Makes the office of administrative law proceedings the ultimate authority in any administrative proceeding under its jurisdiction. Provides certain exceptions. Provides that the bill applies to certain proceedings filed after June 30, 2024. Specifies when a state agency may be required to pay reasonable attorney's fees for judicial review proceedings. Outlines procedures for the ultimate authority regarding nonfinal orders and procedures to file objections to final orders. Permits a final order to be corrected by means of a motion to correct error. Provides that the court shall decide all questions of law, including any interpretation of a federal or state constitutional provision, state statute, or agency rule, without deference to any previous interpretation made by the state agency. Provides that a court is not bound by a finding of fact made by the ultimate authority if the finding of fact is not supported by the record. Requires the state agency to transmit the agency record to the court for judicial review. Eliminates the office of environmental adjudication and transfers proceedings to the office of administrative law proceedings. Creates requirements for administrative law judges that are assigned to certain environmental matters. Provides that until the office of administrative law proceedings adopts or amends rules related to environmental matters, it must continue to follow and implement rules under 315 IAC. Requires the office of administrative law proceedings to continue to index and make publicly available, in a substantially similar online searchable format, the final orders of contested appeals currently maintained by the office. Makes conforming changes.
Sponsored bills
Requires the Indiana economic development corporation to annually report to the general assembly regarding funds dedicated to supporting child care under specified state and federal programs. Defines an "out-of-school-time program". Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services (FSSA) to publish on the FSSA website a dashboard providing monthly information regarding state and federal child care subsidies available to Indiana residents. Provides that a household is eligible to begin receiving assistance under the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) voucher program if the household, at the time of FSSA's initial determination of the household's income eligibility: (1) has a household income that does not exceed 85% of Indiana's state median income for the household's family size; (2) includes an individual who is employed by a licensed child care center, a licensed child care home, or a licensed or registered child care ministry; and (3) otherwise meets federal eligibility requirements for the CCDF program. Provides, with respect to the individual with certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) required to be present at all times when a child is in the care of a child care provider that is eligible to receive reimbursement through the CCDF program, that the individual is not required to be recertified in CPR annually. Provides that: (1) the early learning advisory committee must commission a third party evaluation to assess existing regulations for child care providers not later than May 1, 2024 (rather than July 1, 2024, under current law); and (2) FSSA must initiate the process of amending FSSA's rules in consideration of the findings of the third party evaluation not later than July 1, 2024. Requires, not later than September 30, 2024, the early learning advisory committee to: (1) complete a study regarding compensation in Indiana for early childhood educators and caregivers at out-of-school-time programs; (2) create an online dashboard to allow access to compensation data; and (3) issue a report containing the committee's findings and recommendations. Amends provisions regarding the On My Way Pre-K voucher program (program) to: (1) provide eligibility for children of child care employees; and (2) amend references to funds provided to children under the program as prekindergarten vouchers, rather than grants. Requires FSSA to establish a micro facility pilot program, under which FSSA shall: (1) develop a regulatory model that: (A) is applicable only to certain licensed or registered child care providers that provide child care for not less than three children and not more than 30 children for at least four hours per day (micro facilities); and (B) incorporates waivers or variances from FSSA's rules applicable to certain child care providers; (2) apply the regulatory model to at least three micro facilities and evaluate the operation of the micro facilities under the regulatory model; and (3) not later than October 1, 2026: (A) make a determination as to whether FSSA will adopt rules specific to micro facilities that incorporate some or all aspects of the regulatory model; and (B) submit to the general assembly a report regarding the pilot program. Requires FSSA to do the following: (1) Amend FSSA's rules to define a "substitute educator" caregiver type for purposes of FSSA's rules pertaining to all categories of child care providers regulated by FSSA. (2) Amend FSSA's rules to allow an employee of a child care provider who: (A) is 16 or 17 years of age; (B) is assigned to a lead caregiver who supervises the employee at all times during which the employee is supervising a child; (C) is never left alone with a child; and (D) meets specified qualifications; to be counted in child/staff ratios for school age child care rooms. (3) Amend FSSA's rules to allow an employee of a child care provider who: (A) is at least 18 years of age; and (B) meets specified qualifications; to serve as the staff person in charge of an infant/toddler room. (4) Issue a report to the general assembly not later than October 31, 2024, documenting the results attributable to: (A) the employer sponsored child care fund; and (B) the employer child care expenditure credit. (5) Study, in collaboration with other specified state agencies, opportunities for resource sharing across state agencies and local units of government to facilitate the fingerprinting of individuals for purposes of conducting national criminal history background checks and issue a report to the governor and the general assembly regarding the results of the study. Makes technical corrections.
