Sen. David Niezgodski

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial Senate resolution (SR 1) honoring Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch for her service upon her retirement. It does not create new laws or affect any policies; it is a symbolic gesture recognizing her role. The resolution was introduced by Senators Bray and Yoder, adopted unanimously by voice vote on January 8, 2025, and has no binding effect or direct impact on constituents.

Allows the department of environmental management (IDEM) to pay an excess liability trust fund claim to replace an underground petroleum storage tank being decommissioned and replaced with an underground or aboveground petroleum storage tank. Provides that remaining funds that have not been allocated at the end of the fiscal year shall roll over to the next year and be used to decommission and replace underground petroleum storage tanks.

Requires that the Indiana department of labor consult with the Indiana department of veterans' affairs to create and distribute a veterans' benefits and services poster. Provides that the veterans' benefits and services poster must contain certain information. Requires that Indiana employers with more than 50 full-time employees (or their equivalent) display the veterans' benefits and services poster in a conspicuous place.

Requires an adult oriented website operator that displays material harmful to minors to use a reasonable age verification method to prevent a minor from accessing an adult oriented website. Creates a cause of action to permit: (1) the parent or guardian of a child harmed by a violation of the age verification requirement to obtain monetary damages, injunctive relief, and reasonable attorney's fees; and (2) any other person to bring an action to obtain injunctive relief and reasonable attorney's fees. Prohibits a person that conducts age verification from retaining the identifying information of an individual seeking to access an adult oriented website that displays material harmful to minors, and permits an individual whose identifying information is retained to bring an action to obtain monetary damages, injunctive relief, and reasonable attorney's fees. Requires adult oriented website operators to use commercially reasonable methods to secure all information collected and transmitted. Provides that the attorney general may bring an action to obtain an injunction, a civil penalty of not more than $250,000, or the attorney general's reasonable costs in investigating and maintaining the action. Provides that when the attorney general has reasonable cause to believe that any person has engaged in, is engaging in, or is about to engage in a violation, the attorney general is empowered to issue civil investigative demands under IC 4-6-3-3 to investigate the suspected violation. Requires verification information of minors to be kept confidential with certain exceptions. Adds verification information to the definition of "personal information". Adds a violation of IC 24-4-23 as a deceptive act.

Allows the alcohol and tobacco commission (commission) to provide notices electronically. Allows the commission to issue 10 new three-way permits to the city of Noblesville, allowing the issuance of: (1) three new three-way permits in 2024; (2) three new three-way permits in 2025; and (3) four new three-way permits in 2026; with any permits not issued in a year allowed to be issued in a subsequent year. Allows the commission to issue two new three-way permits to the city of Delphi. Amends certain provisions regarding the sale of alcoholic beverages from a bar of a restaurant for on-premises consumption. Allows a designated smoking area on the outside patio or terrace of a hotel if: (1) the designated smoking area is delineated from the rest of the outside patio or terrace by a barrier that is at least 18 inches in height; (2) the designated smoking area is located at least 20 feet from any entrance to the hotel; and (3) individuals less than 21 years of age are not allowed in the designated smoking area. Repeals provisions related to beer gardens and patio alcohol service for certain premises. Exempts a food hall that: (1) contains not less than 10 distinct nonaffiliated food and beverage vendors; and (2) is located within a mixed use development or redevelopment project with a total investment of at least $100,000,000; from certain requirements that apply to the issuance of a food hall master permit. Repeals a provision concerning residency requirements for beer wholesalers. Removes the requirement that a property tax clearance form provided to the alcohol and tobacco commission include an embossed seal from the county treasurer. Includes a craft manufacturer in the definition of a host permittee for purposes of a temporary craft manufacturer hospitality permit. Modifies the definition of "designated permittee" in relation to a designated refreshment area. Replaces references to the federal bureau of alcohol, tobacco, and explosives with the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau or its successor agency.

Makes changes to the permissible uses for the state disaster relief fund (fund). Makes changes to the requirements for an eligible entity to receive financial assistance from the fund. Makes changes to the calculations used to determine the amount of financial assistance an eligible entity may receive from the fund. Increases, from $10,000 to $25,000, the amount of loss that may be compensated for damages to an individual's property. Repeals provisions that: (1) provide a definition of "public facility"; (2) provide limitations for an entity suffering multiple disaster emergencies; and (3) provide requirements for an application of an eligible entity that is an individual to obtain financial assistance from the fund.

Provides that a state employee may affirmatively elect to enroll in the deferred compensation plan prior to the auto enroll date on day 31 of the state employee's employment. Removes a provision that sets a maximum employer surcharge for the legislators' defined benefit plan, state excise police, gaming agent, gaming control officer, and conservation enforcement officers' retirement plan, public employees' retirement fund, and Indiana state teachers' retirement fund (fund). Requires the board of trustees of the Indiana public retirement system (board) to develop the technological and administrative capabilities sufficient to categorize fund members into separate groups in which: (1) certain members receive a service based thirteenth check; and (2) certain members receive a cost of living adjustment. Requires the board to set the surcharge rates at a level to actuarially prefund: (1) annual indexed thirteenth checks for all current retired members and beneficiaries retired before July 1, 2025; and (2) 1% annual cost of living adjustments to future in-payment members and beneficiaries retired on or after July 1, 2025. Provides that the board shall not reduce the surcharge rates from the prior year. Allows the board to increase the surcharge rates by not more than 0.1% of payroll from the prior year. Requires certain political subdivisions to present to the interim study committee on pension management oversight regarding a delinquent employee retirement plan offered by the political subdivision. Requires, effective July 1, 2025, the trustee of the state police pension trust to maintain two supplemental allowance reserve accounts for the purpose of paying postretirement benefit adjustments. Increases the maximum date that a member or participant of certain retirement funds can participate in the deferred retirement option plan from 36 to 60 months. Requires the member or participant to notify their employer if the member or participant elects to enter or extend the deferred retirement option plan. Provides for a thirteenth check in 2024 for certain members, participants, or beneficiaries of the: (1) Indiana state teachers' retirement fund; (2) Indiana public employees' retirement fund; (3) state excise police, gaming agent, gaming control officer, and conservation enforcement officers' retirement plan; (4) state police pre-1987 benefit system; and (5) state police 1987 benefit system.

Removes references to a quality review in provisions relating to the licensing of accountants. Requires the Indiana board of accountancy (board) to adopt rules requiring the firm to allow the administering entity to provide access to the results of its most recently accepted peer review and other objective information to the board. Removes language requiring the administering entity to make a peer review report available to the oversight committee not more than 30 days after the issuance of the peer review report. Provides that the results of a peer review may be treated as a complaint submitted by the board. Removes language requiring the peer review committee issuing a report to cooperate with an investigation of a complaint. Allows the use of certain titles by an individual who is enrolled in or has graduated from a school or college of architecture or an accredited curriculum of landscape architecture. Specifies that the renewal of a professional geologist license after June 30, 2025, requires continuing education. Allows certain individuals to take various licensing examinations early if certain conditions are met. Increases the number of clinical or supervised hours certain individuals may obtain through virtual supervision.

Amends the membership of the poet laureate selection committee. Provides that the selection committee shall meet on a biennial basis or as needed. Provides that a person selected as poet laureate may serve one additional consecutive term. Amends the commission's payments for the poet laureate.

Allows a small brewery to manufacture beer for another small brewery if certain requirements are met.