Rep. Julie McGuire

Provides that the price that a health plan, third party administrator, or pharmacy benefit manager sets for a covered individual's purchase of a prescription drug from a pharmacist or pharmacy must be equal to or less than the amount directly or indirectly paid by the health plan, third party administrator, or pharmacy benefit manager to the pharmacist or pharmacy for the prescription drug.

Requires that each school corporation and charter school adopt and implement a wireless communication device policy that governs, with certain exceptions, student use of a wireless communication device and publish the policy on the school corporation's or charter school's website.

Provides that, subject to certain procedures and requirements, the office of the secretary of family and social services may apply to the United States Department of Health and Human Services: (1) for a Medicaid state plan amendment, a waiver, or an amendment to an existing waiver to require reimbursement for eligible certified community behavioral health clinic services; or (2) to participate in the expansion of a community mental health services demonstration program. Requires the division of mental health and addiction to establish and maintain a help line: (1) to provide confidential emotional support and referrals to certain resources to individuals who call the help line; and (2) that is accessible by calling a toll free telephone number. Establishes the Indiana behavioral health commission (commission) and sets forth the commission's membership. Changes the name of the "9-8-8 crisis hotline center" to "9-8-8 crisis response center". Makes conforming changes.

Provides that, if a school corporation or qualified school uses a third party vendor in providing certain personal analyses, evaluations, or surveys, the third party vendor and the school corporation or qualified school may not record, collect, or maintain the responses to or results of the analysis, evaluation, or survey in a manner that would identify the responses or results of an individual student. Provides that, if a school corporation or qualified school uses a third party vendor in providing the personal analysis, evaluation, or survey, the school corporation or qualified school must provide parents or students, as applicable, two requests for written consent before administering the analysis, evaluation, or survey. Provides that the school corporation or qualified school may administer the personal analysis, evaluation, or survey if a parent or student, as applicable, does not decline the analysis, evaluation, or survey. Requires each school corporation or qualified school to: (1) post a copy of a personal analysis, evaluation, or survey on the school corporation's or qualified school's website; and (2) send with each notice an explanation of the reasons that the school corporation or qualified school is administering the personal analysis, evaluation, or survey. Requires each qualified school to establish and maintain a grievance procedure for complaints regarding a violation of this provision. Provides that, if a state agency, school corporation, or qualified school or an employee of a state agency, school corporation, or qualified school requires, makes part of a course, awards a grade or course credit, or otherwise incentivizes a student to engage in: (1) political activism; (2) lobbying; or (3) efforts to persuade members of the legislative or executive branch at the federal, state, or local level; the state agency, school corporation, or qualified school or the employee of the state agency, school corporation, or qualified school shall not require the student to adopt, affirm, affiliate, or take any action that would result in favoring any particular position on the issue or issues involved without offering an alternative option for the student to complete the assignment or receive extra credit or other incentivization that allows for the favoring of an alternative position. After June 30, 2023, requires certain contracts between a school corporation or a qualified school and a third party vendor concerning a personal analysis, survey, or evaluation to contain a breach of contract provision. Requires schools to adopt policies and procedures concerning material alleged to be obscene or harmful to minors. Removes schools from the list of entities eligible for a specified defense to such criminal prosecutions.

Specifies certain entities, actions taken, or factors considered to which the ESG commitment provisions do not apply. Provides that if the treasurer of state concludes that the service provider has made an ESG commitment, the treasurer of state shall provide the name of the service provider and research supporting the conclusion to the board of trustees of the Indiana public retirement system (board). Prohibits the board from making an investment decision with the purpose of influencing any social or environmental policy or attempting to influence the governance of any corporation for nonfinancial purposes. Prohibits the Indiana public retirement system (system) from making an ESG commitment with respect to system assets. Provides that in making and supervising investments of the system, the board shall discharge its duties solely in the financial interest of the participants and beneficiaries of the system for the exclusive purposes of providing financial benefits to participants and beneficiaries and defraying reasonable expenses of administering the system. Provides that the board, in accordance with certain fiduciary duties, shall make investment decisions with the primary purpose of maximizing the target rate of return on the board's investments. Prohibits the board from entering a contract or modifying, amending, or continuing a contract with a service provider that has made an ESG commitment unless taking the action violates the board's fiduciary duty to the system's participants and beneficiaries. Requires the board to continue contracting with a service provider that has made an ESG commitment if the board determines that there is not a comparable service provider to replace the service provider. Requires the board to, at least annually, tabulate and report all proxy votes made by a service provider that is not a private market fund in relation to the administration of the system. Specifies certain persons and entities that are immune from civil liability and entitled to indemnification. Requires the board to: (1) ensure that reasonable efforts are made during the due diligence process before an investment is made and in monitoring investments in the public employees' defined contribution plan, an annuity savings account for the public employees' retirement fund or the Indiana state teachers' retirement fund, the teachers' defined contribution plan, the legislators' defined contribution plan, and a private market fund to determine whether any investments would violate the requirement that the board discharge its duties solely in the financial interest of the participants and beneficiaries of the system; and (2) take appropriate action, if necessary, consistent with the board's fiduciary duties. Defines terms and makes conforming amendments.

