Sen. Jeff Raatz

Provides that a person may perform certain activities without obtaining a permit from the department of natural resources (department). Provides certain guidelines for cutting, relocating, or removing logs that are crossways in a channel. Provides that a person who removes a logjam from a river or stream: (1) is not required to cut a log or separate a tree from its root system if, in the opinion of the person, the cutting would create an unreasonable risk of bodily harm to the person; and (2) need not remove the dislodged logs from the floodplain if the logs are dried and burned so completely as to eliminate the potential for a new logjam. Permits a person to remove a logjam or mass of wood debris from a river or stream with mechanical equipment appropriate to the task of removing logjam or debris. Authorizes a person to remove debris from a stream under certain conditions without needing a permit from the department. Exempts the state and a county, city, or town from submitting various documents when applying for certain floodway permits. Requires the Indiana state department of agriculture to oversee and take all actions necessary to prepare and publish an updated version of the Indiana Drainage Handbook.

Specifies that certain workforce related programs must be reviewed by the legislative services agency at least once rather than every five years. Requires the budget agency to biennially prepare a list of dedicated funds that have not been used in the previous two state fiscal years. Makes technical corrections to various statutes concerning rulemaking. Requires agencies to submit a copy of the notice of the first public comment period and regulatory analysis to the small business ombudsman. Provides that the legislative notice required for rule readoptions must be submitted not later than January 1 of the year preceding the year in which the rule expires. Provides that the publisher of the Indiana Register shall assign a document control number when an agency submits the legislative notice during rule readoption instead of when the agency submits the notice of proposed readoption. Provides that an agency may adopt interim rules to implement a reduction, a full or partial waiver, or an elimination of a fee, fine, or civil penalty included in an administrative rule. Requires the budget agency to transfer money in the phase out trust fund on or before June 30, 2024, to the Medicaid contingency and reserve account. Expires the phase out trust fund on July 1, 2024, and makes corresponding changes. Specifies certain deadlines within the statutes governing an agency's failure to enact required licensure rules. Requires an agency to conduct a regulatory analysis for certain proposed rules, including if the implementation and compliance costs are at least $1,000,000. Provides that if a proposed rule has implementation and compliance costs of at least $1,000,000, the following: (1) The rule cannot be published in the Indiana Register until the budget committee has reviewed the rule. (2) The budget agency and the office of management and budget may not approve any part of the proposed rule prior to review of the proposed rule by the budget committee. Provides that for a provisional rule or an interim rule that has implementation and compliance costs of at least $1,000,000, the governor may not approve a rule prior to the budget committee's review of the rule. Requires the office of management and budget to notify the legislative council of certain proposed rules that have a fiscal impact of over $1,000,000 over the course of two years. Removes references concerning the adoption of an emergency rule. Amends a reference from emergency rules to provisional or interim rules under certain circumstances. Makes conforming changes.

Provides for a semiquincentennial license plate. Establishes the semiquincentennial trust fund.

Amends the statute establishing the right of a member of: (1) the general assembly; (2) the professional staff of the general assembly; or (3) the Indiana lobby registration commission; to carry a handgun within the state capitol building and on the property of the state capitol complex by specifying that the right applies to any such member who is not prohibited under state or federal law from possessing a handgun. (Current law provides that the right applies to a member who: (1) possesses a valid Indiana license to carry a handgun; and (2) is otherwise permitted to possess a handgun.) Adds a new chapter to the Indiana Code article governing state officers to provide that any of the following state officers who is not prohibited from possessing a handgun under state or federal law has the right to carry a handgun within the state capitol building and on the property of the state capitol complex: (1) The attorney general. (2) The secretary of state. (3) The state comptroller. (4) The treasurer of state. Prohibits a governmental entity or any other person from knowingly or willfully keeping any list, record, or registry of: (1) privately owned firearms; or (2) the owners of firearms; with respect to Indiana consumers. Defines a "firearms code" as a merchant category code approved by the International Organization for Standardization specifically for firearms retailers. Provides that in a payment card transaction, a merchant acquirer or a payment card network may not: (1) assign; or (2) require the assignment of; a firearms code in a way that distinguishes a firearms retailer with at least one physical location in Indiana from general merchandise retailers or sporting goods retailers. Prohibits a financial services provider from declining or otherwise refusing to process a lawful payment card transaction based solely on the assignment or nonassignment of a firearms code to the payment card transaction. Prohibits a financial services provider from disclosing a financial record that: (1) is related to a payment card transaction; and (2) includes protected financial information, including a firearms code used, collected, or assigned in violation of the bill's provisions. Specifies that the bill's provisions apply only to a payment card transaction that is initiated after September 30, 2024, at a firearms retailer that is physically located in Indiana. Provides that the applicable primary financial regulator with jurisdiction over a financial services provider subject to the bill's provisions is responsible for enforcing the financial services provider's compliance with those provisions. Provides that, with respect to any person that is not a financial services provider subject to regulation by a financial regulator, the attorney general is responsible for enforcing the bill's prohibition against knowingly or willfully keeping any list, record, or registry of: (1) privately owned firearms; or (2) the owners of firearms. Provides that upon receiving notice of an alleged violation of this prohibition, the attorney general shall investigate the alleged violation in accordance with the attorney general's investigative demand procedures, subject to the statutory confidentiality provisions that apply to such procedures.

