Sen. Jim Buck

Provides for the automatic expungement of certain juvenile offenses. Prohibits a juvenile arrestee who meets certain requirements from being housed with adult inmates prior to trial, with certain exceptions. Establishes a procedure for determining juvenile competency. Provides that after a juvenile court has determined that a child is a dual status child, the juvenile court may refer the child to be assessed by a dual status assessment team under certain circumstances.

Establishes the electric vehicle product commission.

Amends the definition of "salary of a first class patrolman or first class firefighter" for the purpose of benefits paid from and contributions made to the 1977 police officers' and firefighters' pension and disability fund (fund). Establishes certain requirements if an employer certifies a new salary under IC 36-8-8-6.5. Changes the maximum age for an applicant to a police department from 35 to 39 years of age. Requires an employer that participates in the fund and provides longevity increases to pay an amount greater than or equal to the longevity increase paid in the previous year. Requires employers to provide reports or records requested by the system board, and permits the system board to fine the employer for each day that reports or records are late. Provides that an alleged failure of an employer to make required payments to the 1977 fund may be examined by the state board of accounts or by the Indiana public retirement system. Requires employers to submit, both annually and at the request of the system board, the salary of a first class patrolman or firefighter.

Requires the department of state revenue (department) to provide written notice, by electronic means, to each employer that is registered in the department's online INTIME program and whose employer's Form WH-1 monthly withholding tax report or withholding tax remittance is past due. Requires each payroll service provider to annually register with the department beginning January 1, 2022. Specifies the contents of the annual registration form. Defines "payroll service provider" and "responsible person" for purposes of these provisions. Provides that the department may charge an annual payroll service provider registration fee for purposes of the registration program. Provides that a provider shall be permitted to retain any income generated on business client (client) funds while held in a provider's legal possession pending remittance to authorized payees if the client agreement expressly permits it and the provider complies with certain rules. Provides that a payroll service provider contract must include a provision that specifies that if the payroll service provider fails to deposit or remit a business client's employer withholding taxes when due, and the failure is caused by an error or omission of the payroll service provider and not by the business client, the payroll service provider shall be required to reimburse the business client for the business client's payment of any penalties or interest assessed by the department as a result of the failure. Provides that, if a provider knowingly or intentionally fails to remit taxes withheld, the provider is liable and responsible persons shall be personally liable for such taxes that were withheld and not remitted, along with penalties and interest. Provides that a responsible person of the provider who knowingly or intentionally fails to remit taxes that were withheld commits a Class A misdemeanor, and increases the penalty depending on the amount of taxes that were not remitted. Provides that the liability shall not be construed to relieve the liability of the employer or any person otherwise with a duty to withhold. Provides that the employer's address shall be the address of record with the department for withholding tax purposes and that a payroll service provider may not change the address of record with the department.

Prohibits the state and a political subdivision from imposing restrictions on a religious organization that are more restrictive than the restrictions imposed upon other businesses and organizations that provide essential services to the public. Permits the state or a political subdivision to require a religious organization to comply with a neutral and generally applicable health, safety, or occupancy requirement to the same extent as other organizations, if the requirement is otherwise allowable under Indiana's religious freedom law. Provides that the state, a political subdivision, or an officer or employee of the state or a political subdivision may not restrict the right of the people to worship or to worship in person during a disaster emergency.

A SENATE RESOLUTION declaring that the policy of the State of Indiana is to support the state's sovereign authority to manage, control, and administer its own election laws.

A SENATE RESOLUTION memorializing the victims of the Indianapolis FedEx mass shooting.

