Sen. Tyler Johnson

Requires reporting of certain ownership information by: (1) a hospital to the Indiana department of health (state department); (2) certain health care entities to the secretary of state; and (3) an insurer, a third party administrator, and a pharmacy benefit manager to the department of insurance. Requires the secretary of state and the department of insurance to provide the ownership information to the state department. Requires the state department to annually publish a report concerning the ownership information. Amends the definition of "health care entity" for provisions governing health care entity mergers and acquisitions. Allows the office of the attorney general to investigate the market concentration of a health care entity.

Allows a state agency to use artificial intelligence software to prepare information and projections for the state budget. Requires a state agency to provide a quarterly report to the budget committee that details the requests submitted by the state agency for new federal funds or to participate in a new federal program. Provides that, in addition to the quarterly reports, a state agency may not immediately accept an award of new federal funds in certain circumstances or participate in a new federal program before a report has been reviewed by the budget committee. Specifies the contents of the report that must be submitted for budget committee review. Requires a state agency to provide the state comptroller with a contract for inclusion in the Indiana transparency website not later than 30 days after the contract is fully executed. Requires that permanent full-time positions which have been vacant for 90 days or more be reviewed and either reauthorized or eliminated by the budget director. Requires the budget director to provide a quarterly report to the governor's office regarding those positions that were reauthorized or eliminated by the budget director in the preceding three months. Requires a state agency to provide quarterly reports to the budget committee regarding the state agency's active contracts. Provides for the reversion of funds appropriated to a state agency for expenses related to a contract that are unused after the end of the contract term. Requires the department of administration (department) to develop certain contract language to be included in state contracts of $500,000 or more. Requires a state agency to provide a report to the budget committee concerning amendments to a contract that: (1) increase the maximum contract amount by not less than $500,000; or (2) for a contract with an initial maximum contract amount of not less than $500,000, extend the term of the contract by not less than six months. Prohibits a state agency from entering into a nonpublic contract. Requires all contract opportunities of state agencies to be posted in the form of a request for proposals or a request for quotations on the department's website at least 30 days prior to the contract being awarded. Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services and the office of Medicaid policy and planning to do the following: (1) Review monthly reports on the Medicaid program service utilization to identify trends and risks within the state Medicaid program. (2) Post publicly on the office of the secretary of family and social services's website monthly financial reports or expenditures and revenues for each state Medicaid program and commentary providing context for each monthly financial report. (3) Submit a quarterly report to the budget committee.

Requires the Indiana department of health (state department) to establish: (1) a statewide mobile retail food establishment license (license); (2) standards for the licensure, inspection, and operation of a mobile retail food establishment; and (3) license fees and inspection fees. Requires the state department to establish a workgroup to collaborate with in implementing specified provisions. Beginning January 1, 2027, requires a local health department to: (1) receive applications for licenses; (2) collect annual license and inspection fees; (3) issue licenses; and (4) conduct semiannual inspections of a mobile retail food establishment that is issued a license. Provides that an owner or operator of a mobile retail food establishment issued a license is not required to obtain a county or local license or permit, nor required to pay a county or local inspection fee or a license or permit fee. Provides that beginning January 1, 2027, a person may not operate a mobile retail food establishment in Indiana unless the person obtains a license. Requires the state department to adopt rules to implement these provisions. Repeals provisions of law governing mobile retail food establishment permits effective January 1, 2027.

Requires the department of education (department) to submit a report to the general assembly before November 1, 2025, that provides an analysis of the feasibility and cost of increasing school corporation employee health plan options. Creates the Indiana teacher recruitment program. Beginning June 30, 2025: (1) increases the minimum salary for a teacher employed by a school corporation to $45,000 (current law requires $40,000); and (2) requires a school corporation to expend an amount for teacher compensation that is not less than 65% of state tuition support (current law requires 62%). Amends the requirements for a school corporation and the department if the school corporation determines that the school corporation cannot meet minimum teacher salary requirements. Removes a provision that provides that the matrix rating system may not rank or compare teacher preparation programs.

Requires the coroner where the incident occurred to respond to the coroner where the death occurred not more than 24 hours after being contacted to discuss the need for an autopsy. Provides that if the coroner where the incident occurred does not timely respond, the coroner where the death occurred may conduct an autopsy and bill the coroner where the incident occurred. Provides that beginning January 1, 2026, a licensed hospital is required to have a blood retention protocol for the preservation of the first sample of blood drawn from an individual after arriving at a hospital for treatment. Specifies the required elements of the blood retention protocol, including how long a laboratory is required to hold a blood sample in storage. Provides for waiver of the blood sample storage requirement in any case where the sample is tested and cannot be retained for reasons of medical necessity in the clinical care of the patient.

Repeals provisions concerning university diversity committees. Prohibits unlawful discrimination in education, public employment, and licensure. Allows participation in public contracts by a minority business enterprise, women's business enterprise, and veteran business enterprise, as currently authorized by law. Permits scholarships based on a personal characteristic of the recipient if the scholarship is not funded by state funds or resources, and permits the renewal of specified state funded minority teaching scholarships for those recipients who were initially awarded the scholarship before July 1, 2025. Changes the criteria for certain state funded teaching scholarships from minority status to residence in an underserved county and an agreement to teach in an underserved county. Prohibits requiring as a condition of licensure that a person affirm that a person with a certain personal characteristic: (1) is inherently superior or inferior to a person with a different personal characteristic; (2) should be blamed for actions committed in the past; or (3) has a moral character that is determined by a personal characteristic of the person. Prohibits a public employer from requiring training asserting that, or implementing the theory that, a person with a certain personal characteristic: (1) is inherently superior or inferior to a person with a different personal characteristic; (2) should be blamed for actions committed in the past; or (3) has a moral character that is determined by a personal characteristic of the person. Permits a person injured by a violation to bring a civil action for actual damages, court costs, and injunctive relief.

