Amends the statute governing certificates of public convenience and necessity (certificates) that are issued by the Indiana utility regulatory commission (IURC) for the construction, lease, or purchase of electric generation facilities to require the IURC, in consultation with the department of environmental management (department), to adopt rules concerning the granting of certificates for the construction, purchase, or lease of small modular nuclear reactors: (1) in Indiana for the generation of electricity to be used to furnish public utility service to Indiana customers; or (2) at the site of a nuclear energy production or generating facility that supplies electricity to Indiana retail customers on July 1, 2011. Requires the IURC to adopt the rules not later than July 1, 2023. Provides that the rules adopted by the IURC must provide that in acting on a public utility's petition for a certificate for one or more small modular nuclear reactors, the IURC shall consider the following: (1) Whether, and to what extent, the one or more small modular nuclear reactors proposed by the public utility will replace a loss of generating capacity in the public utility's portfolio resulting from the retirement or planned retirement of one or more of existing electric generating facilities that: (A) are located in Indiana; and (B) use coal or natural gas as a fuel source. (2) Whether one or more of the small modular nuclear reactors will be located on the same site as or near the facility to be retired and, if so, potential opportunities for the public utility to: (A) make use of any land and existing infrastructure or facilities already owned or under the control of the public utility; or (B) create new employment opportunities for workers who have been, or would be, displaced as a result of the retirement of the existing facility. Provides that the IURC's rules must provide that the IURC may grant a certificate under circumstances and for locations other than these. Sets forth additional requirements for small modular nuclear reactors that must be included in the IURC's rules, including the requirement that the owner or operator of a proposed small modular nuclear reactor must provide evidence of a plan to apply for all licenses or permits to construct or operate the proposed small modular nuclear reactor required by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the department, or any other relevant state or federal regulatory agency. Amends the statute providing certain financial incentives for energy utilities that invest in clean energy projects by providing that, for purposes of the statute, a "clean energy project" and a "nuclear energy production or generating facility" include a small modular nuclear reactor that is constructed after June 30, 2023: (1) in Indiana for the generation of electricity to be used to furnish public utility service to Indiana customers; or (2) at the site of a nuclear energy production or generating facility that supplies electricity to Indiana retail customers on July 1, 2011; under the rules adopted by the IURC under the bill. Defines "small modular nuclear reactor" for purposes of the bill's provisions.
Sponsored bills
Repeals code provisions regarding commercial fishing on Lake Michigan. Removes the requirement that the director of the department of natural resources (department) send, to a person who has a license that is placed on probationary status, notice that includes a description of the amount of child support in arrears and an explanation of the procedures to pay child support arrearage. Repeals the mussels license issued by the department. Provides that a law enforcement officer or an employee of the department is not liable for the destruction of a permitted animal that escapes an enclosure and poses a threat to public safety. Provides instances when a construction permit for a floodway is not required to remove a logjam or mass of wood debris that has accumulated in a river or stream. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2022, the director of the department shall not exercise authority to remove or eliminate an abode or residence from a floodway if the abode or residence was constructed before January 1, 2022. (Current law provides that the director of the department shall not exercise the authority if the residence or abode was constructed before January 1, 2020.) Provides that before July 1, 2023, the department shall adopt a license for the removal of trees; channel maintenance; and bank reconstruction, repair, and stabilization in a floodway. Provides that a local floodplain administrator shall utilize the best floodplain mapping data available as provided by the department and located on the Indiana Floodplain Information Portal when reviewing a permit application for a structure or a construction activity in, or near, a floodplain. Provides that a contract to purchase timber must be in writing. Allows the collection of damages for costs associated with a claim or action, including attorney's fees, or damages specified in a contract with a timber buyer or a person who cuts timber but is not a timber buyer. Requires a timber buyer to keep complete and accurate records for at least five years after a transaction. Allows the director of the department to suspend a timber buyer's license for not more than 90 days before a final adjudication if the director of the department finds that the holder of the timber buyer's license poses a clear and immediate danger to public health, safety, or property if allowed to continue to operate. Provides that the director of the department may renew the suspension for periods of not more than 90 days. Makes technical and conforming changes.
