Sen. Andy Zay

Requires a public school that issues, after June 30, 2022, a student identification card to a student in grade 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12 to include on the student identification card a local, state, or national: (1) suicide prevention hotline telephone number; and (2) human trafficking hotline telephone number; that provides support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Provides that the information may be printed on the student identification card or printed on a sticker that is affixed to the student identification card.

A SENATE RESOLUTION honoring Senator James W. Merritt, Jr. upon his retirement from the Indiana State Senate.

Permits the attorney general to request the appointment of a special prosecuting attorney if a prosecuting attorney is categorically refusing to prosecute certain crimes, and establishes a procedure for the appointment of a person to serve as a special prosecuting attorney to prosecute cases that the county prosecuting attorney is refusing to prosecute.

Requires the budget agency to withhold local income tax revenue from an eligible county if the eligible county fails to raise certain revenues for a public transportation project. (Current law requires eligible counties to raise: (1) 10% of the annual operating expenses of the project from sources other than taxes and fares; and (2) 25% of the annual operating expenses of the project from fares and charges.) Specifies that the amount of local income taxes withheld from an eligible county may not diminish the amount of money distributed to the eligible county for deposit in the eligible county's public transportation fund below the amount required to pay its debt service obligations for bonds issued for purposes of a public transportation project. Prohibits Marion County from creating additional IndyGo bus rapid transit lines if the revenue requirements are not met.

Requires the Indiana economic development corporation (IEDC), beginning January 1, 2023, to specify in the IEDC's annual economic incentives compliance report whether a recipient of a grant from the Indiana twenty-first century research and technology fund is a women's business enterprise, a minority business enterprise, or a veteran owned small business. Requires the trustees of the next level Indiana fund investment board to report to the budget committee every six months concerning the number of investments and the amount of money invested in companies that qualify as a women's business enterprise, a minority business enterprise, or a veteran owned small business. Urges the legislative council to assign the following study committee topics during the 2021 interim: (1) Whether, and in what form, the state should encourage robotics classes and clubs for students in kindergarten through grade 12. (2) How to connect more industry professionals to the classroom and remove existing barriers to the licensure process. (3) Whether there is merit to offering incentives for industry professionals to teach or partner, or both, with local businesses to provide training for the technology industry and other high demand and high wage jobs.

Provides that the director (director) of the Indiana grain buyers and warehouse licensing agency (agency) may share nonidentifying information with board members of the Indiana grain indemnity corporation (corporation) in executive session regarding the risk that a person licensed under the licensing law (licensee) may fail and the potential financial impact to the Indiana grain indemnity fund (fund) if the licensee does fail. Requires the director to conduct a third party performance review of the agency's auditing practices and procedures at least once every five years. Provides that the corporation may require an actuarial study from a third party of the fund as needed, but not less than every five years. Authorizes the director of the agency to take certain actions if the director finds: (1) a deficiency in minimum net worth or a failure to maintain the required current asset to current liability ratio; or (2) that a licensee failed to maintain required unencumbered assets. Increases the limit on the amount of bond, letter of credit, and cash deposits required under the licensing law. Amends the definition of "failed" or "failure" to exclude a suspension. Adds a definition of "suspension" to mean a temporary halt to the purchase of grain from a claimant. Prohibits a licensee, beginning after June 30, 2021, from entering into a deferred pricing agreement or a delayed payment agreement in connection with grain purchases that extends beyond one year from the date of delivery of the grain. Provides specified phase out periods for deferred pricing agreements or delayed payment agreements that were entered into by a licensee before July 1, 2021. Provides that a board member of the corporation with a conflict of interest in a proceeding before the board must recuse himself or herself from those proceedings. Provides that, if a board member is found to have violated the terms of a confidentiality agreement, the board member forfeits his or her appointment to the board and shall be removed as a member of the board. Increases the amount that the board may transfer from the Indiana grain indemnity fund (fund) to the administrative expense account within the fund from $250,000 to $350,000 annually. Authorizes the board to transfer the monthly interest generated from the fund over a six month period during a biennium to a professional development, training, and technology account to be used for specified purposes. Makes conforming changes.

Authorizes the Indiana destination development corporation (corporation) to employ a music commissioner. Authorizes the corporation to establish a music production incentive program. Requires the corporation, in coordination with the office of management and budget, to provide a report to the interim study committee on fiscal policy concerning: (1) music production incentives offered in other states; and (2) a recommendation on the type of incentive that should be offered in Indiana.

Modifies the term "entertainment complex." Allows a county or municipality to designate an area of the county or municipality as an outdoor refreshment area (refreshment area) with the approval of the alcohol and tobacco commission (commission). Provides that if a refreshment area is approved, the commission designates retailer permittees (designated permittees) located within the refreshment area. Allows a consumer to exit a designated permittee's premises with one open container of an alcoholic beverage at a time to consume within the refreshment area. Limits the volume of an open container (based upon the type of alcoholic beverage) that a designated permittee may sell or furnish to a consumer for a refreshment area. Requires a consumer to wear a wristband in order to exit a licensed premises into a refreshment area with an open container. Allows a minor to be present in a refreshment area. Allows a county or municipality to adopt an ordinance at any time to dissolve a refreshment area. Makes the following acts a Class C infraction: (1) A person who exits a designated permittee's premises with an open container of an alcoholic beverage without wearing a wristband identification. (2) A designated permittee who allows a person with an open container of an alcoholic beverage to exit the premises without wearing a wristband identification. (3) A designated permittee who sells or furnishes a person with: (A) an open container of an alcoholic beverage that exceeds the container volume limitations; or (B) two or more open containers of alcoholic beverages at a time. (4) A person who consumes an open container of an alcoholic beverage purchased from a designated permittee outside the refreshment area. (5) A person who brings an alcoholic beverage into a refreshment area that was not purchased from a designated permittee.

Urges the legislative council to assign to the interim study committee on energy, utilities, and telecommunications (committee) the topic of the installation and leasing of broadband capacity infrastructure by investor owned electric utilities to broadband service providers for the provision of broadband Internet service to unserved and underserved areas in Indiana. Provides that if a study is assigned to the committee: (1) the committee must consider certain specified issues; and (2) an electric utility may submit to the committee, not later than July 1, 2021, a study concerning the feasibility of making available broadband capacity infrastructure for use by broadband service providers in providing broadband service in unserved or underserved areas in the electric utility's assigned service area.

Provides a tax credit for a taxpayer that makes a monetary contribution to a qualifying foster care organization. Defines a "qualifying foster care organization" as an organization that (1) is exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; (2) provides foster care prevention services and programs or direct assistance to individuals in the foster care system; (3) spends at least 50% of its available revenue on qualified services to Indiana residents; (4) affirms it will continue spending at least 50% of its available revenue on qualified services to Indiana residents; and (5) provides ongoing qualified services to at least 200 Indiana residents. Provides that the department of state revenue (department) shall grant a tax credit against any state tax liability due equal to 50% of the amount of the monetary contribution by a person to a qualifying foster care organization. Provides that the tax credit that a taxpayer receives may not exceed $10,000 for any taxable year. Provides that the amount of tax credits allowed may not exceed $2,000,000 in the state fiscal year. Provides that to claim a tax credit an application must be filed with the department. Provides that the department shall promptly notify an applicant whether, or the extent to which, the tax credit is allowable in the state fiscal year in which the application is filed. Provides that when the total credits approved equal the maximum amount allowable in any state fiscal year, no application thereafter filed for that fiscal year shall be approved. Provides that the tax credit chapter expires in 2025.