Sen. Jeff Raatz

Provides that the commission for higher education shall do the following: (1) In cooperation with the department of education, identify students who meet the requirements to participate in the twenty-first century scholars program (program). (2) Notify the student and the custodial parent or guardian of the student, if the student is an unemancipated minor, that: (A) the student is eligible to participate in the program; (B) the student must agree to the conditions required to participate in the program; and (C) the student has the right to opt out of the program at any time.

Provides that, if a school corporation or qualified school uses a third party vendor in providing certain personal analyses, evaluations, or surveys, the third party vendor and the school corporation or qualified school may not record, collect, or maintain the responses to or results of the analysis, evaluation, or survey in a manner that would identify the responses or results of an individual student. Provides that, if a school corporation or qualified school uses a third party vendor in providing the personal analysis, evaluation, or survey, the school corporation or qualified school must provide parents or students, as applicable, two requests for written consent before administering the analysis, evaluation, or survey. Provides that the school corporation or qualified school may administer the personal analysis, evaluation, or survey if a parent or student, as applicable, does not decline the analysis, evaluation, or survey. Requires each school corporation or qualified school to: (1) post a copy of a personal analysis, evaluation, or survey on the school corporation's or qualified school's website; and (2) send with each notice an explanation of the reasons that the school corporation or qualified school is administering the personal analysis, evaluation, or survey. Requires each qualified school to establish and maintain a grievance procedure for complaints regarding a violation of this provision. Provides that, if a state agency, school corporation, or qualified school or an employee of a state agency, school corporation, or qualified school requires, makes part of a course, awards a grade or course credit, or otherwise incentivizes a student to engage in: (1) political activism; (2) lobbying; or (3) efforts to persuade members of the legislative or executive branch at the federal, state, or local level; the state agency, school corporation, or qualified school or the employee of the state agency, school corporation, or qualified school shall not require the student to adopt, affirm, affiliate, or take any action that would result in favoring any particular position on the issue or issues involved without offering an alternative option for the student to complete the assignment or receive extra credit or other incentivization that allows for the favoring of an alternative position. After June 30, 2023, requires certain contracts between a school corporation or a qualified school and a third party vendor concerning a personal analysis, survey, or evaluation to contain a breach of contract provision. Requires schools to adopt policies and procedures concerning material alleged to be obscene or harmful to minors. Removes schools from the list of entities eligible for a specified defense to such criminal prosecutions.

Defines "core public health services" for purposes of public health laws. Adds members to the executive board of the Indiana department of health (state department). Removes a provision allowing the state department to establish branch offices. Provides that the state department may provide services to local health departments. Requires each local board of health to establish a local public health services fund to receive state funding. Provides a method of allocation of state funding to local boards of health, subject to state appropriations. Specifies the percentage of how additional funding may be expended on core public health services. Allows the local health department to enter into contracts or approve grants for core public health services. Allows the state department to issue guidance to local health departments. Requires the state department to make annual local health department reports available to the public. Changes the qualification requirements for a local health officer and requires certain training. Requires the state department to identify state level metrics and county level metrics and requires certain local health departments to report to the state department activities and metrics on the delivery of core public health services. Requires the state department to annually report on the metrics to the budget committee and publish information concerning the metrics on the Internet. Requires that a local health department post a position or contract for the provision or administration of core public health services for at least 30 days. Requires a local health department to provide certain education before administering a vaccine. Requires a multiple county health department to maintain at least one physical office in each represented county. Provides that a new city health department cannot be created after December 31, 2022, but allows current city health departments to continue to operate. Creates the Indiana trauma care commission. Allows a school corporation that cannot obtain an ophthalmologist or optometrist to perform the modified clinical technique vision test to conduct certain specified vision screenings. Requires the school to send to the parent of a student any recommendation for further testing by the vision screener. Allows for standing orders to be used for emergency stock medication in schools. Allows the state health commissioner or designee to issue a statewide standing order, prescription, or protocol for emergency stock medication for schools. Removes the distance requirement for an access practice dentist to provide communication with a dental hygienist. Repeals provisions concerning the Indiana local health department trust account.

