Sen. Tyler Johnson

Specifies the process for a managed care organization to follow concerning home modification services. Requires a patient of an opioid treatment program (program) who has tested positive on a drug test to be given a random drug test monthly until the patient passes the test. (Current law requires the patient to be tested weekly.) Allows a program to close on Sundays and federal holidays. Prohibits the division of mental health and addiction from: (1) requiring a program's medical director to have admitting privileges at a hospital; and (2) establishing rules or guidelines concerning program admission and medication that are more stringent than federal regulations. Allows specified health care providers to perform the initial assessment, examination, and evaluation of a patient being admitted to a program. Allows the medical staff of an ambulatory outpatient surgical center to make recommendations on the granting of clinical privileges or the appointment or reappointment of an applicant to the governing board of the ambulatory outpatient surgical center for a period not to exceed 36 months. (Current law allows medical staff of hospitals to make recommendations.) Establishes the certified health care professions commission (commission). Sets forth the requirements for the: (1) certification of nurse aides and qualified medication aides; and (2) registration of home health aides. Specifies the duties of the Indiana department of health and the commission in regulating these professions. Relocates provisions concerning training for home health aides and requires the commission to approve the training. Sets forth requirements on facilities in employing nurse aides. Specifies the definition of "nurse aide" for purposes of an administrative rule. Makes changes to the release of medical information statute. Modifies the duties of the center for deaf and hard of hearing education. Adds provisions regarding "family navigators" and specifies the role of family navigators in the provisions of the bill regarding the center for deaf and hard of hearing education. Allows a prescriber to prescribe certain agonist opioids through telehealth services for the treatment or management of opioid dependence. (Current law allows only a partial agonist to be prescribed through telehealth.) Allows certain residential care administrators an exemption from taking continuing education during the initial licensing period. Allows for the provision of certain anesthesia in a physician's office or a podiatrist's office without the office being accredited. (Current law allows for this in dental offices.) Requires adverse events concerning anesthesia in an office based setting to be reported to the medical licensing board of Indiana (board). Requires the board to: (1) determine the types of adverse events to be reported; (2) establish a procedure for reporting; and (3) post the adverse events on the board's website. Creates a process for certain individuals who do not have a Social Security number and who are seeking licensure by examination as a registered nurse or practical nurse to obtain a provisional license. Requires a nursing program to offer a clinical experience for clinical hours in a hospital and a health facility setting.

Sets forth requirements for a utilization review entity that requires prior authorization of a health care service. Prohibits a utilization review entity from requiring prior authorization for the first 12 physical therapy or chiropractic visits of each new episode of care. Provides that a claim for reimbursement for a covered service or item provided to an insured or enrollee may not be denied on the sole basis that the referring provider is an out of network provider. Repeals superseded provisions regarding prior authorization. Makes corresponding changes.

