a foreign adversary. Updates cross-references to the federal code regulation's citation concerning foreign adversaries. Makes a technical correction.

Allows the holder of a tobacco sales certificate (holder) to obtain a supplemental cigar sales certificate (cigar certificate) that allows the holder to sell cigars on a temporary basis at a function or event. Provides the fee for a cigar certificate is $1,000 and has a term of three years. Requires the holder to give written notice to the alcohol and tobacco commission (commission) of the date and location of the function or event where the holder proposes to sell cigars. Provides that the commission's approval of the location does not authorize smoking in violation of: (1) state laws prohibiting smoking in public places; or (2) any county, city, or town smoking ordinance. Allows a restaurant proprietor who holds an alcoholic beverage retailer's permit to establish a segregated room where cigar consumption may occur, if the proprietor has the permission of the local government entity that enforces local smoking ordinances.

Maddy summarySB 462 reenacts an expired provision within the definition of "practitioner" as it pertains to behavior analysts. This means it restores a previously existing clarification for who is considered a practitioner in the field of behavior analysis.

Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services to reapply before September 1, 2025, for a Medicaid state plan amendment that provides for the establishment of the long term care partnership program and the discontinuance of the current long term care program.

Provides that if a Level 2 certified technology park (park): (1) has reached the limit of deposits for a Level 2 park; (2) maintains its certification; and (3) is located within a military base enhancement area; the park shall become a Level 3 park upon reaching its Level 2 deposit limit. Provides that a Level 3 park may receive an additional annual incremental income tax deposit of up to $250,000.