Urges the legislative council to assign the task of studying the Logansport State Hospital's operations to an appropriate study committee.
Adds one member representing the Alzheimer's Association, Greater Indiana Chapter, to the Medicaid advisory committee.
Provides that if a local order addresses an aspect of a declared emergency addressed by an executive order, the local order may be less stringent than the executive order to the extent permitted by the executive order. Provides that if a local order addresses an aspect of a declared emergency that is not addressed by an executive order or if a local order addresses an aspect of a declared emergency more stringently than an executive order, the local order may not take effect, or remain in effect, unless the local order is approved by the county legislative body (in the case of a county health department) or by an ordinance adopted by the city legislative body and approved by the mayor (in the case of a city health department). Provides that the appointment of a county health officer is subject to the approval of the county legislative body. Adds other good cause to the reasons for which a local health officer may be removed in counties other than Marion County. Specifies that a local health officer serves until a successor is appointed and qualified. Establishes an appeals process before legislative bodies of enforcement actions taken by local boards of health and local health officers in response to declared state and local public health emergencies.
Defines "exigent circumstances" for purposes of action taken by the department of child services (DCS) with respect to a child. Allows DCS to interview a child at the child's school, except for at a nonaccredited nonpublic school with less than one employee, without parental consent if: (1) the DCS employee presents their credentials upon arrival at the school; and (2) DCS presents a written statement that DCS has parental consent, a court order, or exigent circumstances. Requires that the written statement shall not be maintained in the child's file and must protect the child's and child's family's confidentiality. Mandates that DCS provide assurances that the child's school, or its representative, has been invited to participate in the case plan process.
Establishes the interim study committee on child services (committee). Provides that the committee: (1) shall review the annual reports submitted by local child fatality review teams and by the statewide child fatality review committee and shall report to the legislative council regarding the committee's review of the reports; and (2) may make recommendations regarding changes in policy or statutes to improve child safety; in addition to reporting to the legislative council regarding any other issue assigned to the committee by the legislative council. Provides that a local child fatality committee may meet at the call of members of the local child fatality committee other than the county prosecutor for purposes of the first meeting of the local child fatality committee. Requires the summary information included in the department's annual report regarding child fatalities to indicate, with regard to a child fatality that was the result of abuse or neglect, whether the child was a ward of the department at the time of the event that led to the child's death. Requires the department to provide the annual report to the committee. Urges the legislative council to assign the following topics to the committee, or to another appropriate study committee, for study during the 2021 legislative interim: (1) Amending the Indiana Code to provide for a structured, limited, confidential process by which members of the general assembly may, in the regular course of legislative duties, individually request and view reports and other materials regarding cases of child abuse or neglect and child fatalities resulting from abuse or neglect, while protecting personally identifying information and confidentiality. (2) The child fatality review process, including recommendations from the department and the state department of health with regard to improving reporting and data collection. Requires a local child fatality review committee that has not held its first meeting as of the effective date of the bill to hold its first meeting not later than December 31, 2021.
Allows a person admitted as a patient to a hospital or ambulatory outpatient surgical center (facility) to receive visitation by specified individuals during a declared emergency or public health emergency. Requires visitors to comply with applicable disease control or prevention guidelines issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when visiting a patient. Requires a facility to permit the visitation of a person admitted as a patient in a facility during specified compassionate care scenarios. Allows a facility to limit visitation in certain instances. Provides certain civil immunity for a facility, its employees, and contractors for an injury or harm caused by or resulting from: (1) the exposure of a contagious disease or other harmful agent that is specified during a disaster emergency; or (2) acts or omissions by visitors who are present in the facility; as a result of the implementation of the required protocols. Requires health facilities and residential care facilities (health facilities) to allow visitation of a resident in a compassionate care situation. Requires the state department of health to adopt standards and guidelines concerning the essential family caregiver program during a declared emergency or public health emergency and requires facilities to participate in the program. Allows for the designation of an essential family caregiver for a resident of a health facility and allows for visitation during restricted visitation at the health facility. Specifies requirements for an individual to be designated as an essential family caregiver and allows for the reconsideration and reporting of a denial of a request for designation. Allows the state department of health to adopt certain rules concerning the program. Provides certain civil immunity for a health facility, its employees, and contractors for an injury or harm caused by or resulting from: (1) the exposure of a contagious disease or other harmful agent that is specified during a disaster emergency; or (2) acts or omissions by visitors who are present in the health facility; as a result of the implementation of the required protocols.