Requires the family and social services administration (FSSA) to provide address information to the department of child services (department) under specified circumstances subject to federal approval of a state plan amendment or waiver allowing FSSA to do so. Provides that it is the policy of the state of Indiana and the purpose of Indiana family and juvenile law to: (1) recognize the responsibility of the state and of the department for the safety of children who are abused or neglected; (2) recognize that a parent's interest in receiving services at the time and expense of the state for purposes of reunification is limited; (3) promote the safety of all children involved in the juvenile justice system; and (4) ensure timely placement of children in foster care into permanent homes. Provides that a procedural deadline in a: (1) child in need of services (CHINS) proceeding; or (2) termination of parent-child relationship (TPR) proceeding; is not subject to waiver by a party to the proceeding, except as permitted in specified circumstances under current law. Provides that an individual with whom a child is placed during CHINS proceedings is entitled to attend, in its entirety, any hearing conducted as part of: (1) the CHINS proceedings; or (2) TPR proceedings resulting from a TPR petition filed with regard to the child during the CHINS proceedings. Provides that a court shall allow an individual who is providing care and supervision of a child as: (1) a foster parent; (2) a long term foster parent; or (3) an unlicensed kinship caregiver; at the time the child is the subject of a CHINS proceeding or TPR proceeding to intervene as a party during any stage of the proceeding if the court makes specified findings. Provides that a court shall allow an individual who is providing care and supervision for a child to intervene in a TPR proceeding concerning the child. Provides that a child is a CHINS if, before the child becomes 18 years of age: (1) the child's physical or mental health is seriously endangered due to failure of the child's parent, guardian, or custodian to protect the child from exposure to the use, possession, sale, or manufacture of illegal drugs; and (2) the child needs care, treatment, or rehabilitation that the child is not receiving and that is unlikely to be provided or accepted without the coercive intervention of the court. Removes a rebuttable presumption in current law that a child's physical or mental health is seriously endangered based on evidence of illegal manufacture of a drug or controlled substance occurring at the child's residence and provides that there is a rebuttable presumption that a child is a CHINS if the court finds that the child's parent, guardian, or custodian willfully or knowingly: (1) exposed the child to the illegal manufacture or distribution of a legend drug or controlled substance; or (2) exposed the child to: (A) methamphetamine; (B) fentanyl; or (C) a fentanyl containing substance; for which the parent, guardian, or custodian did not have a valid prescription. Amends the factors a court must consider when determining whether to detain a child who has been removed from the child's parent, guardian, or custodian to include considerations relating to exposure of the child to a fentanyl containing substance or fentanyl related substance. Provides that the rights of the: (1) child; (2) child's parents, guardian, or custodian; (3) department; and (4) guardian ad litem or court appointed special advocate; as parties to a proceeding regarding the child under Indiana juvenile law include rights of discovery, subpoena, examination of witnesses, and presentation of evidence at any hearing in the proceeding. Provides that the statutory deadline for holding of a factfinding hearing in a CHINS proceeding may be extended if the court finds that the extension is necessitated by: (1) unanticipated, emergent circumstances; (2) the circumstances of the case; or (3) the Indiana Rules of Trial Procedure. Provides that there is a rebuttable presumption that a child is a CHINS if the court finds that the child lives in the same household as an adult who is subject to an order issued in a CHINS proceeding that requires the adult to participate in a program of care, treatment, or rehabilitation. Adds factors that a court must consider in determining appropriate reunification services in which a child's parent, guardian, or custodian will be required to participate under the child's dispositional decree. Provides that: (1) a dispositional decree that: (A) is entered under specified circumstances; and (B) requires a parent, guardian, or custodian to complete reunification services; may not provide for the parent, guardian, or custodian to receive the reunification services for more than a specified length of time, subject to extension for specified causes; and (2) a court reviewing the dispositional decree shall consider the amount of time remaining for the parent, guardian, or custodian to complete the reunification services. Specifies that the requirement that a court reviewing a dispositional decree must determine whether the department has made reasonable efforts to provide family services does not apply if a finding has been made that reasonable efforts for family preservation or reunification are not required. Provides that in determining the extent to which reasonable efforts to reunify or preserve a family are appropriate, the child's welfare (in addition to the child's health and safety, under current law) is of paramount concern. Provides that if the department conducts a criminal history check of: (1) a parent, guardian, or custodian; or (2) a household member of the parent, guardian, or custodian; before reunifying a child with the parent, guardian, or custodian, the department shall (rather than may, under current law) use the results of the criminal history check to decide whether it is safe for the child to return home and shall provide the results of the criminal history check to the court. Requires a court to hold a permanency hearing for a child: (1) who has been removed from the child's parent, guardian, or custodian for at least 12 months; or (2) with regard to whom at least 12 months have expired since a dispositional decree was entered; at the request of any party to the CHINS proceeding that requests a permanency hearing on the basis that continuation of efforts to reunify or preserve the child's family are inconsistent with the best interests of the child. Provides that if a child has, at the time of a permanency hearing, been removed from the child's parent for at least 12 of the most recent 22 months, the permanency plan for the child must include at least one intended permanent or long term care and custody arrangement that would not return the child to the care and custody of the parent, guardian, or custodian from whose care and custody the child has been removed. Provides that if a child is less than 16 years of age, the intended permanent or long term care and custody arrangement for the child may be guardianship or placement with a permanent custodian only if the proposed guardian or custodian appears before the court and testifies as to the individual's willingness to assume custody of the child. Provides that: (1) if a court approves a permanency plan for a child under which adoption is the only intended permanent or long term care and custody arrangement, the department shall publish specified information regarding the child to facilitate adoption of the child; and (2) the information published by the department to facilitate adoption of a child who is: (A) a CHINS; and (B) a hard to place child; may include the child's first name and picture. Requires a court to hold an initial hearing on a TPR petition not later than 30 days after the petition is filed. Provides that under specified circumstances, a TPR petition regarding a child and the child's parent: (1) must be filed by the department; and (2) may be filed by: (A) the child's guardian ad litem or court appointed special advocate; or (B) an individual: (i) with whom the child is placed during the CHINS proceedings; and (ii) who is an intervenor in the CHINS proceedings. Amends the allegations that may be asserted in a TPR petition. Removes a provision requiring a person that files a TPR petition to also file a: (1) copy of the order approving the permanency plan for the child; or (2) permanency plan for the child. Provides that the deadline for holding a hearing regarding a TPR petition may be extended if the court finds that extension of the deadline is necessitated by: (1) unanticipated, emergent circumstances; (2) the circumstances of the case; or (3) the Indiana Rules of Trial Procedure. Provides that a representative of a licensed child placing agency that is providing services to a child during child in need of services (CHINS) proceedings is entitled to attend, in its entirety, any hearing conducted as part of: (1) the CHINS proceedings; or (2) termination of parent-child relationship (TPR) proceedings resulting from a TPR petition filed with regard to the child during the CHINS proceedings. Provides that the requirement that DCS publish specified information regarding a child to facilitate adoption of the child does not apply if the child is already in a pre-adoptive placement in a proposed adoptive home. Makes conforming and technical changes.

