Requires the director of veterans' affairs to be a resident of Indiana for at least two cumulative years prior to being appointed. Requires certain veterans' affairs service officers (officers) to be a resident of Indiana or to become a resident of Indiana not more than six months after the officer's start date and to: (1) be an honorably discharged veteran with at least six months of active service in the armed forces of the United States; or (2) be a service officer assistant (assistant) with at least two years of experience. Requires an assistant to be a resident of Indiana or become a resident of Indiana not later than six months after the assistant's start date and to: (1) satisfy certain officer eligibility requirements; or (2) be the spouse, surviving spouse, parent, or child of an officer that satisfies certain eligibility requirements. Allows county recorders to keep an electronic record of discharges. Requires the department of veterans' affairs (department) to develop a process concerning the release of discharge records by county recorders. Provides the department with rulemaking authority, including emergency rulemaking authority, for the purpose of developing and implementing a discharge record process. Revises certain program eligibility provisions to reference participants more precisely. Repeals statutes related to unused programs. Makes technical changes.
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Provides that a motor carrier safety improvement that is deployed, implemented, used by, or required by a motor carrier shall not be considered when evaluating an individual's status as an employee, independent contractor, or jointly employed employee.
Establishes penalties for intentionally interfering with an investigation and enforcement of a home health agency by the state department of health (department). Allows the department to use the immunization data registry to store and release nonimmunization personal health information. States that a responsible member of a family may release a deceased patient's medical records if the deceased patient does not have a surviving spouse or child or a personal representative of the estate. Allows mental health records to be disclosed without the consent of the patient for research purposes by rules of the Indiana archives and records administration and the oversight committee on public records. Allows health records to be disclosed by the Indiana archives and records administration to another provider or nonprofit research organization (current law is a nonprofit medical research organization) in connection with a scientific, statistical, or education project. Changes the title of a "certified food handler" to "certified food protection manager" (CFPM). Repeals the definition of "food handler". Requires a CFPM to provide certain documents to the food establishment and obtain a valid certificate every five years. Prohibits using the title "certified food protection manager" unless the person holds a certificate. Provides that a CFPM may be required to be present during all hours of operation if the department and food establishment agreed upon a variance concerning the requirements for the operation of the food establishment. Amends the establishments that are exempt from the certified food protection manager requirements. Establishes new penalties. Provides for the transition of an existing certified food handler to a certified food protection manager. Makes conforming changes.
Provides that: (1) the executive director of the department of homeland security with assistance from the state emergency medical services medical director; and (2) the state fire marshal; shall partner with state agencies, including the state department of health and state educational institutions, to develop public safety education and outreach programs. Provides that the fire prevention and public safety fund may be used to support: (1) fire safety and prevention programs; and (2) public safety education and outreach programs, including, but not limited to, youth helmet safety.
Removes the definition of "motorboat". Provides that the definition of "watercraft" does not include a craft that is: (1) powered by its occupants; and (2) does not contain a mechanical propellant. Repeals and replaces provisions in the current watercraft registration law. Amends sections related to boat excise tax. Provides that tax situs means the taxing district in which the boat is located on the date it is registered. Provides that a watercraft is not a vehicle for purposes of mechanic's liens for vehicles. Provides that a person that fails to carry a certificate of registration or display proof of registration for display on a watercraft commits a Class C infraction. Provides that a person who knowingly or intentionally falsifies, predates, changes, or counterfeits proof of registration for a watercraft commits a Class C misdemeanor. Revises the