Defines "science of reading". Requires the state board of education (state board) in collaboration with the department of education (department) to prepare and submit a report regarding the alignment of science of reading concepts in IREAD. Requires a school corporation and charter school to report certain information regarding reading and writing curricula, remedial programs, and administrative contact information on the school corporation's or charter school's website. Provides that, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, a superintendent, advisory committee, or governing body or the equivalent for a charter school: (1) shall adopt curriculum or supplemental materials for reading that are aligned with the science of reading and to the student's reading proficiency; and (2) may not adopt curriculum or supplemental materials for reading that are based on the three-cueing model. Requires the department to develop guidelines for science of reading integration into teacher preparation programs. Makes changes to the education law concerning the science of reading and teacher preparation and licensing requirements. Requires a school corporation to differentiate the amount of salary increases or increments for teachers who possess a required literacy endorsement. Removes a requirement that a discussion regarding teacher supplemental payment be held. Requires the state board to establish and require literacy endorsements for certain individuals first licensed after June 30, 2025. Provides that, not later than July 1, 2024, the state board shall adopt rules to establish early childhood content area licenses and required endorsements. Requires the department to publish an advisory list of science of reading curricula on the department's website. Provides that the state board and the department: (1) shall implement academic standards for reading that are aligned with the science of reading and developmentally appropriate based on student need; and (2) may not implement an academic standard for reading based on the three-cueing model.

Establishes the health care cost oversight task force and sets forth duties of the task force. Provides a credit against state tax liability to certain physicians who have an ownership interest in a physician practice and meet other eligibility criteria. Allows a credit against the state tax liability of an employer with fewer than 50 employees if the employer has adopted a health reimbursement arrangement in lieu of a traditional employer provided health insurance plan and if the employer's contribution toward the health reimbursement arrangement meets a certain standard. Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services to research and compile data concerning Medicaid reimbursement rates for Indiana and all other states and the national reimbursement rate average. Requires the submission of a report to the health care cost oversight task force and the general assembly. Establishes the payer affordability penalty fund. Specifies additional information that a hospital must report to the Indiana department of health in the hospital's annual report and establishes a fine for a hospital that fails to timely file the report. Provides that a bill for health care services provided by certain qualified providers in an office setting must be submitted on an individual provider form. Prohibits an insurer, health maintenance organization, employer, or other person responsible for the payment of the cost of health care services from accepting a bill that is submitted on an institutional provider form. Repeals language requiring a hospital to hold a public forum. Requires the department of insurance to contract with a third party to calculate an Indiana nonprofit hospital system's prices from certain health plans for specified calendar years. Before November 1, 2024, and before November 1 each subsequent year, requires the department's third party contractor to compare certain Indiana nonprofit hospital system facility pricing information with 285% of Medicare. Requires the calculations to be submitted as a report for review. Provides that a health care provider that enters into: (1) a value-based health care reimbursement agreement; and (2) an electronic medical records access agreement; with a health plan may qualify to participate in the health plan's program to reduce or eliminate prior authorization requirements. Requires a health plan that establishes a program to reduce or eliminate prior authorization requirements to provide certain information to health care providers concerning the program. Requires a third party administrator, insurer, or health maintenance organization that has contracted with a person to administer a self-funded insurance plan or a fully insured group plan to provide claims data to the person not later than 15 days from a request for the data. Specifies certain claims data to be provided and establishes a fine for a failure to timely provide the claims data. Requires the all payer claims data base advisory board to discuss specified issues concerning reimbursement rates. Allows for the provisional credentialing of physicians who establish or join an independent primary care practice.

Authorizes a county fiscal body to adopt an ordinance to provide a credit against property tax liability for qualified individuals. Defines a "qualified individual" for purposes of the credit. Provides that the ordinance may designate: (1) all of the territory of the county; or (2) one or more specific geographic territories within the county; as a neighborhood enhancement district in which qualified individuals may apply for the credit. Provides that the amount of the credit in a particular year is equal to the amount by which an individual's property tax liability increases by more than the percentage of increase specified by the county fiscal body from the prior year. Provides that the credit does not affect the allocation of taxes to a referendum fund. Requires a qualified individual who desires to claim the credit to file a certified statement with the county auditor. Provides that the county auditor shall apply the credit in succeeding years after the certified statement is filed unless the auditor determines that the individual is no longer eligible for the credit or the county fiscal body rescinds the ordinance. Provides a penalty for wrongly receiving the credit that is the same as the penalty for wrongly receiving the homestead standard deduction. Provides that an individual may not receive both a county option circuit breaker tax credit and an over 65 property tax credit in the same year. Provides that an ordinance must specify that the credit does not apply for property taxes first due and payable after December 31, 2027. Sunsets the county option on January 1, 2028.

Provides that the definitions for the uniform business organizations code apply to agricultural cooperatives. Removes the requirement that articles of incorporation for agricultural cooperatives must be acknowledged by at least one incorporator before a notary public. Provides that the uniform business transactions act applies to agricultural cooperatives for certain purposes. Adds business trusts and agricultural cooperatives to lists of entities that the secretary of state may revoke registrations for or dissolve. Makes conforming changes. Amends the statute concerning the securities restitution fund (fund) as follows: (1) Provides that 2% of funds received from fees and revenues from the administration of the Indiana Uniform Securities Act must be deposited in the fund instead of the state general fund. (2) Provides that any amount of the balance of the fund at the end of a particular state fiscal year that exceeds $2,000,000 reverts to the state general fund. (3) Provides that to ensure the financial viability of the fund, the securities commissioner may: (A) divide into installments; (B) delay; or (C) divide into installments and delay; any payments owed to claimants.

Congratulating Vice Admiral Sean Buck on his retirement from the United States Navy.