Defines "unlicensed caregiver" and allows an unlicensed caregiver of a child to intervene as a party in a: (1) child in need of services proceeding; or (2) proceeding to terminate the parent-child relationship; concerning the child.
Establishes the insuring foster youth trust fund (fund). Provides that the department of child services shall administer the fund. Provides that the money in the fund may be used to provide payments to foster youth to help defray the cost of: (1) automobile insurance coverage for foster youth; and (2) not more than 44 of the 50 hours of supervised driving practice for foster youth. Provides that a state or local government agency, a foster parent, or an entity providing services shall not be liable for any damages resulting from a foster youth's operation of an automobile owned and insured by the foster youth. Makes conforming changes. Makes an appropriation.
Provides that a correctional facility, including a jail, shall: (1) use the least restrictive restraints necessary on a pregnant inmate when the pregnant inmate is in the second or third trimester of pregnancy; or (2) use no restraints on a pregnant inmate who is in labor, delivering a baby, during the immediate postdelivery period, or dealing with a medical emergency related to the pregnancy, with certain exceptions. Repeals the current statute concerning prenatal and postnatal care and treatment and incorporates it into the new chapter concerning pregnant inmates. Adds sexual misconduct with a service provider as a Level 4 felony to the definition of "violent offense", and requires a person convicted of: (1) sexual misconduct with a service provider; (2) child molesting; and (3) rape; to pay restitution for pregnancy and childbirth expenses to the victim if the pregnancy is a result of the offense.
Provides that the IURC may approve periodic tracking mechanisms for water or wastewater utilities to permit such utilities to recover the following: (1) Changes in property taxes. (2) With respect to customers located within the geographic boundaries of local units of government, incremental costs of operation and maintenance resulting from policies or ordinances that are adopted by those local units and that the IURC determines to be unusual but not necessarily unreasonable. Requires the IURC to adopt rules to define what is unreasonable with respect to road cut permits and other specifications or policies established by a local unit that imposes costs on water or wastewater utilities. Amends the statute concerning wholesale water sales between small water utilities by increasing from 5,000 to 8,000 the threshold number of customers served by a water utility (as either a purchaser or supplier) for purposes of the statute. Amends the statute governing infrastructure improvement charges for water or wastewater utilities as follows: (1) Specifies that an "eligible infrastructure improvement" includes: (A) a project to relocate existing utility plant, including projects to accommodate the construction, reconstruction, or improvement of a highway, street, or road; and (B) a project that does not increase revenues by connecting to new customers, even if the project provides greater available capacity with respect to an eligible utility's distribution or collection plant. (2) Sets forth distinctions for public utilities, municipally owned utilities, and not-for-profit utilities with respect to: (A) costs that are eligible for recovery under the statute; (B) the factors the IURC may consider in determining the amount of allowable cost recovery; and (C) the resetting of the adjustment amount after a base rate case. (3) Specifies that the limitation restricting total adjustment revenues to 10% of an eligible utility's most recently approved base revenue level does not apply with respect to property taxes associated with eligible infrastructure improvements. Amends provisions in the Indiana Code chapter concerning a utility company's acquisition of an offered water or wastewater utility, by providing that the rates charged by the acquiring utility company are not considered to increase unreasonably as a result of the acquisition if the net original cost of the acquired assets does not exceed 2% of the acquiring utility company's net original cost rate base as determined in the acquiring utility's most recent general rate case, plus any adjustments to the rate base resulting from: (1) an infrastructure improvement charge; or (2) an adjustment rider for service enhancement improvement costs; that have occurred after the rate case. Makes a similar change to the Indiana Code section concerning the sale of a municipally owned utility's nonsurplus utility property.