definition of "recreational trail" to specify that the term refers to trails or paths funded through the recreational trails program. Specifies that the state may acquire a railroad's interest in a corridor for use as a trail (rather than as a recreational trail as provided by current law). Specifies that the state may consider a corridor's suitability for use as a trail (rather than as a recreational trail as provided by current law) when considering whether to acquire a railroad's interest in a corridor. Specifies that a railroad's interest in a corridor acquired for a recreational purpose may be developed and operated under the recreational trails program. (Current law requires such acquisitions to be developed and operated under the program.) Modifies the definitions of "all-terrain vehicle" and "recreational off-highway vehicle". Makes it a Class C infraction to violate a rule adopted by the natural resources commission or an emergency rule adopted by the department of natural resources, unless otherwise specified under state law. Allows the owner of a boat that carries passengers upon public water for hire to elect to have an underwater survey (survey) conducted instead of the required dry dock inspection. Requires that the boat be inspected in a dry dock once every 120 months. Requires the owner of the boat to hire and pay for the survey. Requires the survey to be conducted by an inspector from a certified organization that is approved by the natural resources commission. Requires that the certificate of inspection and registration certify the method of the boat's inspection and the name of the person and organization that performed the inspection. Allows an individual to float on a board on or in the wake directly behind a motorboat that is underway using the wake itself as the means of propulsion. Removes the sunset provision regarding the use of certain rifles while hunting. Removes an exception for legal minnow seines and dip nets from the prohibition on using various fishing techniques near a dam. Authorizes the natural resources commission to authorize exceptions for the use of otherwise prohibited techniques by rule. Makes various changes to the procedures for revoking or denying a license or permit under the wildlife violator compact. Provides that a court having jurisdiction of an offense committed in violation of an Indiana law for the protection of wildlife may revoke the license of the offender for a minimum of one year. (Current law allows revocations for a period of 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, or one year.) Declares that the citizens of Indiana have certain vested rights with respect to Lake Michigan, and that the natural resources commission may adopt rules concerning those rights. Provides that property owners may jointly apply for a permit with the Indiana department of environmental management for wetland activities in state regulated wetlands. Authorizes the department to adopt rules identifying the ordinary high water mark on the land adjoining the waters of Lake Michigan for administrative purposes. Provides that the owner of a private property that is adjacent to Lake Michigan is immune from liability under certain circumstances. Provides guidelines for permitting to private property owners by local governmental agencies, in the case of an emergency to: (1) repair; or (2) construct; a new seawall or revetment on the owner's property. Provides guidelines for the location of a seawall or revetment in the event of construction or repair of that seawall or revetment. Makes a local planning and zoning statute concerning the alienation of mineral resources and forests outside urban areas applicable to all counties.
Designates an Indiana first responder to include the following employees and volunteers of state and local public safety agencies: (1) Law enforcement officers. (2) Firefighters, including volunteer firefighters. (3) Corrections officers. (4) Public safety telecommunicators. (5) Providers of emergency medical services. (6) Providers of emergency management services. (7) Any other individuals whose duties in serving a public safety agency include rapid emergency response. Provides that the designation of an individual as an Indiana first responder does not affect an individual's terms of employment or volunteer service with the public safety agency. Provides that a certified emergency medical technician or a licensed paramedic is not liable for transporting any person to an appropriate health care facility when the emergency medical technician or the licensed paramedic makes a good faith judgment that the emergency patient or the emergency patient's primary caregiver lacks the capacity to make an informed decision about the patient's: (1) safety; or (2) need for medical attention; and the emergency patient is reasonably likely to suffer disability or death without the medical intervention available at the facility.