Amends the definition of "eligible student" to include a sibling of a student with a disability with regards to the education scholarship account program (ESA). Provides that the sibling may not use the ESA account for certain ESA qualified expenses. Provides that an annual grant amount awarded under the career scholarship account (CSA) program may be used for costs related to obtaining a driver's license if certain conditions are met. Establishes conditions regarding the amount of funds that may be used from CSA annual grant amounts for transportation costs. Amends certain requirements regarding ESA and CSA participating entities regarding providing evidence of unencumbered assets. Changes certain CSA application time frames from seven days to 30 days. Requires each state educational institution to provide to the commission for higher education (commission) certain information regarding degrees, degree completion, faculty members, administrative support staff, costs, compensation, and debt loads. Requires the commission to prepare longitudinal analysis regarding certain data. Requires each private postsecondary educational institution and each out-of-state public and nonprofit degree granting institution that offers instructional or educational services or training in Indiana to provide to the department of education information to carry out certain reporting requirements and requirements related to the Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed dashboard. Allows for the revocation of an out-of-state public or nonprofit degree granting institution's authorization if the institution fails to provide the information. Adds teaching to the employment sectors eligible for the next level jobs employer training grant program. Amends requirements regarding: (1) eligibility for career coaching grants; and (2) instruction on career awareness.
Provides that an individual who completes a United States Department of Labor registered apprenticeship program to practice cosmetology may take the cosmetologist licensure examination and, upon passage of the examination, practice as a cosmetologist.
Requires a hospital that operates a maternity unit to ensure that a woman who is: (1) giving birth in the hospital; and (2) eligible for or receiving Medicaid assistance; has the option, if not medically contraindicated, of having a long acting reversible subdermal contraceptive implanted after delivery and before the woman is discharged. Allows a hospital to be exempt from the requirement if the hospital has a faith based objection. Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services to reimburse the hospital for the following provided to a Medicaid recipient: (1) A long acting reversible subdermal contraceptive, including the cost of stocking the long acting reversible subdermal contraceptive. (2) Placement of the long acting reversible subdermal contraceptive. Provides that the reimbursement must be separate from, and in addition to, the reimbursement for maternity services for the Medicaid recipient. Sunsets the provisions being added in the bill on June 30, 2025. Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services to develop a billing process that maximizes federal funding for purposes of the long acting reversible contraceptives reimbursement for a Medicaid recipient.
Makes various changes to the residential housing infrastructure assistance program. Expands the definition of "economic development facilities" applicable to the economic development and pollution control statutes to include facilities for housing for purposes of redevelopment commission programs outside Indianapolis for age-restricted housing or residential housing development. Makes a technical correction.
Provides that, if the attorney general determines probable cause exists, the attorney general, rather than any person lawfully domiciled in Indiana, shall bring an action to compel a governmental body or postsecondary educational institution to comply with statutes requiring cooperation with federal immigration officials. Requires a court to apply a preponderance of the evidence standard to enjoin the violation of those statutes.
Allows a person who is at least 18 years of age to ring up a sale of alcoholic beverages in the course of the person's employment. Allows a waiter, waitress, or server who is at least 18 years of age to serve alcoholic beverages in a dining room of a restaurant or hotel under certain conditions. Provides certain exemptions from the employment of minors law. Provides, for purposes of the reporting requirement applicable to an employer that employs a specified number of minors, that: (1) a minor's date of hire is the first date on which the minor performs work for the employer; and (2) an employer must report any new or changed information not later than the fifteenth and last business days of each month. Provides that a civil penalty for a violation of certain provisions regarding the employment of minors may not be assessed for a violation of 10 minutes or less.
Requires the professional licensing agency (agency) to study universal occupational licensing laws enacted in other states. Requires the agency to submit a report with findings and recommendations to the general assembly not later than October 31, 2025. Extends certain dates and expands certain duties regarding the comprehensive review of occupational licensing by public agencies. Delays the date that certain individuals may begin to file a petition to repeal or modify certain occupational regulations. (The introduced version of this bill was prepared by the interim study committee on employment and labor.)
Provides that the crime of trafficking with an inmate includes the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) to deliver contraband, and that the crime of public safety remote aerial interference includes operation of a drone to intentionally obstruct or interfere with the duties of a correctional officer, including a county jail officer.