Sen. Jean Breaux

Requires an insurer to provide notice to the department of insurance not later than 270 days prior to reducing a reimbursement rate paid to a contracted provider. Requires the department of insurance to hold a public hearing on the proposed reduction not later than 60 days after it is provided notice by the insurer. Requires an insurer proposing a reduction to attend the hearing and present evidence regarding: (1) the proposed change in the reimbursement rate; (2) the insurer's rationale for the proposed reduction; (3) the network adequacy; and (4) the procedure and timeline that will be used to notify contracted providers of the proposed reduction.

Expands the definition of "school" for purposes of teacher appreciation grants. Appropriates from the state general fund to the department of education $100,000,000 for the 2019-2020 state fiscal year and $100,000,000 for the 2020-2021 state fiscal year, each for distribution as additional teacher appreciation grant awards to all eligible teachers. Defines "eligible teacher" as an individual teacher who: (1) is eligible to receive a teacher appreciation grant stipend; and (2) is employed by the school corporation at the time of the distribution. Provides that the distribution amount to each school corporation shall be determined on a pro rata basis based on the number of eligible schools and current ADM. Provides that the department of education shall administer the distributions. Provides that distributions to eligible teachers for the 2019-2020 state fiscal year must be made not later than June 30, 2020. Provides that the distributions to eligible teachers for the 2020-2021 state fiscal year must be made at the same time teacher appreciation grants are allocated and distributed to eligible teachers under current law.

Reduces the current appropriation for the Indiana public retirement system teachers' retirement fund for the 2020-2021 state fiscal year from $946,600,000 to $846,600,000. Appropriates to the department of education $100,000,000 for the 2020-2021 state fiscal year to be used by the department of education to provide supplemental funding for teacher salaries.

Defines "elevated blood lead level" for purposes of the health law and the education law as a blood lead level of at least five micrograms of lead per deciliter of whole blood. Defines "lead poisoning" for purposes of the health law. Provides that the governing body of a school corporation shall require all students who initially enroll in a school of the school corporation to be tested for an elevated blood lead level. Provides that a student may not be allowed to initially enroll unless the student has been tested and documentation of the test, including the test result, is provided to the school corporation. Requires the state department of health to adopt rules establishing requirements for the testing of individuals for an elevated blood lead level, and to amend those rules when necessary to ensure that the rules appropriately reflect and are consistent with the ongoing guidance of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Provides that a physician, registered nurse, or health care facility, agency, or program that receives a test result indicating that a child has an elevated blood lead level shall: (1) notify the child's parent or guardian in writing of the test result; (2) provide the parent or guardian with a plain language explanation of the significance of lead poisoning; and (3) take appropriate measures to ensure that any other child under six years of age living in the same household is tested for an elevated blood lead level. Defines "dwelling unit lead hazard" for purposes of the property law as: (1) the presence of lead-based paint on a wall of a dwelling unit; (2) the presence of lead-contaminated soil outside a dwelling unit; or (3) the presence of lead in the drinking water system of a dwelling unit. Prohibits renting a dwelling unit to a tenant family that includes a child not more than six years of age if the dwelling unit is subject to a dwelling unit lead hazard. Provides that a landlord who knowingly or intentionally: (1) violates the prohibition; (2) represents to a tenant family that the tenant family may waive the prohibition; (3) misrepresents the age of a member of a tenant family to conceal a violation of the prohibition; or (4) induces a member of a tenant family to misrepresent the age of another member of the tenant family to conceal a violation of the prohibition; commits a Class C misdemeanor.

Provides that: (1) it is an unlawful employment practice to pay wages that discriminate based on sex, race, or national origin for the same or equivalent jobs when the employees in question have equivalent education and employment experience; and (2) the civil rights commission has jurisdiction for investigation and resolution of complaints of these employment actions.

Requires the state department of health to: (1) take all necessary steps to increase by 100% the number of Medicaid children recipients who are screened for lead poisoning; (2) prepare and publish on the state department's Internet web site a report of the results of the lead poison screening; and (3) share the results of the testing with certain entities.

Provides that Medicaid benefits, including substance abuse treatment, are available to certain pregnant women for the duration of the pregnancy and for the one year postpartum period that begins on the last day of the pregnancy, without regard to any change in income of the family of which she is a member during that time.

Establishes the scholarship for minority students pursuing health care careers (scholarship) and the minority students pursuing health care careers fund (fund). Provides that the commission for higher education (commission) administers the scholarship program and the fund. Prescribes qualifications necessary to: (1) receive an initial scholarship; and (2) qualify for renewal of the scholarship. Provides that the amount of the scholarship awarded for an academic year is the lesser of: (1) the balance of the scholarship recipient's total cost of attendance for the academic year after the application of any other financial assistance for which the scholarship recipient qualifies; or (2) $4,000. Requires a scholarship recipient to enter into a written agreement with the commission to: (1) use the scholarship solely to fund a course of study resulting in a degree or certificate that enables the individual to practice as a health care professional in Indiana; (2) apply for a position as health care professional in Indiana following the individual's licensure or certification as a health care professional; and (3) if hired, practice as a health care professional in Indiana for at least three years. Requires a scholarship recipient to repay the scholarship if the scholarship recipient fails to: (1) complete the scholarship recipient's program of study; or (2) complete the terms of the scholarship recipient's agreement with the commission. Annually appropriates to the fund from the state general fund an amount sufficient to carry out the purposes of the scholarship program. Requires the commission to report to the general assembly not later than December 1, 2024, regarding the effect of the scholarship program.

Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services to disregard for six months the income of a recipient of the following programs: (1) Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF). (2) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). (3) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Authorizes students participating in certain employment or training programs at institutions of higher education to qualify for SNAP assistance.

Prohibits a juvenile arrestee who meets certain requirements from being housed with adult inmates prior to trial except when it would be in the interests of justice to house the arrestee with adults. Requires the court to consider: (1) the juvenile arrestee's age; (2) the physical and mental maturity of the juvenile arrestee; (3) the present mental state of the juvenile arrestee, including whether the juvenile arrestee presents an imminent risk of harm to himself or herself or others; (4) the nature and circumstances of the alleged offense; (5) any prior history of delinquent or criminal acts of the juvenile arrestee; and (6) the ability of the adult facility to meet the specific needs of the juvenile arrestee; in determining whether the interests of justice require that the juvenile arrestee be housed with adults. Provides that a juvenile arrestee may not be held in an adult facility for more than 180 days unless good cause is shown. Requires the court to review its determination of placement every 30 days.