Removes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) from the statutory definition of "exposure risk disease". Replaces the term "AIDS" with the term "human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)" where appropriate. Replaces the term "carrier" with the term "individual with a communicable disease" where appropriate. Replaces the term "danger" with the term "risk" where appropriate. Replaces the term "spread" with the term "transmission" where appropriate. Replaces the term "HIV antibody" with "human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)" where appropriate. Requires the state department of health (department) to specify, in any literature provided to children and young adults concerning HIV, that abstinence is the best way to prevent the transmission of HIV as a result of sexual activity. Provides that a physician or the authorized representative of a physician may not order an HIV test unless the physician or the authorized representative of a physician: (1) informs the patient of the test orally or in writing; (2) provides the patient with an explanation of the test orally, in writing, by video, or by a combination of these methods; and (3) informs the patient orally or in writing of the patient's right to ask questions and to refuse the test. Requires the information to be communicated to the patient in a language or manner that the patient understands. Requires a physician or an authorized representative of the physician to inform a patient of the counseling services and treatment options available to the patient if an HIV test indicates that the patient is HIV positive. Requires a patient to be notified of their right to a: (1) hearing; and (2) counsel; in certain situations involving a court ordered HIV test. Specifies that the use of antiretroviral drugs and other medical interventions may lessen the likelihood of transmitting HIV to a child during childbirth. (Current law states that birth by caesarean section may lessen the likelihood of transmitting HIV to a child during childbirth). Provides that the requirement to dispose of semen that contains the HIV antibody does not apply if the semen is used according to safer conception practices endorsed by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or other generally accepted medical experts. Revises the definition of "health care provider". Provides that a patient is considered to have consented to: (1) testing for the presence of a dangerous communicable disease of a type that has been epidemiologically demonstrated to be transmittable by an exposure of the kind experienced by the affected health care provider; and (2) the release of testing results to a medical director or an affected physician in the event of an exposure; if the patient is unable to consent to testing or the release of test results due to physical or mental incapacity. Allows a health care provider or a health care provider's employer to petition a court for an order requiring a patient to provide a blood or bodily fluid specimen in certain instances. Allows a health care provider, a health care provider's employer, or the state department of health to request certain test results when a patient is a witness, bystander, or victim of alleged criminal activity in certain instances. Provides that a health care provider may request a notification concerning exposure to certain communicable diseases in certain instances. Allows a health care provider to designate a physician to receive certain test results following a possible exposure to certain communicable diseases. Requires a health care provider to be notified of an exposure to certain communicable diseases not later than 48 hours after certain notifications have been issued. Requires a health care provider to be provided with: (1) medically necessary treatment; and (2) counseling; following an exposure to certain communicable diseases. Requires a suicide and overdose fatality review team (SOFR team) to review certain suicide and overdose fatalities. Allows a SOFR team to make recommendations concerning the prevention of suicide and overdose fatalities. Specifies membership, record keeping, and data entry requirements for SOFR teams. Renumbers the article concerning suicide and overdose fatality teams for purposes of conflict resolution. Requires a syringe exchange program to: (1) provide testing for communicable diseases and provide services or a referral for services if the individual tests positive; and (2) establish a referral process for program participants in need of information or education concerning communicable diseases or health care. Requires the state department of health to include certain information concerning syringe exchange programs in the report to the general assembly before November 1, 2020. Extends the expiration date for certain syringe exchange programs from July 1, 2021, to July 1, 2022. Defines certain terms. Makes conforming amendments and technical corrections.
Renames the offense of "interfering with law enforcement" to "interfering with public safety", and provides that a person who enters a marked off area after having been denied entry by an emergency medical services provider commits interfering with public safety. (Under current law, the offense is only committed if the person is denied entry by a law enforcement officer.)
Removes the requirement that school buses have black reflective tape affixed on the bumpers and sides of the bus. Provides that, in certain instances, a person who: (1) fails to yield to an emergency vehicle; and (2) causes serious bodily injury, catastrophic injury, or death to any person operating, occupying, or affiliated with the authorized emergency vehicle; commits a Level 6 felony. Provides that the offense of resisting law enforcement is a Level 6 felony if, while committing the offense of resisting law enforcement by forcibly resisting, obstructing, or interfering with a law enforcement officer, the person: (1) creates a substantial risk of bodily injury to the person or another person; and (2) has two or more prior unrelated convictions for resisting law enforcement. Provides that the offense of resisting law enforcement is a Level 6 felony if, while committing the offense of resisting law enforcement by fleeing from a law enforcement officer, the person has two or more prior unrelated convictions for resisting law enforcement. Makes conforming amendments.
Allows a federal enforcement officer with at least five years of service to be appointed as a police chief or deputy police chief in a city. Provides that the statewide 911 board may increase an enhanced prepaid wireless charge one time after April 1, 2020, and before July 1, 2023, in an amount not to exceed $0.10. Revises the definition of "statewide 911 system". Provides that the statewide 911 board may adjust the statewide 911 fee one time after April 1, 2020, and before July 1, 2023, in an amount not to exceed $0.10. Requires 60 days prior notice to the department of state revenue of any rate change to the enhanced prepaid wireless charge or the statewide 911 fee.