Provides that the state department of health (department) may officially be known as the Indiana department of health. Removes by July 1, 2022, appeals panels from the appeals process of department orders. Provides that the executive board or the department's designee may act as the ultimate authority for department matters under the administrative and procedures laws. Provides that the state health commissioner (commissioner) is the appointing authority and director of the department. Provides that any physicians employed by the department are governed by the state ethics commission's conflict of interest requirements. Allows the commissioner to designate in writing employees in the department who are licensed as a physician and may engage in the practice of medicine outside of their official duties. Provides that the state is not liable for any act performed by a physician employed by the department for any medical care provided to a patient by the physician that is provided in an individual capacity as a licensed physician. Removes the executive board of the department from determining the commissioner's salary. Provides that the commissioner's salary is determined by the governor and the state budget agency. Removes the executive board's approval for the commissioner to organize the personnel and functions of the department into divisions and subdivisions. Specifies that the state department of health may release certain information to an Indiana nonprofit entity that performs health data services for health care providers if specified conditions are met. Extends the expiration of the syringe exchange program until July 1, 2026.
Sponsored bills
Requires that the priority ranking system used by the Indiana finance authority in making loans or other financial assistance from: (1) the drinking water revolving loan fund; or (2) the wastewater revolving loan fund; must prioritize loans securing longer term benefits over shorter term projects, all other factors being equal. Provides that not later than 60 days after the effective date of a change in the applicable federal or state income tax rate as a result of new legislation, a water or wastewater utility shall petition the utility regulatory commission (IURC) for a water or wastewater utility surcharge that adjusts the water or wastewater utility's rates and charges to provide recovery for the change in the federal or state income tax rate. Provides that a water or wastewater utility that serves fewer than 8,000 customers may, but is not required to, file a petition for such a surcharge. Provides that a surcharge shall be calculated to reflect the difference between: (1) the amount of federal or state income taxes that each existing rate or charge of the water or wastewater utility was designed to recover based on the income tax rate in effect at the time the rate or charge was approved; and (2) the amount of federal or state income taxes that would have been embedded in the given rate or charge had the new tax rate been in effect at the time of approval. Provides that a surcharge shall not include normalization of a water or wastewater utility's accumulated deferred income taxes. Provides that the IURC shall approve a proposed surcharge if the IURC finds that: (1) the surcharge has been calculated correctly; and (2) the water or wastewater utility's proposal is just and reasonable. Provides that an approved surcharge shall operate on a prospective basis. Amends the applicability language of the statute governing the transfer, acquisition, and improvement of utilities by municipalities to specify that the statute applies to a municipally owned electric, water, wastewater, or combined water and wastewater utility.
Provides that a court may suspend only that part of a sentence that is in excess of the minimum sentence for a person convicted of a Level 2 or Level 3 felony who has a prior unrelated felony conviction, other than a conviction for a felony involving marijuana, hashish, hash oil, or salvia divinorum. (Current law provides that a court may suspend any part of a sentence for certain Level 2 and Level 3 felony convictions, including drug related convictions.)
Requires the office of community and rural affairs (office) to establish a process to be used before each formal submission of applications for grants from the rural broadband fund (fund) in which the office will: (1) invite any prospective grant applicant to submit a letter of intent identifying all addresses and census blocks that the applicant intends to include in a grant application; and (2) make all addresses and census blocks submitted in letters of intent publicly available for a period of time, during which eligible broadband service providers will have the opportunity to challenge a listed address or census block. Provides that challenges under the new process are to be based on the asserted deployment of "minimum broadband Internet" (defined as a terrestrial connection to the Internet that provides an actual speed of at least 25 megabits per second downstream and at least three megabits per second upstream) at a specific address. Specifies that the process established is to precede and remain distinct from the statutory procedures for actual grant applications. Provides that the department of transportation (INDOT) may require a private entity to agree, as a condition of INDOT leasing a right-of-way to the private entity, that facilities constructed or installed by the private entity in or under the right-of-way, which if removed would: (1) cause irreparable soil disturbance; or (2) have a detrimental effect on INDOT's facilities or on the facilities of other utilities; will be considered abandoned without additional consideration, upon the private entity's written notice to INDOT. Provides that upon being abandoned, a facility may no longer be used for any purpose by any public or private entity.
Specifies that the deadline for adjourning sine die for the 2021 session of the general assembly is November 15, 2021, and that the current deadline of April 29 remains in place for future long sessions. Provides that the regular technical session statute does not apply in calendar year 2021. Specifies the deadlines for signing enrolled acts and presenting them to the governor for bills passed after April 19, 2021, and before May 1, 2021. Specifies the following: (1) That the 2021 interim is the period beginning May 1, 2021, and ending November 15, 2021. (2) That for 2021, the prohibited period concerning fundraising activities is through April 29, 2021, rather than the date on which the general assembly adjourns sine die. (3) That the budget committee is required to meet at least once between April 30, 2021, and July 1, 2021. (Current law requires the budget committee to meet at least once in the two months following the general assembly adjournment sine die.) (4) The certification and distribution process for enrolled acts and the time frame for the process in 2021 will take place as usual. Provides that a redistricting commission is established to determine congressional districts if the general assembly adjourns sine die before November 15, 2021, without having enacted a law establishing congressional districts. (Current law refers to the adjournment of the general assembly without specifying an adjournment sine die or a particular date.)
Specifies that the P-47 Thunderbolt known as the Hoosier Spirit II is designated as the official state aircraft of Indiana. (Current law designates the P-47 Thunderbolt as the official state aircraft of Indiana.)
Specifies the reimbursement rate for inpatient and outpatient Medicaid services that are provided by an out-of-state children's hospital located in a state bordering Indiana in state fiscal years 2022 and 2023. Requires budget committee review of the reimbursements provided to those out-of-state children's hospital. Requires the children's hospitals to provide information required in the review to the family and social services administration not later than August 1.
Provides that a small claims court has jurisdiction over claims that do not exceed $10,000.
Specifies that an individualized mental health safety plan includes information concerning a patient's physical health. Allows a mobile integrated healthcare program or a mental health community paramedicine program to provide certain services to help facilitate the patient's safe transition back into the community upon disclosure of a patient's individualized mental health safety plan. Allows a representative of a mobile integrated healthcare program or a representative of a mental health community paramedicine program to request a patient's individualized mental health safety plan from a psychiatric crisis center, psychiatric inpatient unit, or psychiatric residential treatment provider if certain conditions are met.
Requires the state department of health (department), in consultation with the office of the secretary of family and social services, to study and prepare a plan (plan) to improve the health and behavioral health of Indiana residents based on specified criteria. Requires the department to submit and present the plan to the interim study committee on public health, behavioral health, and human services (interim study committee). Requires the department to prepare and present an annual report to the interim study committee regarding the progress made in meeting the metrics and goals of the plan. Requires that the department establish and maintain on the department's Internet web site a web page that indicates the performance and progress of the metrics and goals of the most significant areas identified in the plan. Establishes the prevention and addressing of health issues and challenges grant program (grant program). Establishes the prevention and addressing of health issues and challenges grant fund. Requires the department to administer the grant program. Provides requirements for grant proposals and specifies the types of proposals for which the grants must be awarded. Requires the management performance hub to develop and publish on an Internet web site a web page that tracks Indiana's metrics on the most significant areas of health and behavioral health impacting Indiana residents and demonstrate any progress made in these metrics. Provides that the web page must include specific progress reported by organizations awarded a grant under the grant program.