Prohibits a school corporation from doing the following: (1) Removing a student's property without providing the student's parent with the opportunity to collect the student's property if the student has died, transferred, dropped out, or otherwise withdrawn from enrollment in the school corporation for any reason. (2) Adopting a policy or otherwise preventing a parent of a student from recording a meeting concerning the student's individualized education program. Requires each school corporation to ensure at least one employee in each school building that is used for classroom instruction: (1) has obtained nonviolent crisis intervention training; and (2) is present in the school building during the school year while school is in session. Establishes requirements regarding the employee. Requires the department of education to review nonviolent crisis intervention training programs and make recommendations to school corporations regarding the training of employees.

Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services (office) to report specified Medicaid data to the Medicaid oversight committee. Requires the office to annually prepare and present a report to the budget committee concerning the enforcement of the Medicaid five year look back period. Prohibits specified persons from advertising or otherwise marketing the Medicaid program. Provides that the office may adopt rules concerning permissible advertising or marketing indicating participation in the Medicaid program by a person that has contracted with the office. Allows the office to reimburse medical providers at the appropriate Medicaid fee schedule rate for certified medical claims prior to the beginning of benefits, provided the claims satisfy certain conditions. Repeals language allowing for marketing of the Medicaid program. Requires the office to receive and review data from specified federal and state agencies concerning Medicaid recipients to determine whether circumstances have changed that affect Medicaid eligibility for recipients and to perform a redetermination. Requires the office to establish: (1) performance standards for hospitals that make presumptive eligibility determinations and sets out action for when hospitals do not comply with the standards; and (2) an appeals procedure for hospitals that dispute the violation determination. Sets out a hospital's responsibilities when making a presumptive eligibility determination. Imposes corrective action and restrictions for failing to meet presumptive eligibility standards. Specifies requirements, allowances, and limitations for the healthy Indiana plan.

Provides that a governmental entity may not substantially burden certain parental rights unless the burden, as applied to the parent and the child, is required to advance a compelling governmental interest and is the least restrictive means of advancing the governmental interest. Prohibits a governmental entity from: (1) advising, directing, or coercing a child to withhold certain information from the child's parent; or (2) denying a child's parent access to certain information. Allows a parent to bring an action against a governmental entity for certain violations and provides for certain relief. Specifies that the parent of a child does not have a right to access certain medical care on behalf of the child if the child does not have an affirmative right of access to the medical care.

Alters the membership of a watershed development commission board that includes the Maumee River basin (Maumee watershed development commission). Provides that a Maumee watershed development commission may take certain actions with respect to certain flood plains. Expands permitted uses for certain funds collected by a Maumee watershed development commission and establishes certain budget limits. Provides that the department of natural resources's division of water shall provide a Maumee watershed development commission with a written summary of the division's review of certain public works projects within 30 days of the review. Makes conforming changes.

Prohibits the submission of an application for a certificate of public advantage (application) after May 13, 2025. Changes the time frame in which the Indiana department of health has to review and make a determination on an application filed during a specified time frame.

Maddy summarySenate Concurrent Resolution 42 is a commemorative bill that formally honors Dr. Thomas Morrison. It recognizes his 34 years of service to the State of Indiana.

Maddy summarySCR 33 is a concurrent resolution that formally recognizes the Indiana Legislative Youth Advisory Council. It acknowledges the council's existence and purpose, without creating new laws or allocating funds.