Requires the department of education (department) to grant an initial practitioner license to an individual who: (1) holds a bachelor's degree with a major in any combination of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics; (2) successfully completes a total of at least nine academic credits regarding certain instruction in teaching; and (3) meets other specified requirements. Provides that the department may grant a license to teach a high school level course or grades 5 through 9 to an individual who completes a licensure pathway established by the department. Requires a principal to allow a student who is enrolled in a public secondary school to receive religious instruction for a period or periods that do not exceed the amount of time that is equivalent to attending one elective course at the public secondary school during the week. (Current law provides for a period or periods of not more than 120 minutes in total in any week.) Provides that a public secondary school may award academic credit to a student who attends religious instruction if: (1) the religious entity providing the instruction agrees to certain conditions; and (2) the governing body of the school corporation adopts a policy that allows the awarding of credit (current law only provides that a public secondary school may award academic credit to a student who attends religious instruction if the governing body of the school corporation adopts a policy that allows the awarding of credit). Changes certain requirements regarding the reporting of a bullying "incident" to the reporting of a bullying "investigation". Requires discipline rules to include a provision to make a reasonable attempt to notify both the parent of a targeted student and the parent of an alleged perpetrator that the school is investigating a possible incident of bullying or similar misconduct before the end of the next school day after the school becomes aware of the possible incident.

Provides that a person may not discriminate against an individual on the basis of the individual's solicitation and use of consumer genetic testing services or on the basis of the results of genetic testing performed by a provider of consumer genetic testing services (provider). Requires a provider to disclose specified information to an individual who submits biological material to the provider for genetic testing. Prohibits a provider that performs, or causes to be performed, genetic testing on an individual's biological material from: (1) taking specified actions with regard to: (A) the biological material; or (B) data resulting from genetic testing performed on the biological material; unless the provider has solicited and received the individual's consent to the action; or (2) providing data, other than deidentified data, resulting from genetic testing performed on the individual's biological material to: (A) an insurer; (B) a business that provides information or data to insurers for the purposes of underwriting or rating of risks; or (C) the individual's employer. Imposes requirements on a provider with respect to: (1) controlling access to an individual's biological material and data; (2) complying with the individual's revocation of consent with regard to the individual's biological material and data; and (3) marketing or advertising sent to the individual as a result of the individual's solicitation and use of the provider's genetic testing services or use of a website or other remote or virtual service associated with the provider's genetic testing services. Provides that a provider may not charge a fee for the provision of biological material or data resulting from genetic testing performed on biological material: (1) to a law enforcement agency on the basis of a search warrant; or (2) as required by a court order; that is more than the provider's actual cost of providing the material or data. Provides for enforcement of the bill's provisions by the attorney general.

Specifies that the Medicaid fraud control unit's (MFCU) investigation of Medicaid fraud may include the investigation of provider fraud, insurer fraud, duplicate billing, and other instances of fraud. Permits the attorney general to enter into a data sharing agreement with specified state agencies and authorizes the MFCU to analyze this data to carry out its investigative duties. Provides that all complaints made to the MFCU are confidential until an action is filed concerning the complaint. Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services to establish: (1) metrics to assess the quality of care and patient outcomes; and (2) transparency and accountability safeguards; for a specified long term care risk based managed care program. Requires, not later than July 31, 2026, a clinical laboratory and diagnostic imaging facility to post certain pricing information for services determined by the department of insurance. Allows: (1) a manufacturer to provide; and (2) a patient to receive; individualized investigational treatment if certain conditions are met. Requires an Indiana nonprofit hospital system to report a list of facilities that may submit a bill on an institutional provider form and report the facility code for each facility. Adds provisions concerning payments by insurers, health maintenance organizations, employers, and other responsible persons to qualified providers that are providing services in an office setting. Requires good faith estimates for health care services to be provided at least two business days (rather than five business days) before the health care services are scheduled to be provided. Removes language concerning the disclosure of a trade secret from provisions that allow for a health plan sponsor to access and audit claims data. Provides that when a health carrier is in the process of negotiating a health provider contract with a health provider facility or provider, the health carrier must provide certain information to the health provider facility or provider. Prohibits certain provisions from being included in a health provider contract. Allows the department of insurance to: (1) enter into partnerships and joint ventures to encourage best practices in the appropriate and effective use of prior authorization in health care; and (2) receive information regarding prior authorization disputes. Requires the department of insurance to prepare a report with findings and recommendations related to the prior authorization dispute information. Requires, not later than September 1, 2025, the department of insurance to issue a request for information concerning ways to better enable medical consumers to compare and shop for medical and health care services. Provides that an insurer or a health maintenance organization may not deny a claim for reimbursement on the sole basis that the referring provider is an out of network provider. Requires, if a fully credentialed physician becomes employed with another employer or establishes or relocates a medical practice in Indiana, an insurer and health maintenance organization to provisionally credential the physician for 60 days or until the physician is fully credentialed, whichever is earlier. Requires the Indiana department of health, in consultation with the office of technology, to study the feasibility of developing certain standards regarding medical records and data.

Requires the department of education (department), in collaboration with certain other state entities, to collect and maintain certain data and to publish on the department's website timely and relevant information about secondary education programs. Provides that the department shall administer and implement the comprehensive career navigation and coaching system developed by the commission for higher education and administer the career coaching grant fund (fund). Provides certain requirements for an eligible entity to receive a grant from the fund. Requires the department to prepare a report concerning career coaching and submit the report to the governor and general assembly. Requires the department of workforce development to update wage threshold data used to categorize career and technical education programs for use in the subsequent school year. Makes conforming changes.