Eliminates and renames divisions and bureaus that have been merged by the department of natural resources (department) due to reorganization that occurred within the department. Establishes the Indiana state park inns authority (authority) as a body corporate and politic for the operation, management, and administration of inns and associated facilities by the department. Allows the authority to purchase service credit (subject to certain conditions) for prior service by an employee of the authority. Eliminates the separate hunting license by including a crossbow and bolt in the licensure for archery equipment permitted to be used. Requires the division of fish and wildlife to meet with representatives of certain organizations concerning certain issues and to submit recommendations to the general assembly. Makes conforming changes.
Establishes, rather than allows the president of Indiana University to appoint, a geological and water survey advisory council (council). Increases the number of members from nine to 11 and specifies who shall serve on the council. Requires the state geologist to serve as secretary of the council. Provides that the state geologist may cast the deciding vote to break a tie. Requires the council to meet quarterly. Establishes the center for water within the Indiana geological and water survey (survey) at Indiana University for the purpose of: (1) carrying out the survey's statutory duties concerning Indiana's water resources; (2) supporting long term studies of the state's water resources; and (3) upon request, providing resources to state agencies, municipalities, and soil and water conservation groups. Establishes the center for energy within the survey for similar purposes with respect to Indiana's natural energy resources. Allows the Indiana board of licensure for professional geologists (board) to elect a secretary who is not a member of the board. (Current law requires that the secretary of the board be elected from among the members of the board.) Increases the number of times the board is required to meet to at least two times each year. Allows a licensed professional geologist to request an informal review not more than 30 days after receiving a complaint. (Current law requires the request for an informal review to be made within 20 days.) Provides that if the board compels a licensed professional geologist to respond to a complaint or charges, the notification must be sent by certified mail and the response must be in writing. Allows a geologist who is licensed in another state to be licensed in Indiana if the other state's standards are substantially equal to Indiana's requirements. Requires a licensed professional geologist to obtain continuing education in the geological sciences as a condition of license renewal. Specifies that these continuing education requirements do not apply to a person who is not licensed as a professional geologist under Indiana law. Makes technical changes.
Provides that a person commits rape if the person engages in sexual activity with another person and the person disregards the other person's attempts to refuse the person's acts.
Provides that a correctional facility, including a jail, shall: (1) use the least restrictive restraints necessary on a pregnant inmate when the pregnant inmate is in the second or third trimester of pregnancy; or (2) use no restraints on a pregnant inmate who is in labor, delivering a baby, during the immediate postdelivery period, or dealing with a medical emergency related to the pregnancy, with certain exceptions. Repeals the current statute concerning prenatal and postnatal care and treatment and incorporates it into the new chapter concerning pregnant inmates. Adds sexual misconduct with a service provider as a Level 4 felony to the definition of "violent offense", and requires a person convicted of: (1) sexual misconduct with a service provider; (2) child molesting; and (3) rape; to pay restitution for pregnancy and childbirth expenses to the victim if the pregnancy is a result of the offense.
Changes the name of the Indiana board of veterinary medical examiners to the Indiana board of veterinary medicine (board). Provides that the state veterinarian: (1) serves as the chief administrative officer of the board; (2) performs the duties delegated by the board to the state veterinarian; and (3) provides technical advice and assistance to the board. Establishes the Indiana center for animal policy (center) to facilitate the coordination of regulatory duties of the state board of animal health (BOAH) and the board. Provides that the state veterinarian is the chief administrative officer of the center and the BOAH. Requires that the BOAH (not the professional licensing agency) perform certain administrative functions for the board. Requires that the board and the division of consumer protection, office of the attorney general enter into a memorandum of understanding to share information concerning complaints and investigations against individuals regulated by the board. Allows the board to adopt emergency rules. Provides that the board, and the state veterinarian if authorized by the board, may subpoena witnesses and compel the production of certain documents as part of an investigation. Changes the name of the veterinary investigative fund to the veterinary medicine fund (fund). Makes various changes to the fund. Provides that the changes made by the bill do not apply until July 1, 2023. Provides for transition and makes conforming changes.
A SENATE RESOLUTION honoring Carl Erskine for his contributions to Indiana and the nation.
