Relocates the definition of "foster youth". Defines "licensed kinship caregiver". Makes the following changes with regard to state adoption subsidies: (1) Removes the age requirement for eligibility. (2) Provides that a child who is a ward of the department of child services (DCS) is considered hard to place for purposes of eligibility. Removes language regarding medical passports. Provides that if a child in foster care receives medical care, the person having custody of the child shall inform the provider that the child is in foster care and require a copy of the medical treatment record to be sent to the DCS local office. Provides that DCS shall not make an out-of-home placement of a child in a home if a person residing in the home has been convicted of a nonwaivable offense. Makes technical and conforming changes.
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Amends the circumstances under which reasonable efforts to reunify a child with the child's parent, guardian, or custodian or preserve a child's family are not required.
Establishes a safe baby court as a type of problem solving court. Provides that a child in need of services is an eligible individual for purposes of a problem solving court program.
Requires a state educational institution to prominently display hyperlinks to certain college scorecard information on the state educational institution's website and degree web pages.
Specifies that, for purposes of the statute concerning the replacement of customer owned lead service lines by water utilities, a municipally owned utility includes a utility company owned, operated, or held in trust by a consolidated city. Provides that the following apply with respect to the owner of a building, structure, or dwelling, other than a multi-family residential property that contains more than four dwelling units, that is served by a customer owned lead service line within or connected to a water utility's system: (1) That upon request by the water utility, the owner shall replace, or cause to be replaced, the customer owned portion of the lead service line by: (A) enrolling in the water utility's lead service line replacement program; or (B) replacing the customer owned portion of the lead service line through the owner's own agents or contractors and at the owner's own expense. (2) That if the owner: (A) does not enroll in the water utility's lead service line replacement program; (B) does not replace the customer owned portion of the lead service line; or (C) fails to communicate with the water utility regarding the replacement; the water utility or the water utility's agent may enter the property to replace the customer owned portion of the lead service line. (3) That the: (A) water utility; and (B) occupant of the property, if the property is occupied by a person other than the owner; are not liable to the owner with respect to any replacement made under these provisions. (4) That if a water utility attempts to avail itself of the remedies set forth in these provisions and is prevented from doing so by the owner of the property, the water utility may, in accordance with state law, disconnect water service to the owner's property. Provides that the following apply with respect to the owner of a multi-family residential property that contains more than four dwelling units: (1) That the owner may elect to participate in the water utility's lead service line replacement program. (2) That the owner must communicate to the water utility the owner's election to participate not later than 45 days after receiving the water utility's request. (3) That if the owner does not communicate the owner's election to participate within this 45 day period, the owner, or any future owner of the property, is responsible for replacing the customer owned portion of the lead service line through the owner's own agents or contractors and at the owner's own expense. Provides that in the case of a: (1) building; (2) structure; or (3) dwelling; that a water utility has determined to be abandoned or unserviceable, the water utility may disconnect water service to the property and require the owner, or any future owner, of the property to install a new service line. Provides that these provisions may be incorporated, without the need for further approval by the Indiana utility regulatory commission (IURC), into a water utility's lead service line replacement plan that has been previously approved by the IURC.
Creates a civil penalty for a person who knowingly or intentionally disturbs or removes a boundary marker, and permits a court to order a person who disturbs or removes a boundary marker to pay for the cost of reestablishing the boundary marker.
Provides that the department of child services may use a child advocacy center to coordinate a multidisciplinary team for responding to reports involving child abuse or neglect. Requires the child advocacy center to: (1) coordinate a multidisciplinary team that consists of specified professionals; (2) ensure that the multidisciplinary team members have specified training; (3) provide a dedicated child-focused setting designed to provide a safe, comfortable, and neutral place for a forensic interview and other child advocacy center services; (4) use written protocols; (5) use a case tracking system to provide information on essential demographic and case information; and (6) verify that multidisciplinary team members responsible for providing medical evaluations and mental health services have specified training. Provides civil immunity for a child advocacy center's employees, volunteers, and board members under certain circumstances. Allows otherwise confidential information regarding an investigation of child abuse or neglect to be made available to a child advocacy center when the child advocacy center has before it an investigation of child abuse or neglect in which it is facilitating a forensic interview or facilitating a case discussion or case review.
Provides that if a child has been removed from the child's parent for at least 12 of the most recent 22 months at the time of a periodic case review, the child's permanency plan must include at least one intended permanent or long term arrangement for care and custody of the child other than reunification of the child with the child's parent, guardian, or custodian. Provides that concurrent planning must be implemented if the child has been removed from the child's parent for at least 12 of the most recent 22 months at the time of a permanency hearing. Provides that the department may not: (1) take adverse action against a foster parent's license; or (2) remove a child from the home of a foster parent, relative of the child, or de facto custodian; on the basis of the foster parent, relative, or de facto custodian filing a notice with the court that a petition is required to be filed, but has not been filed, to terminate the parent-child relationship with regard to the child.
A SENATE RESOLUTION urging the Indiana federal congressional delegation to support the Susan Muffley Act.
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION memorializing George "Big Mac" McGinnis.