Sen. Jeff Raatz

Makes various changes to the education law concerning the following: (1) The science of reading and licensing requirements. (2) The grant for benchmark, formative, interim, or similar assessments with regards to certain assessments, including universal screeners that screen for dyslexia. (3) Eligibility requirements for the next level computer science program. (4) Reading deficiency remediation plan requirements. (5) Payments and funding for excess costs of educating certain students with disabilities. (6) The use of funds from the Senator David C. Ford educational technology fund. (7) Requirements for public schools regarding adopting or replacing data technology systems. (8) The evaluation of curricular materials by the department of education (department). Requires the department to evaluate, approve, and publish a list of high quality curricular materials in the subjects of science, technology, engineering, and math. Provides that, before curricular material is included on the list, the publisher of the curricular material must enter into a data share agreement with the department. Requires, not later than July 1, 2024, the department to conduct a statewide survey to determine which curricular materials have been adopted for use in certain subjects.

Provides that an individual enrolled in a transition to teaching program may apply for a one time scholarship under the next generation Hoosier educators scholarship program. Establishes requirements to qualify for the one time scholarship. Provides that the maximum amount of a scholarship is $10,000. Provides that the total annual amount of scholarships awarded from the next generation Hoosier educators scholarship fund to individuals enrolled in a transition to teaching program may not exceed $1,000,000. Requires that an awarded scholarship must be repaid under certain conditions.

Establishes the residential housing infrastructure assistance program (program) and residential housing infrastructure assistance revolving fund (fund). Provides that the Indiana finance authority (authority) shall administer the fund and program. Provides that political subdivisions may apply to the fund for loans for certain infrastructure projects related to the development of residential housing. Provides that money in the fund may not be used for: (1) debt repayment; (2) maintenance and repair projects; (3) upgrading utility poles; or (4) consulting or engineering fees for studies, reports, designs, or analyses. Provides that loans from the fund must be allocated as follows: (1) 70% of the money in the fund must be used for housing infrastructure in municipalities with a population of less than 50,000. (2) 30% of the money in the fund must be used for housing infrastructure in all other political subdivisions. Requires the authority to establish a project prioritization system for the purpose of awarding loans from the fund, and specifies the criteria that must be included in the project prioritization system. Allows the authority to establish a leveraged loan program to or for the benefit of program participants. Requires the public finance director to prepare an annual report of the fund's activities for the legislative council and the budget committee. Provides that the fiscal body of a county may adopt an ordinance to designate an economic development target area. Removes the threshold conditions for establishing a residential housing development program and a tax increment allocation area for the program, including the condition that the governing body of each school corporation affected by the program pass a resolution approving the program before the program may go into effect. Changes the duration of a residential housing development program from 25 years (under current law) to 20 years after the date on which the first obligation for program is incurred. Makes a continuing appropriation.

Requires the Indiana archives and records administration to: (1) establish procedures to retain an original record, document, plat, paper, or instrument-in-writing in an electronic format; (2) establish a period of time after which an original record, document, plat, paper, or instrument-in-writing may be destroyed; and (3) prepare and submit, not later than November 1, 2023, a report to the general assembly regarding these matters. Amends the duties of the early learning advisory committee. Changes the prekindergarten pilot program to the prekindergarten program and removes the expiration date. Provides that, at least once every five years, the office, in cooperation with the department of education (department), must carry out a longitudinal study regarding students who participate in the prekindergarten program. Amends requirements regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for child care centers, child care homes, and child care ministries. Requires: (1) each public school to provide information to the department concerning certain physical injuries to employees; and (2) the department to report the information on the department's website. Requires the department to provide certain information to public schools and state accredited nonpublic schools and requires each school to post the information on the school's website home page. Amends innovation network school and participating innovation network charter school provisions regarding: (1) certain agreement requirements and limitations; (2) appeals to the state board of education regarding the failure to follow an agreement renewal process; and (3) negotiating the requirement of specific services. Allows an innovation network team or organizer to enter into an agreement with a school corporation to transfer the ownership of a school corporation facility to the team or organizer and provides that a transfer is not subject to provisions in the law concerning the transfer of vacant school buildings to charter schools. Provides that a school corporation may not require an innovation network team or an organizer to contract for specific goods or services provided by the school corporation or any other entity. Requires information regarding certain possible criminal activity, concluded personnel matter investigations, and matters involving legal expenses be provided to the governing body of a school corporation. Provides that at-risk students who are receiving certain educational services are not included in a public school's four year graduation rate and are included in an eligible school's graduation rate under certain conditions. Amends the definition of "teacher" regarding certain teacher compensation provisions and requires a school corporation to expend at least 62% of the school corporation's state tuition support on teacher compensation. (Current law requires a school corporation to expend at least 45% on full-time teacher salaries.) Requires special education grade 8 through 12 case conference committees to discuss decision making skills and alternatives to appointing a guardian. Requires the department to, subject to appropriation by the general assembly, provide schools the same per pupil exam fee amounts for international baccalaureate and Cambridge International exams as is provided for advanced placement exams. Provides that: (1) any course that meets the requirements of a career and technical education program may be taught virtually by a virtual provider if certain conditions are met; and (2) the virtual course is eligible for a career and technical education grant. Amends the definition of "school scholarship", with regard to scholarship granting organizations. Removes a provision that requires choice scholarship schools to conduct random drawings in a public meeting if applicants for enrollment exceed the number of choice scholarships available to the school. Provides that the state board shall assign to a school or school corporation (including adult high schools) a "null" or "no letter grade" for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years. Provides that, when developing a proposal for a revised school performance designation, the department shall consider using certain metrics.

