Sen. J.D. Ford

Provides that, before May 1, 2022, the department of education shall establish a committee for the purpose of quantifying: (1) appropriate class sizes; (2) maximum caseloads for speech-language pathologists; (3) maximum caseloads for school social workers; (4) appropriate guidance counselor to student ratios; and (5) the number of unfilled position vacancies that exist in Indiana for each position. Requires issuance of a final report to the secretary of education, governor, and legislative council not later than November 1, 2022.

A SENATE RESOLUTION honoring Indiana's women veterans.

Prohibits a person from keeping or storing an unsecured firearm on any premises controlled by the person under certain circumstances. Makes the failure to secure a firearm a Level 6 felony if the offense results in injury or death, enhances the offense to a Level 5 felony if the person has a prior unrelated conviction, and provides a defense. Requires a person wishing to transfer a firearm to another person to transact the transfer through a firearms dealer (dealer), subject to certain exceptions, and specifies the procedure to be used by the dealer to effect the transfer. Grants a dealer who completes a transfer civil immunity. Provides that a person who makes a false statement to a dealer for the purpose of completing a third party transfer commits firearm transfer fraud, a Level 6 felony, and enhances the penalty if the person has a prior unrelated conviction. Specifies that a dealer or other person who transfers a firearm in violation of certain requirements commits unlawful transfer of a firearm, a Level 6 felony, and enhances the offense to a Level 5 felony if the dealer or person has a prior unrelated conviction. Makes conforming amendments.

Requires, for state fiscal years beginning after June 30, 2023, the state board of education to determine each school corporation's complexity index two times each year. Provides that the complexity index count dates coincide with the average daily membership count days. Allows a school corporation to request an adjustment to the school corporation's complexity index. Provides a maximum amount of money attributable to complexity index calculations that may be distributed for all school corporations in a particular state fiscal year.

A SENATE RESOLUTION honoring Senator Karen Tallian upon her retirement from the Indiana Senate.

Defines "medical cannabis", specifies that the term does not include smokable cannabis or cannabis mixed with a food product, and permits the use of medical cannabis by a person with a qualifying medical condition as determined by the person's physician. Establishes a medical cannabis program (program) to permit the cultivation, processing, testing, transportation, and dispensing of medical cannabis by holders of a valid permit. Establishes the Indiana cannabis commission (commission) as a state agency to oversee, implement, and enforce the program, and establishes the commission advisory committee to review the effectiveness of the program. Requires that permit holders take steps to prevent diversion of cannabis to unauthorized persons. Requires that medical cannabis be properly labeled, placed in child resistant packaging, and tested by an independent testing laboratory before being made available for purchase. Prohibits packaging medical cannabis in a manner that is appealing to children. Authorizes research on medical cannabis in accordance with rules set forth by the commission. Makes conforming amendments.

Adds one member to the behavior analyst committee (committee). Requires the state department of health to inspect at least one time per year each facility where a licensed behavior analyst practices behavior analysis. Requires the committee to recommend proposed rules to the medical licensing board of Indiana concerning standards for the annual inspections.

Requires the governing body of a school corporation or chief administrative officer of a nonpublic school system to authorize the absence and excuse of a student due to the student's mental or behavioral health concerns. Limits the number of excused absences for mental or behavioral health concerns, without documentation, to three instructional days in a school year. Allows a student to be excused for more than three instructional days if the student provides certain documentation. Requires that a school selected to participate in the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behaviors Survey or a successor survey participate in the survey. Provides that the commission for higher education shall, before January 1, 2023, work with the statewide suicide prevention coordinator to develop a suicide prevention training for students at each state educational institution (institution). Requires each student at an institution, after July 1, 2023, to participate in the training in the student's first year at the institution. Requires each institution to collect and report certain information concerning suicide prevention to the statewide suicide prevention coordinator. Establishes a mental health and suicide prevention in higher education task force (task force). Provides that the task force shall create a statewide suicide prevention resource guide for institutions. Makes conforming changes.

Requires the department of education (department) to establish and maintain a data base of information concerning employees of public schools who were physically injured while on the job by students of the public schools. Requires public schools to provide information concerning an employee of a public school who was physically injured while on the job by a student of the public school. Requires: (1) teacher preparation programs to include content within the curriculum regarding; and (2) certain teacher training to include training on; conflict deescalation techniques and conflict prevention and intervention strategies. Provides that each school corporation and charter school that receives or has received funds from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER funds) shall prioritize the use of any ESSER funds the school corporation or charter school, after June 30, 2022, has or receives for hiring additional: (1) licensed school counselors; (2) licensed social workers; or (3) licensed school psychologists. Urges the legislative council to assign to the interim study committee on education the task of studying the impediments that may exist for underrepresented groups in seeking to become teachers and other licensed school employees.

Extends certain antidiscrimination educational rights statutes to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.