Provides that the Indiana finance authority (authority) shall serve as the executive branch coordinator for funds allocated or made available to the state or local communities from federal, state, and other sources for purposes related to drinking water, wastewater, or storm water infrastructure and systems. Sets forth the duties of the authority with respect to this role. Specifies that the authority shall coordinate the executive branch activities related to the state's drinking water and wastewater programs. (Current law provides that the authority shall serve such a role with respect to the state's water programs.) Authorizes the establishment of a drinking water and wastewater infrastructure research and extension program (program) to provide data collection and information, training, and technical assistance concerning: (1) drinking water infrastructure; (2) wastewater infrastructure; and (3) storm water infrastructure; in Indiana. Provides that the authority may: (1) contract with a state supported college or university in Indiana to provide the program; and (2) financially support the program from existing funds appropriated to the authority. Provides that the program may be housed within, or share staff with, the existing research and highway extension program at Purdue University. Provides that the program may provide the following services and programs to, or for the benefit of, utilities providing drinking water, wastewater, or storm water service in Indiana: (1) Assisting utilities in the development of asset management programs. (2) Serving as a central repository for data concerning infrastructure used to provide drinking water, wastewater, or storm water service in Indiana. (3) Providing training and technical assistance to utilities and Indiana's drinking water, wastewater, and storm water utility industry workforces. Requires the authority to make, not later than July 1, 2023, all: (1) utility asset management programs; and (2) information concerning utility asset lifecycle management costs; submitted to or reviewed by the authority available on an Internet web site maintained by the authority or the program. Requires that in carrying out all information gathering and reporting duties under the bill's provisions, the authority and the program shall use any data the authority or the program acquires in a manner that: (1) protects the confidential information of individual utilities and customers; and (2) is consistent with applicable statutory exclusions from disclosure under the state's public records act. Provides that as a condition for receiving a loan, grant, or other financial assistance after June 30, 2023, through the wastewater revolving loan program, the drinking water revolving loan program, the water infrastructure assistance program, or the water infrastructure grant program, a participant must do the following: (1) Submit the participant's required asset management program to the authority not later than the time of submission of the participant's preliminary engineering report for any project for which the loan, grant, or other financial assistance will be provided. (Current law does not specify when the asset management program must be submitted.) (2) Submit to the authority information on the estimated and actual life cycle management costs over the useful life of the asset financed. (3) In the case of a participant that is not under the jurisdiction of the Indiana utility regulatory commission (IURC), regularly report to all: (A) customers; (B) counties; and (C) municipalities; within the participant's service territory information concerning the participant's asset management program. Provides that money in the: (1) supplemental drinking water and wastewater assistance fund; (2) water infrastructure assistance fund; and (3) water infrastructure grant fund; may be used to provide grants, loans, or other financial assistance for the planning, designing, acquisition, construction, renovation, improvement, or expansion of septic relief systems, in accordance with guidelines of the authority. Provides that the authority's project prioritization system for awarding assistance from the water infrastructure assistance fund and the water infrastructure grant fund must include as a variable the effect of a project on the environment. Provides for the following with respect to a wastewater utility that is not subject to the jurisdiction of the IURC for the approval of rates and charges and that has been issued one or more enforcement orders (orders) relating to environmental or health and human safety issues by the department of environmental management (department) after June 30, 2022: (1) For the first order, the utility is subject to an informal review of its: (A) rates and charges; and (B) asset management program; by the IURC, in accordance with procedures determined by the IURC. (2) For a second order that is issued within two years of the first order, the utility is subject to rate regulation, following two base rate cases, by the IURC for a minimum period of: (A) five years from the IURC's order in the first base rate case; and (B) one year from the IURC's order in the second base rate case. (3) For any order issued during the required rate regulation period, the IURC may, in consultation with the department, initiate a receivership proceeding with respect to the utility. Requires the state board of education (state board) to approve, for purposes of the state's career and technical education graduation pathway, a utility career cluster that allows students to acquire knowledge and skills related to employment in the electric, natural gas, communications, water, and wastewater utility industries. Requires the governor's workforce cabinet, in consultation with the state board, the department of education, and the department of workforce development, to create course sequences for the utility career cluster.
Establishes a commission to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.