Provides that the Indiana school for the blind and visually impaired board shall give preference to a candidate for the chief executive officer position who meets the qualifications for an Indiana teacher's certificate in the area of visual impairment disabilities, but shall not require a candidate for the chief executive officer position to meet the qualifications for an Indiana teacher's certificate in the area of visual impairment disabilities. Provides that, subject to approval by the Indiana school for the deaf board, the Indiana school for the deaf may partner with an existing nonprofit corporation to benefit the purposes of the school. Provides that the public meeting that must be held before a contract for employment is entered into by a governing body and a school superintendent may take place at a regular or special meeting of the governing body and does not have to happen at least seven days before the contract is entered into. Prohibits a teacher preparation program from using curriculum or content that is based on the three-cueing model. Provides that if only one new member is elected to the board of the governing body, a governing body may enter into a contract with a superintendent after the election. Repeals the primetime program. Amends the Indiana student enrichment grant program. Repeals provisions regarding the primetime program.

Amends the definition of "eligible student" to include a sibling of a student with a disability with regards to the education scholarship account program (ESA). Provides that the sibling may not use the ESA account for certain ESA qualified expenses. Provides that an annual grant amount awarded under the career scholarship account (CSA) program may be used for costs related to obtaining a driver's license if certain conditions are met. Establishes conditions regarding the amount of funds that may be used from CSA annual grant amounts for transportation costs. Amends certain requirements regarding ESA and CSA participating entities regarding providing evidence of unencumbered assets. Changes certain CSA application time frames from seven days to 30 days. Requires each state educational institution to provide to the commission for higher education (commission) certain information regarding degrees, degree completion, faculty members, administrative support staff, costs, compensation, and debt loads. Requires the commission to prepare longitudinal analysis regarding certain data. Requires each private postsecondary educational institution and each out-of-state public and nonprofit degree granting institution that offers instructional or educational services or training in Indiana to provide to the department of education information to carry out certain reporting requirements and requirements related to the Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed dashboard. Allows for the revocation of an out-of-state public or nonprofit degree granting institution's authorization if the institution fails to provide the information. Adds teaching to the employment sectors eligible for the next level jobs employer training grant program. Amends requirements regarding: (1) eligibility for career coaching grants; and (2) instruction on career awareness.

Provides that an individual who completes a United States Department of Labor registered apprenticeship program to practice cosmetology may take the cosmetologist licensure examination and, upon passage of the examination, practice as a cosmetologist.

Provides that, if the attorney general determines probable cause exists, the attorney general, rather than any person lawfully domiciled in Indiana, shall bring an action to compel a governmental body or postsecondary educational institution to comply with statutes requiring cooperation with federal immigration officials. Requires a court to apply a preponderance of the evidence standard to enjoin the violation of those statutes.

Provides that an applicant for a transition to teaching scholarship after June 30, 2024, must be a member of a household with an annual income of $100,000 or less. Provides that any balance in the next generation Hoosier educators scholarship fund remaining after the award of next generation Hoosier educators scholarships for a fiscal year may be used to fund additional transition to teaching scholarships. Removes a provision concerning the reduction of scholarships if certain limits are exceeded.

Provides that a county fiscal body may adopt an ordinance to exempt mobile homes and manufactured homes located in the county from property taxation (exemption ordinance). Provides that for an annual assessment date in which an exemption ordinance is in effect, a county assessor shall not assess a mobile home or a manufactured home granted the property tax exemption. Specifies that the discretionary adoption of an exemption ordinance does not apply to mobile homes and manufactured homes that are assessed as: (1) inventory; or (2) real property; under the property tax laws and administrative rules. Makes conforming changes.