Establishes the Indiana broadband connectivity program (program) for the purpose of expanding availability of broadband Internet connectivity throughout Indiana. Provides that as part of the program, the office must establish a public broadband portal through which an individual may report that minimum broadband Internet (defined as a connection to the Internet at an actual speed of at least 25 megabits per second downstream and at least three megabits per second upstream) is unavailable at the individual's residential or business address. Provides that a broadband Internet provider may: (1) register with the program; (2) receive, at least every three months, listings of addresses submitted to the office as addresses at which minimum broadband Internet is unavailable; (3) report to the office any listed address at which the provider's minimum broadband Internet service is already available; and (4) bid for an award of a grant for purposes of extending connectivity to broadband Internet service (defined as a connection to the Internet at an actual speed of at least 50 megabits per second downstream and at least five megabits per second upstream) to an address at which minimum broadband Internet is unavailable. Provides that in evaluating any bids received under the program, the office shall select the provider whose bid presents the lowest cost to the state. Provides that a grant awarded to a provider under the program may not exceed the following: (1) A per-line extension amount that exceeds $25,000, regardless of the number of addresses served by the line extension. (2) A per-passing amount that exceeds the state's cost per passing for all rural broadband grants awarded from the fund as of the last day of the immediately preceding state fiscal year. Requires the office to provide to the general assembly an annual report containing specified data regarding the program. Provides that the office may maintain a geographic information system (GIS) or similar data base that contains spatial data regarding the availability of broadband Internet service in Indiana. Provides that the office may evaluate the broadband Internet coverage map created by the Federal Communications Commission under the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act (FCC map) and: (1) if the office finds that the FCC map: (A) provides address level broadband Internet coverage information; or (B) provides a greater level of detail than the office's broadband Internet coverage map; use the FCC map to update the office's broadband Internet coverage map; or (2) if the office finds that the FCC map does not: (A) provide address level broadband Internet coverage information; or (B) provide a greater level of detail than the office's broadband Internet coverage map; report that finding to the interim study committee on energy, utilities, and telecommunications during the 2022 legislative interim.
Provides that, not later than October 1, 2021, the department of education (department) shall issue a request for information for the purposes of exploring potential opportunities to improve the efficiency of noninstructional school services. Provides that the deadline for submission of responses to the request for information may not be later than February 1, 2022. Provides that, not later than March 1, 2022, the department shall prepare a report based on the responses.
Exempts a contract for the lease of state property under which no state expenditures are required from provisions: (1) requiring certain disclosures and certifications by a prospective state contractor regarding violations of Indiana telephone solicitation and automated calling statutes; (2) regarding cancellation of public purchasing contracts due to lack of funds; (3) regarding state contractor use of the E-Verify program; and (4) prohibiting state contractor employment of unauthorized aliens. Establishes a calculation for determining nondiscriminatory, just, and reasonable rental fees charged by: (1) rural electric cooperatives; and (2) municipalities providing electric service; that own or control electric distribution poles for attachments to those poles by cable operators. Sets forth rights and duties of pole owners and attaching entities with respect to: (1) unauthorized pole attachments; and (2) pole attachment transfers and relocations. Provides that the Indiana utility regulatory commission (IURC) may not require a communications service provider to: (1) file a tariff; or (2) report to the IURC any information that is: (A) available to the public on the communications service provider's Internet web site; (B) filed with the FCC; or (C) otherwise available to the public; except as required by the IURC to respond to consumer complaints or information requests from the general assembly. Makes the following changes to the statute concerning permits for wireless service providers: (1) Amends the factors that must exist for a permit authority to prohibit the placement of a new utility pole or wireless support structure in connection with the construction, placement, or use of a small cell facility in areas designated strictly for underground or buried utilities. (2) Provides that neighborhood associations, homeowners associations, and homeowners may request to be notified of applications by communications service providers for certain permitted uses of the rights-of-way in those designated areas, in addition to requesting notice of applications for new utility poles or new wireless support structures (as provided under current law). (3) Sets forth a procedure by which a permit authority may elect to collaborate with a neighborhood association or a homeowners association to adopt neighborhood specific guidelines on the preferred location and reasonable aesthetics of new utility poles or new wireless support structures within the neighborhood association's or homeowners association's jurisdiction. (4) Provides that a permit authority may not impose: (A) a restriction on maximum height of a wireless support structure, subject to certain federal regulations and state laws; or (B) a requirement regarding minimum separation distances between wireless support structures. Provides that a tariff filed with the IURC by a communications service provider is effective upon filing. Provides that a communications service provider may access public rights-of-way under the control of a county or municipality to the same extent as a public utility. Provides that a video service provider is not required to provide the IURC with information describing the provider's programming, including the provider's channel lineups or channel guides. Exempts a political subdivision's disposal of property by sale, exchange, transfer, or lease of the property to a public utility or a communications service provider from certain provisions regarding disposal of property by a political subdivision. Provides an exemption to the public works law for certain work done by the employees of a conservancy district established for the purpose of water or sewage treatment.
Reestablishes the 21st century energy policy development task force (task force), following its expiration on December 2, 2020. Provides that the task force consists of 17 members as follows: (1) Six members of the house of representatives, with four of those members appointed by the speaker, and two appointed by the minority leader. (2) Six members of the senate, with four of those members appointed by the president pro tempore, and two appointed by the minority leader. (3) The utility consumer counselor or the utility consumer counselor's designee. (4) The public finance director or the public finance director's designee. (5) Three members appointed by the governor, each of whom must have specified experience with respect to energy. Provides that: (1) one of the members appointed by the speaker; and (2) one of the members appointed by the president pro tempore; shall serve as co-chairs of the task force. Provides that an individual appointed to serve on the task force at any time before December 2, 2020, under the expired statute governing the task force may be appointed to serve on the task force after December 1, 2020, under these new provisions, at the discretion of the appointing authority. Provides that: (1) all meetings of the task force shall be open to the public in accordance with the state's open door law; and (2) all records of the task force are subject to the requirements of the state's public records law. Sets forth specific issues that the task force must study not later than November 1, 2022. Requires the task force to: (1) develop recommendations for the general assembly and the governor concerning these issues; (2) issue a report setting forth the recommendations developed; and (3) not later than November 1, 2022, submit the report to the executive director of the legislative services agency, the governor, the chair of the utility regulatory commission, and the utility consumer counselor. Provides that these provisions expire July 2, 2023.