Amends the statute governing the awarding of grants from the rural broadband fund as follows: (1) Provides that an "eligible broadband project" for purposes of the statute includes a project for the deployment of terrestrial broadband infrastructure: (A) to buildings used by public school corporations primarily for educating students; (B) to rural health clinics; (C) to ensure that eligible students (defined as Indiana residents who are less than 23 years of age and who are enrolled in a K-12 school in Indiana) have access points providing a connection to eligible broadband service; and (D) in rural areas in Indiana. (Current law provides that an "eligible broadband project" means only a project for the deployment of broadband infrastructure for the provision of eligible broadband service in rural areas in Indiana.) (2) Specifies that terrestrial broadband infrastructure includes infrastructure used for a fixed wireless Internet connection but does not include infrastructure used for a satellite Internet connection. (3) Provides that "eligible broadband service" means a connection to the Internet that provides an actual speed of at least: (A) 1,000 megabits per second downstream for a project involving the deployment of broadband infrastructure to public school corporation buildings or rural health clinics; or (B) 50 megabits per second downstream and at least five megabits per second upstream for a project to provide to eligible students access points for connections to eligible broadband service, or for a project to provide eligible broadband service to rural areas. (4) Specifies the following priorities for the awarding of grants from the rural broadband fund: (A) First, for extending eligible broadband service to public school corporation buildings with respect to which the only available Internet connections are at actual speeds of less than 1,000 megabits per second downstream. (B) Second, for extending eligible broadband service to rural health clinics with respect to which the only available Internet connections are at actual speeds of less than 1,000 megabits per second downstream. (C) Third, for extending eligible broadband service so as to ensure that every eligible student has at the student's residence an access point providing a connection to eligible broadband service. (D) Fourth, extending eligible broadband service to rural areas in which the only available connections to the Internet are at actual speeds of less than 25 megabits per second downstream. (5) Provides that a state agency may fund an eligible broadband project that is designated as a lower priority under the funding priorities set forth in the statute if no competitive applications for eligible broadband projects designated as a higher priority are submitted in a particular round of grant funding. (6) Specifies that a grant may not be awarded from the rural broadband fund: (A) for any project to extend the deployment of eligible broadband service to one or more service addresses for which funding from the federal government has been used or will be disbursed to extend broadband service at actual speeds of at least 25 megabits per second downstream to those same addresses; or (B) if the awarding of the grant would jeopardize funding that has been awarded by the federal government under certain programs for purposes of expanding broadband service in Indiana. (7) Provides that the system of priorities used by the office of community and rural affairs (office) for awarding grants from the rural broadband fund must give preference to projects that require a lower contribution from the fund per passing, as determined by a specified calculation. (8) Provides that the procedures established by the office for the awarding of grants from the rural broadband fund must require the office to: (A) include, in publishing grant applications to the office's Internet web site, specific addresses for which state funds would be used to provide eligible broadband service; and (B) consider, in making a determination as to whether to award a grant to an applicant, all comments or objections received during the statutory comment period, including any new grant application that: (i) is submitted within the statutory comment period by another eligible broadband service provider; and (ii) indicates that such other provider would be willing to provide eligible broadband service to the same addresses at a lower cost to the state. (9) Requires the office to establish a program to expand broadband Internet connectivity by: (A) entering into agreements with broadband service providers under which such providers agree to accept subsidy payments distributed by the office as a form of payment for eligible broadband service; and (B) distributing subsidy payments to participating providers to be used as a form of payment for eligible broadband service provided before July 1, 2025, to certain persons and entities, prioritized as follows: (i) School buildings. (ii) Rural health clinics. (iii) Eligible students. Provides that money in the rural broadband fund may be used to provide financial assistance under the new program. (10) Requires the office to establish and publish on the office's Internet web site: (A) specific, measurable goals; and (B) metrics to be used in assessing the progress made toward accomplishing those goals; for the disbursement of state broadband grant funds. (11) Requires the office to report annually to the interim study committee on energy, utilities, and telecommunications (rather than to the general assembly, under current law) concerning the awarding of state broadband grants. (12) Requires the state board of accounts to conduct an annual audit (rather than an audit every three years, under current law) of the awarding of state broadband grants. Establishes the Indiana broadband connectivity program (connectivity program), under which 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 the public broadband portal must solicit information as to whether one or more eligible students reside at an address that is reported by an individual through the portal. Provides that the office may contract or consult with one or more third parties in the creation or administration of the portal. Provides that a broadband Internet provider may: (1) register with the connectivity program; (2) receive, at least every three months, notice 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 if the office does not receive notice from any providers that minimum broadband Internet is available at an address reported through the public broadband portal, the office shall transmit to each registered provider a bid notification for provision of broadband Internet service at the address. Specifies requirements for a provider's submission of a bid under the program. Provides that in evaluating the bids received, the office shall select the provider whose bid presents the lowest cost to the state for extension of the provider's broadband Internet infrastructure to the address. Provides that the amount of a grant awarded to a registered provider under the program may not exceed the following: (1) A per-line extension amount that exceeds $25,000. (2) A per-passing amount that exceeds the state's cost per passing for all grants awarded from the rural broadband fund for rural broadband grants as of the last day of the immediately preceding state fiscal year, as calculated by the office. Requires the office to enter into an agreement with a provider that is awarded a grant under the program. Requires the office to provide to the general assembly an annual report containing specified data regarding the connectivity program.

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION memorializing Martin "Marty" J. Meyers.

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION memorializing Irv Cross.