Provides that discipline rules adopted by the governing body of a school corporation must include timetables for reporting bullying incidents to parents of both the targeted student and the alleged perpetrator in an expedited manner that is not later than five business days after the incident is reported. (Current law provides that discipline rules adopted by the governing body of a school corporation must include timetables for reporting bullying incidents to parents of both the targeted student and the bully in an expedited manner.) Provides that discipline rules adopted by the governing body of a school corporation: (1) must include provisions that require a school to prioritize the safety of the victim; (2) may include provisions to determine: (A) the severity of an incident of bullying; and (B) whether an incident of bullying may warrant the transfer of the victim or the alleged perpetrator to another school in the school corporation; and (3) must include policies to allow a parent of a child in the school corporation to review any materials used in any bullying prevention or suicide prevention program. Requires public schools to document acts of bullying and abusive behaviors against a victim and committed by a verified perpetrator.

Repeals the requirement that local floodplain administrators use the "best floodplain mapping data" as provided by the department of natural resources (department) and located on the Indiana Floodplain Information Portal when reviewing an application for a permit to authorize construction in or near a floodplain. Provides that, after June 30, 2023, a county or municipality may not issue a permit for construction activity in or near a floodplain unless the permit applicant is allowed to elect whether the local floodplain administrator will use: (1) the department's "best floodplain mapping data"; or (2) an engineering study provided by the permit applicant; in reviewing the permit application. Prohibits a local floodplain administrator from issuing a permit authorizing a structure or construction activity in or near a floodplain if the issuance of the permit will violate National Flood Insurance Program requirements. Provides that, after June 30, 2025, an individual may not serve as the floodplain administrator of a county or municipality unless the individual has successfully completed: (1) the Certified Floodplain Manager program of the Association of State Floodplain Managers; or (2) another course or training program for local floodplain managers that is approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the department. Provides that a person that has: (1) an ownership interest; (2) a leasehold interest; or (3) a security interest; in a parcel of real property may at any time request a review by the department of the department's "best floodplain mapping data" that applies to the parcel of real property. Requires the department to conduct the review at no cost to the person requesting the review and to use a detailed hydrologic modeling method in conducting the review. Provides that: (1) if the person requesting the review has applied to a local floodplain administrator for a permit authorizing the construction of a structure or other construction activity on the parcel of real property; and (2) the department does not complete the review within 120 days after the review was requested; the person may elect whether the local floodplain administrator, in reviewing the person's permit application, will use the department's "best floodplain mapping data" or an engineering study provided by the person. Provides that, in the disclosure form that is adopted by the Indiana real estate commission and that must be submitted to a prospective buyer of real estate before the prospective buyer's offer is accepted, the owner of real estate must disclose the fact that all or a portion of the owner's real estate is located within a community's floodplain boundaries, as indicated in a Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood Insurance Rate Map, if the owner has personal knowledge of that fact.

Provides that a: (1) school that seeks state accreditation; and (2) national or regional accreditation agency that seeks to be recognized by the state board of education (state board); must complete and submit the applicable application form established by the state board. Requires the state board to do the following: (1) Not later than six months after the date a completed application is submitted, approve or deny the accreditation or recognition. (2) If the state board denies an accreditation or recognition, send notice to the school or national or regional accreditation agency stating the reasons for the denial. Requires the department of education (department) to post a copy of the application forms on the department's website. Provides that the Internet dashboard on the state board's website must include: (1) a school's disciplinary incident data; (2) data regarding a school's socioeconomic status and poverty rate; and (3) a school's proportion of fully licensed teachers. Allows the department to award grants under the student learning recovery grant program (program) in state fiscal years 2024 and 2025 from funds appropriated during the 2021 regular session of the Indiana general assembly that have not been obligated. Establishes additional dates for reporting requirements regarding the program. Provides that, as a component of the program application, the department may include a requirement for a school corporation or charter school to provide a matching grant. Provides that funds appropriated to the student learning recovery grant program fund do not revert to the state general fund and remain available to be spent for purposes of the program. Amends agreement requirements for the Indiana student enrichment grant program. Provides that an enrichment student who currently maintains an account is entitled to a grant amount that is subject to available funding and determined by the department. Repeals a provision that establishes a one time enrichment grant amount.

