Provides that the interim study committee on courts and the judiciary (committee) shall review, consider, and make recommendations concerning requests for new courts, new judicial officers, and changes in jurisdiction of existing courts in each even-numbered year. Specifies the information that must be provided to the committee with such a request. Provides that in each even-numbered year the committee shall: (1) identify each county in which the number of courts or judicial officers exceeds the number used by the county for a particular year; and (2) determine the number of years in which the number of courts or judicial officers in the county has exceeded the number used by the county. Requires the office of judicial administration to post the required information on its Internet web site. Establishes the Clark circuit courts No. 5 and No. 6, beginning January 1, 2025. Provides for the election of the judges of each of these circuit courts at the November 2024 general election. Establishes the Clark superior courts No. 5 and No. 6. Requires the governor to appoint the judge of each of these superior courts. Provides that each of these superior courts converts to Clark circuit courts No. 5 and No. 6 beginning January 1, 2025. Establishes a sixth circuit court in Delaware County. Removes the requirement that Delaware circuit courts No. 4 and No. 5 each have a standard small claims and misdemeanor docket. Establishes a third superior court in Marshall County. Allows the judges of the Gibson superior court and Gibson circuit court to jointly appoint a magistrate to serve the Gibson County courts. Allows the judges of the Hamilton circuit and superior courts to jointly appoint an additional magistrate to serve the Hamilton County courts. Allows the judges of the Jennings circuit and superior courts to jointly appoint a magistrate to serve the Jennings County courts. Requires the Indiana criminal justice institute to: (1) collect data concerning rates of rearrest of defendants released with and without money bail; and (2) submit an annual report containing the information collected to the legislative council. Urges the legislative council to assign to the committee the topic of giving mutual full faith and credit to judgments and orders of a tribal court of a federally recognized Indian tribe.
Sponsored bills
Amends the law allowing the adjustment of a water or wastewater utility's rates and charges to enable the utility to recover the cost of eligible infrastructure improvements, by providing that the general maximum limit on the revenues used in determining the adjustment does not apply to infrastructure improvement costs associated with the construction, reconstruction, or improvement of a highway, street, or road. Amends the law that allows a public water utility to treat the costs of replacing customer-owned lead service lines as eligible infrastructure improvements for which a utility's rates and charges may be adjusted, by providing that the law applies to municipally owned utilities as well as public utilities. Establishes a procedure under which a public utility, municipally owned utility, or not-for-profit utility that provides water or wastewater service to the public and is under the jurisdiction of the commission for the approval of rates and charges may seek to recover, through a periodic rate adjustment, the cost of certain utility plant or equipment expenditures that are related to compliance with environmental requirements or made for health, safety, or environmental protection purposes.
Authorizes a nonprofit agricultural organization to provide health benefit coverage that is: (1) sponsored by the nonprofit agricultural organization or its affiliate; (2) offered only to members of the nonprofit agricultural organization and their families; (3) deemed by the nonprofit agricultural organization to be important in assisting its members to live long and productive lives; and (4) offered in every county in Indiana. Provides that nonprofit agricultural organization coverage is not insurance and is not subject to the regulatory authority of the department of insurance, and that a nonprofit agricultural organization providing health coverage is not engaged in the business of insurance and is not required to obtain a certificate of authority. Provides that an individual may not apply for health coverage provided by a nonprofit agricultural organization until the individual has been a member of the nonprofit agricultural organization for at least 30 days. Mandates that the health coverage cover ambulatory patient services, hospitalization, emergency services, and laboratory services, and provides that the coverage may not be subject to an annual limit of less than $2,000,000 per year. Requires a nonprofit agricultural organization offering health coverage: (1) to annually file with the department of insurance a written, signed opinion of a qualified actuary that the plan reserves of the nonprofit agricultural organization and its affiliate are adequate and conform to the appropriate actuarial standards of practice; and (2) to reinsure all or a portion of its risks. Provides that an individual entering into a health coverage contract with a nonprofit agricultural organization must acknowledge in a signed writing that the coverage: (1) is not considered insurance; and (2) is not subject to the administrative rules of the department of insurance.
Establishes the Indiana behavioral health commission (commission). Specifies the membership of the commission. Requires the commission to prepare: (1) an interim report not later than October 1, 2020; and (2) a final report not later than October 1, 2022. Specifies the issues and topics to be discussed in the commission reports. Requires commission reports to be issued to the following parties: (1) The governor. (2) The legislative council. (3) Any other party specified by the commission chairperson. Requires commission reports to be issued in an electronic format. Abolishes the commission on December 31, 2022. Defines certain terms. Makes conforming amendments.
Provides that a member of the public employees' retirement fund (PERF), the Indiana state teachers' retirement fund (TRF), or the legislators' defined contribution plan who meets certain age and service requirements may withdraw all or part of the amount in the member's annuity savings account without consequence to the member's pension benefit under the fund and without separating from a covered position. Removes the requirement that a member of PERF, TRF, or the legislators' defined contribution plan wait 30 days after separating from a covered position to withdraw an amount from the member's annuity saving account. Provides that the board of trustees of the Indiana public retirement system may offer members an alternative option for the payment of the member's retirement benefits that does not include a minimum benefit option. (The introduced version of this bill was prepared by the interim study committee on pension management oversight.)
