Repeals teacher training requirements regarding: (1) criminal gang organizations awareness; (2) certain information concerning homeless students; and (3) recognizing the signs and symptoms of seizures and the appropriate steps to be taken to respond to the symptoms; and requires that information concerning these subjects be included within the curriculum of teacher preparation programs. Provides that the department of education (department) may establish or license for use an online platform to provide information and training concerning these and other subjects. Removes certain requirements regarding annual performance evaluation plans for certificated employees, including: (1) certain content requirements; and (2) certain requirements that a plan be discussed. Amends requirements to be considered a probationary teacher and professional teacher. Provides that, after a school corporation has assigned an evaluator to perform a certificated employee's evaluation, the certificated employee may request the school corporation to assign another evaluator. Urges the legislative council to assign to an appropriate interim study committee the task of studying current school assessments in an effort to reduce and streamline assessments for Indiana students. Removes a provision that requires a school employer to discuss certain items with the exclusive representative of certificated employees and provides that a school employer may discuss: (1) with a certificated employee or group of certificated employees; or (2) at one or more meetings that are open to all certificated employees; any topic that significantly impacts a certificated employee's working conditions or impacts the educational quality of the school employer's students. Repeals provisions concerning: (1) requirements regarding the adoption of model evaluation plans and an approval process for the plans; (2) the obligation to discuss certain items not requiring either party to enter into a contract, agree to a proposal, or make a concession; and (3) the definition of "discuss" for purposes of the collective bargaining provisions.
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Provides that school coaches, assistant coaches, marching band leaders, drama and musical leaders, and extracurricular activity leaders may ensure that an operational automated external defibrillator (AED) is present at each event in which students have an increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest (event) for which the individual is providing coaching or leadership. Provides that the AED may be: (1) deployed in accordance with the venue specific emergency action plan; (2) located on the premises where the event occurs; and (3) present for the duration of the event. Allows two or more events to share an AED if certain conditions are met. Provides that school coaches, assistant coaches, marching band leaders, drama and musical leaders, and extracurricular activity leaders, at each event, may inform all individuals who are overseeing or supervising the activity of the location of the AED. Provides that a school corporation, charter school, and state accredited nonpublic school may: (1) ensure that each required AED is properly maintained; (2) develop a venue specific emergency action plan for sudden cardiac arrest (plan); (3) post the plan in a conspicuous place at an event; and (4) share the plan with the school board, school coaches, assistant coaches, marching band leaders, drama and musical leaders, extracurricular activity leaders, and applicable students. Requires a plan to: (1) establish a goal of responding within three minutes; and (2) require the performance of periodic drills. Provides that a school corporation, a charter school, a state accredited nonpublic school, or an accredited nonpublic school may apply for a grant from the Indiana secured school fund to purchase an AED under certain circumstances. Requires the department of education to conduct a statewide survey of school corporations, charter schools, and state accredited nonpublic schools to determine: (1) the number of AEDs owned before July 1, 2023, by schools; and (2) school policies in effect before July 1, 2023, regarding AEDs.
Requires a pharmacy benefit manager to provide a report to the department of insurance at least every six months. Provides that the report must include the: (1) overall aggregate amount charged to a health plan for all pharmaceutical claims processed by the pharmacy benefit manager; and (2) overall aggregate amount paid to pharmacies for claims processed by the pharmacy benefit manager. Requires that, for individual health insurance coverage, the defined cost sharing for a prescription drug be calculated at the point of sale and based on a price that is reduced by an amount equal to at least 85% of all rebates in connection with the dispensing or administration of the prescription drug. Requires that, for group health insurance coverage, an insurer: (1) pass through to a plan sponsor 100% of all rebates concerning the dispensing or administration of prescription drugs to the covered individuals of the plan sponsor; (2) provide a plan sponsor, at the time of contracting, the option of calculating defined cost sharing for covered individuals of the plan sponsor at the point of sale based on a price that is reduced by some or all of the rebates received concerning the dispensing or administration of the prescription drug; and (3) disclose specified information to the plan sponsor. Allows the department of insurance to enforce the provisions and impose a civil penalty.