Provides that a school, an employee or staff member of a school, or a third party vendor used by a school to provide instruction may not provide any instruction to a student in prekindergarten through grade 3 on human sexuality. Provides that a school employee or a school staff member is not prohibited from responding to a question from a student regarding certain topics. Requires a school to notify in writing at least one parent of a student, if the student is an unemancipated minor, of a request made by the student to change the student's name or pronoun, title, or word to identify the student.

Provides that, for a resolution to adopt a school operating referendum tax levy or school safety referendum tax levy adopted after May 10, 2023, a county auditor must distribute a portion of revenue received from the school operating referendum tax levy or school safety referendum tax levy to each charter school in which students who receive not more than 50% virtual instruction and who have legal settlement in certain school corporations attend. Provides that if a charter school receives a distribution from a school corporation from a school operating referendum tax levy or a school safety referendum tax levy, the charter school must post certain information on the charter school's website. Provides that a charter school that may receive money from a school operating referendum tax levy or a school safety referendum tax levy may not promote a position on a referendum, in the same manner as a school corporation is prohibited from promoting a position on a referendum. Provides that the maximum length of a charter is 15 years. (Current law provides that the maximum length of a charter is seven years.) Provides all charter schools access to loans through the Indiana bond bank. Provides that the state board of education (state board) may advance money to charter schools to be used for: (1) school building construction programs; and (2) educational technology programs. Amends the definition of "school building construction program" to: (1) include the purchase, lease, or financing of land, the construction and equipping of school buildings, and the remodeling, repairing, or improving of school buildings by a charter school; and (2) replace "adjusted assessed valuation" with "assessed valuation" with regard to school corporation eligibility for an advance from the common school fund. Provides that a charter school may not receive an advance from the common school fund for an educational technology program unless the charter school develops a three year technology plan. Provides that a school corporation may not (instead of is not entitled to) receive or use certain money or advances unless the school corporation develops a three year technology plan. Makes conforming changes regarding advances to charter schools from the common school fund. Establishes standards concerning when a school corporation may close an underutilized school building that had been used at any time for classroom instruction. Provides procedures regarding petitioning for a determination as to whether a school building meets criteria for closure or should be made available for sale or lease. Requires the department of education (department) to make a determination regarding a petition. Requires each school corporation to annually report to the department certain information regarding school buildings. Provides procedures for notifying charter schools or state educational institutions through the department of the availability of a covered school building. Provides for appeals of certain orders or decisions to the state board. Provides that the: (1) department; or (2) selected charter school or state educational institution; may request the attorney general to commence a legal action to enforce a final order for the sale or lease of a covered school building or file a civil action to enforce the final order for the sale or lease after certain time periods. Repeals certain provisions regarding investigating complaints and enforcement by the attorney general. Establishes the charter school facility grant program. Makes conforming amendments. Makes a technical correction.

Requires each school corporation to publish on the school corporation's website the graduation rate for each high school in the school corporation. Amends the definition of "graduation" for purposes of the high school graduation rate determination. Provides that credit for an algebra course earned under certain conditions must count toward the credit requirements for an academic honors diploma. Allows a school corporation to adopt a policy concerning dress code or distractive behavior.

Requires the department of education to, not later than November 1, 2023, do the following: (1) Create a list of personal liability insurers that offer personal liability insurance policies for teachers. (2) Post the list on the department's website. Provides that the academic standards committee appointed by the secretary of education must include employers (in addition to other members under current law). Provides that a school psychologist may provide services on a private basis to an individual if the school psychologist receives a referral from the individual's parent and the individual is an unemancipated minor.

Requires each school corporation to publish on the school corporation's website the graduation rate for each high school in the school corporation. Amends the: (1) definition of "graduation" for the high school graduation rate determination; and (2) graduation rate calculation. Allows charter schools and nonpublic schools to issue an adjunct teacher permit to certain individuals. Provides that an individual who holds an adjunct teacher permit may teach in a career and technical education content area in which the school corporation, charter school, or nonpublic school allows the individual to teach based on the individual's experience. Requires the state board of education (state board) to: (1) develop algebra I, algebra II, and geometry courses that include real world application and project based and inquiry based learning; and (2) implement the courses not later than the 2025-2026 school year. Provides that, if the state board establishes an Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery as a graduation pathway, the state board shall require a student who elects the pathway to submit documentation that demonstrates the student's intent to enlist in the military as a condition of meeting the pathway requirements. Requires the state board to, not later than July 1, 2023, review and update any guidance issued by the state board regarding the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery as a graduation pathway requirement. Provides that a school corporation, charter school, or state accredited nonpublic school may not require a student enrolled in the school corporation, charter school, or state accredited nonpublic school to participate in any particular graduation pathway to be eligible to graduate. Removes a provision that provides that not more than 1% of students of a cohort may receive an alternate diploma. Provides that, for purposes of determining a school's or school corporation's graduation rate, not more than one percent of a school's or school corporation's graduation cohort that receives an alternate diploma may be counted as having graduated. Removes a requirement that a school corporation record or include certain immunization information in the official high school transcript for a high school student. Removes a provision that allows a school corporation to include additional information on a student's high school transcript. Provides that any notification or materials provided or distributed by the Indiana department of health or a school to a parent of a student regarding required or recommended immunizations for the student must clearly delineate or label immunizations that are required and immunizations that are only recommended. Provides that the department of education shall develop a proposal for a revised school performance designation not later than December 1, 2024.

Exempts military pay for members of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States or the national guard from the individual income tax. (Current law provides an individual income tax exemption for members of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States or the national guard for the period the member is mobilized and deployed.) Exempts military pay earned by members of an active component of the armed forces of the United States from the individual income tax. (Current law exempts from the individual income tax the military pay earned by members of the National Guard and reserve components of the armed forces of the United States while serving on active duty.)