Adds provisions to the title in the Indiana Code concerning financial institutions to provide for the replacement, by operation of law, of the United States Dollar LIBOR as the benchmark index for any contract, security, or instrument, with a recommended benchmark replacement that is based on the secured overnight financing rate (SOFR). Sets forth certain events that serve to trigger the replacement of LIBOR with the recommended benchmark replacement. Specifies that such replacement by operation of law applies with respect to a contract, security, or instrument that either: (1) contains no fallback provisions setting forth a methodology or procedure for determining a benchmark replacement; or (2) contains fallback provisions that result in a benchmark replacement that: (A) is not a recommended benchmark replacement; and (B) is based in any way on any LIBOR value. Provides that if a recommended benchmark replacement becomes the benchmark replacement for any contract, security, or instrument, any applicable benchmark replacement conforming changes become an integral part of the contract, security, or instrument by operation of law. Provides that the bill's provisions do not alter or impair contracts, securities, or instruments that contain certain provisions. Provides that the selection or use of a recommended benchmark replacement as a benchmark replacement for a contract, security, or instrument: (1) constitutes a commercially reasonable replacement for and a commercially substantial equivalent to LIBOR; and (2) does not: (A) impair or affect certain rights and performance obligations under; (B) constitute a breach of; or (C) void or nullify; the contract, security, or instrument. Provides that a person is not liable for damages, and is not subject to any claim for equitable relief, in connection with: (1) the selection or use of a recommended benchmark replacement; or (2) the determination, implementation, or performance of benchmark replacement conforming changes; with respect to any contract, security, or instrument. Makes a cross reference to this immunity provision in the chapter of the Indiana Code that lists statutes outside of Title 34 of the Indiana Code that confer civil immunity.
Provides that a governmental body may enter into a public-private agreement with respect to a transportation project. Provides that any public-private agreement with respect to a transportation project may use availability payments to finance all or a portion of the project. Provides that a governmental body may also enter into a development agreement with a private party for the development, construction, and financing of a privately owned and operated transportation or infrastructure project if the development agreement meets certain conditions. Specifies the contents of public-private agreements for transportation facilities or transportation projects and establishes requirements for the operator of the transportation facility or transportation project. Provides for a property tax exemption and a sales tax exemption. Defines terms.
Changes the population point that distinguishes a second class city from a third class city from 35,000 to 34,000. Authorizes a town with a population of more than 34,000 to create the office of town controller, appointed by the town legislative body.
Provides that a manufacturing business, defined as a business that processes raw materials or parts into finished goods, is not a small business if it employs more than 100 persons or if its annual sales for its most recently completed fiscal year exceed $4,000,000. Provides that any state agency that purchases goods, supplies, or services for the state must report by October 1 of each year to the budget committee the amount of Indiana business and Indiana small business preferences granted in the agency's procurement of goods, supplies, or services for the state.
Provides, for purposes of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF), that a TANF assistance group that has qualified for and is receiving assistance under TANF does not cease to qualify for assistance under TANF due solely to an increase in the value of the resources of the TANF assistance group so long as the resources of the TANF assistance group are valued at not more than $10,000. Provides that: (1) the value of a child's primary residence; and (2) $20,000 of total equity value in motor vehicles belonging to members of a child's family; are exempt from consideration for purposes of determining the child's eligibility for TANF. Provides that up to $15,000 in income earned by a household member while the household member is a student participating in or pursuing: (1) the household member's first postsecondary degree; (2) a workforce certificate; (3) a preapprenticeship; or (4) an apprenticeship; may not be considered in determining the amount of assistance for which the household is eligible under the Child Care and Development Fund voucher program.
Provides that the true tax value of commercial real property commercial property with a structure, or a portion thereof, that: (1) is at least 100,000 square feet in area; (2) is used for retail purposes; and (3) is occupied by a single retailer; shall be determined by application of the cost approach. Provides that the application of the cost approach requirement is not applicable if the property was: (1) vacated by the original occupant for which the property was constructed; (2) constructed more than five years prior to the assessment date; or (3) substantially and adversely impacted by a change in a roadway or traffic pattern. Provides that estimates of depreciation and obsolescence shall not be based on data derived from the sales comparison or income capitalization approaches. Requires the department of local government finance (department) to establish a standard construction cost per square foot for the purpose of applying the cost approach. Requires the department to update the standard construction cost per square foot annually. Provides that when requesting a review, a taxpayer may present an appraisal based on the cost approach as evidence that the actual construction cost was lower than the department's determined standard construction cost per square foot that was used to assess the property. Provides that the parties to any appeal may enter into a written agreement to stipulate to the true tax value of the property. Provides that the fiscal officer of the county may establish a separate account for the tax receipts that are attributable to the property tax assessment that is the subject of review.