Establishes the robotics competition program to provide grants to eligible robotics competition teams (eligible teams) in order to expand opportunities to increase interest and improve skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through participation in competitive robotics programs. Provides a procedure for eligible teams to apply to the department of education (department) to receive a grant. Establishes the robotics competition program fund. Provides that the department shall establish guidelines to: (1) award grants to eligible teams for allowable expenses; and (2) accommodate the participation of students with disabilities on eligible teams or in robotics competitions.
Provides that only a dog or miniature horse qualify as a service animal. Provides that a public accommodation shall make reasonable modifications in policies, practices, or procedures to permit the use of a miniature horse by an individual with a disability. Sets forth certain requirements when permitting or not permitting a person with a disability to bring a service animal on the premises of a public accommodation.
Makes changes in various adoption law provisions to provide 15 days (rather than 30 days) to contest certain adoptions. Provides that a confidentiality agreement entered into between a foster parent and the department of child services (department) may not prohibit the foster parent from releasing or disclosing information to a duly elected state government official for whom the information is relevant to the official's responsibility under the law to protect children from child abuse and neglect (elected official). Provides an exception prohibiting release or disclosure of specified information and records regarding a child who is or was in foster care or under the supervision of a juvenile court, or regarding the child's parent, guardian, or custodian. Provides that the department may not: (1) take adverse action against a foster parent's license; or (2) remove a foster child from the home of a foster parent; solely on the basis of the foster parent having spoken to an elected official. Requires the department to provide a licensed foster parent with: (1) an information packet describing the foster parent's rights and the grievance filing process; and (2) a complete copy of the department's policy manual. Provides that the department may not remove a foster child from the home of a foster parent, unlicensed caregiver, or de facto custodian solely on the basis of the foster parent, unlicensed caregiver, or de facto custodian having filed a petition to adopt the child. Allows a child's adoptive parent to request that the department allow the child to have visitation with the child's sibling. Requires the department to provide notice of the department's decision regarding a request for sibling visitation not later than seven business days after the department receives the request. Provides that if: (1) a child is the subject of a petition alleging that the child is a child in need of services; and (2) a parent of the child has been convicted of committing one or more specified offenses against the child; there is a rebuttable presumption that it is in the child's best interests to prohibit the parent from having in-person contact with the child until a dispositional decree is entered or the petition is dismissed. Provides that if a hearing regarding a petition to terminate the parent-child relationship is not held before the statutorily required deadline, the court shall dismiss the petition without prejudice: (1) upon filing of a motion with the court by a party to the proceeding; and (2) absent good cause shown for the failure to hold the hearing before the statutorily required deadline.
Provides that a school, an employee or staff member of a school, or a third party vendor used by a school to provide instruction may not provide any instruction to a student in prekindergarten through grade 3 on human sexuality. Provides that a school employee or a school staff member is not prohibited from responding to a question from a student regarding certain topics. Requires a school to notify in writing at least one parent of a student, if the student is an unemancipated minor, of a request made by the student to change the student's name or pronoun, title, or word to identify the student.
Requires each school corporation to publish on the school corporation's website the graduation rate for each high school in the school corporation. Amends the definition of "graduation" for purposes of the high school graduation rate determination. Provides that credit for an algebra course earned under certain conditions must count toward the credit requirements for an academic honors diploma. Allows a school corporation to adopt a policy concerning dress code or distractive behavior.
Changes the requirements for submitting eligibility information for an individual who is: (1) less than 19 years of age; and (2) a recipient of either the Medicaid program or the children's health insurance program (CHIP) (programs). (Current law concerning the submission of eligibility information in the programs applies to individuals less than three years of age.) Provides Medicaid eligibility for certain individuals who have immigrated and are lawfully residing in the United States and meet other Medicaid eligibility requirements. Specifies eligibility for the children's health insurance program (CHIP) for lawfully residing individuals who are less than 19 years of age. Provides that an agency or political subdivision is not required to verify citizenship or immigration status of an individual for purposes of the individual's eligibility for benefits under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, including the special supplemental food program for women, infants, and children.
Requires the department of education to, not later than November 1, 2023, do the following: (1) Create a list of personal liability insurers that offer personal liability insurance policies for teachers. (2) Post the list on the department's website. Provides that the academic standards committee appointed by the secretary of education must include employers (in addition to other members under current law). Provides that a school psychologist may provide services on a private basis to an individual if the school psychologist receives a referral from the individual's parent and the individual is an unemancipated minor.