Authorizes counties and municipalities within the Indianapolis metropolitan area to establish a central Indiana regional development authority pilot that will sunset on July 1, 2025. Requires counties and municipalities that wish to establish the development authority to adopt substantially similar resolutions to adopt a preliminary strategic economic development plan (preliminary development plan). Provides that the development authority shall be governed by a strategy committee composed of members selected according to the terms of the preliminary development plan adopted to establish the development authority. Specifies the duties of the development authority. Requires the development authority to prepare a comprehensive strategic economic development plan. Codifies the establishment and governing provisions of the Indianapolis metropolitan planning organization. Requires the Indianapolis metropolitan planning organization to: (1) develop a comprehensive asset management report for the metropolitan planning area in collaboration with the Indiana department of transportation; and (2) present the comprehensive asset management report to the city-county council of Indianapolis and Marion County, the fiscal and legislative bodies of each entity that is a member of the Indianapolis metropolitan planning organization, and the budget committee.
Transfers responsibility for the 211 human services information dialing code from the Indiana housing and community development authority (authority) to the office of the secretary of family and social services (office of the secretary). Eliminates provisions: (1) regarding recognized 211 service providers; (2) prohibiting state agencies or departments from establishing telephone lines or hotlines to provide human services information or referrals without first consulting a recognized 211 provider and notifying the authority; (3) prohibiting dissemination of information to the public about the availability of 211 services except in conformity with rules adopted by the authority; (4) limiting disbursements from the 211 services account to $50,000 annually; (5) requiring consultation with the board of directors of Indiana 211 Partnership, Inc., for purposes of preparation of the annual plan for expenditure of funds from the 211 services account; and (6) requiring an annual report to the general assembly regarding 211 services and deposits to and disbursements from the 211 services account. Creates the 211 services fund in place of the 211 services account. Creates the 211 advisory committee for purposes of advising the office of the secretary regarding use of and goals for 211 services. Requires the office of the secretary to: (1) compile specified data regarding 211 services beginning July 1, 2021; (2) enter into data sharing agreements to make the data available to entities approved by the office of the secretary; and (3) obtain and maintain accreditation for 211 operations in accordance with the standards of a national accreditation organization for information and referral services. Requires the office of the secretary to submit to the general assembly an annual report regarding 211 services. Makes conforming amendments.
Requires a school corporation, charter school, or accredited nonpublic school to certify to the department of homeland security that the school corporation, charter school, or accredited nonpublic school has a memorandum of understanding in place with a community mental health center or provider certified or licensed by the state to provide mental and behavioral health services to students before applying for a grant from the Indiana secured school fund. Provides that the community mental health center or provider may be employed by the school corporation, charter school, or accredited nonpublic school. Requires a school corporation and a charter school to enter into a memorandum of understanding with a community mental health center or provider certified or licensed by the state to provide mental and behavioral health services to students. Requires the division of mental health and addiction to develop a memorandum of understanding for referral and assist school corporations and charter schools in obtaining a memorandum of understanding with a community mental health center or an appropriate provider. Requires each school corporation and charter school that enters into a memorandum of understanding with a community mental health center or appropriate provider to comply with certain confidentiality and referral requirements.
Establishes mental health disability review panels (review panel) for evaluation of members of the 1977 police officers' and firefighters' pension and disability fund (1977 fund) who have been determined to have an impairment for mental illness. Includes mental illness in the description of "occupational diseases" for purposes of determining whether a 1977 fund member has an impairment. Makes the final determination of an impairment for a mental illness provisional for two years: (1) beginning July 1, 2020, for a final determination made after December 31, 2012, and before July 1, 2020; or (2) from the date of the final determination, for a final determination made after June 30, 2020. Requires that, during that time, the 1977 fund member participate in a mental health treatment plan, at the employer's cost, and at the end of the two year period, requires the review panel to evaluate the 1977 fund member to determine if the 1977 fund member: (1) is medically able to return to duty; or (2) may continue for another two year provisional disability period. Requires that, at the end of the second provisional period, the review panel evaluate the 1977 fund member to determine if the 1977 fund member: (1) is medically able to return to duty; or (2) has a permanent impairment. Provides that the evaluations conducted by the mental health disability review panels are confidential. Provides that the board of trustees of the Indiana public retirement system may suspend a 1977 fund member's disability benefits if the member fails to comply with reasonable requests for information by the mental health disability review panel. (The introduced version of this bill was prepared by the interim study committee on pension management oversight.)
Defines "person in a position of trust" and "self-dealing". Provides that a: (1) person commits exploitation of a dependent or an endangered adult if the person recklessly uses or exerts control over the personal services or property of an endangered adult or dependent; and (2) person in a position of trust commits exploitation of a dependent or an endangered adult if the person recklessly engages in self-dealing with the property of the dependent or endangered adult. Increases the penalty if the person has a prior unrelated conviction. Removes: (1) provisions relating to the Social Security Act; (2) a sentencing enhancement that applies if the victim is at least 60 years of age; and (3) a sentencing enhancement based on the value of the property.