Requires the department of education (department) to report to the legislative council findings and recommendations for reducing the amount of redundant data that schools are required to submit to state agencies. Provides that a student presently enrolled in a public high school may retake a virtual course that was previously completed by the student at the same public high school under certain conditions. Provides that if a student elects to retake a virtual course, the retaken course must meet certain criteria. Provides that a student who has retaken a course before July 1, 2023, must receive full credit and a replacement grade for the course under certain conditions. Provides that the department shall require publication of a corrected graduation rate as prescribed by the department (instead of in the next school year's report). Provides that before July 1, 2024, the department may establish or license for use an online platform to provide certain required training programs. Moves up deadlines for recommending and approving streamlined academic standards in order to implement the new standards in the 2023-2024 school year. Provides that the department shall: (1) consider the skills, knowledge, and practices that are necessary to understand and utilize emerging technologies and that may be rendered obsolete by emerging technologies; (2) consider for removal any academic standards that may be obsolete as a result of emerging technologies; and (3) provide support to school corporations regarding the implementation of revised academic standards that have an emerging technologies component. Provides that individuals appointed to an academic standards committee must be racially and geographically diverse. Requires employers to report the employment of students enrolled in work based learning courses to the department of workforce development. Requires a secondary or postsecondary educational institution to ensure that a student's completion of a work based learning course is indicated on the student's transcript. Establishes a science of reading grant. Repeals: (1) the school corporation annual performance report law; (2) the charter school obligation to publish an annual performance report; (3) the performance based awards law; and (4) annual financial reports by school corporations.

Repeals teacher training requirements regarding: (1) criminal gang organizations awareness; (2) certain information concerning homeless students; and (3) recognizing the signs and symptoms of seizures and the appropriate steps to be taken to respond to the symptoms; and requires that information concerning these subjects be included within the curriculum of teacher preparation programs. Provides that the department of education (department) may establish or license for use an online platform to provide information and training concerning these and other subjects. Removes certain requirements regarding annual performance evaluation plans for certificated employees, including: (1) certain content requirements; and (2) certain requirements that a plan be discussed. Amends requirements to be considered a probationary teacher and professional teacher. Provides that, after a school corporation has assigned an evaluator to perform a certificated employee's evaluation, the certificated employee may request the school corporation to assign another evaluator. Urges the legislative council to assign to an appropriate interim study committee the task of studying current school assessments in an effort to reduce and streamline assessments for Indiana students. Removes a provision that requires a school employer to discuss certain items with the exclusive representative of certificated employees and provides that a school employer may discuss: (1) with a certificated employee or group of certificated employees; or (2) at one or more meetings that are open to all certificated employees; any topic that significantly impacts a certificated employee's working conditions or impacts the educational quality of the school employer's students. Repeals provisions concerning: (1) requirements regarding the adoption of model evaluation plans and an approval process for the plans; (2) the obligation to discuss certain items not requiring either party to enter into a contract, agree to a proposal, or make a concession; and (3) the definition of "discuss" for purposes of the collective bargaining provisions.

Establishes the robotics competition program to provide grants to eligible robotics competition teams (eligible teams) in order to expand opportunities to increase interest and improve skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through participation in competitive robotics programs. Provides a procedure for eligible teams to apply to the department of education (department) to receive a grant. Establishes the robotics competition program fund. Provides that the department shall establish guidelines to: (1) award grants to eligible teams for allowable expenses; and (2) accommodate the participation of students with disabilities on eligible teams or in robotics competitions.

Defines "science of reading". Requires the state board of education (state board) in collaboration with the department of education (department) to prepare and submit a report regarding the alignment of science of reading concepts in IREAD. Requires a school corporation and charter school to report certain information regarding reading and writing curricula, remedial programs, and administrative contact information on the school corporation's or charter school's website. Provides that, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, a superintendent, advisory committee, or governing body or the equivalent for a charter school: (1) shall adopt curriculum or supplemental materials for reading that are aligned with the science of reading and to the student's reading proficiency; and (2) may not adopt curriculum or supplemental materials for reading that are based on the three-cueing model. Requires the department to develop guidelines for science of reading integration into teacher preparation programs. Makes changes to the education law concerning the science of reading and teacher preparation and licensing requirements. Requires a school corporation to differentiate the amount of salary increases or increments for teachers who possess a required literacy endorsement. Removes a requirement that a discussion regarding teacher supplemental payment be held. Requires the state board to establish and require literacy endorsements for certain individuals first licensed after June 30, 2025. Provides that, not later than July 1, 2024, the state board shall adopt rules to establish early childhood content area licenses and required endorsements. Requires the department to publish an advisory list of science of reading curricula on the department's website. Provides that the state board and the department: (1) shall implement academic standards for reading that are aligned with the science of reading and developmentally appropriate based on student need; and (2) may not implement an academic standard for reading based on the three-cueing model.