Sen. Greg Walker

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION recognizing South Bend Police Officer Brian Meador.

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION recognizing South Bend Police Officer Brian Meador.

A SENATE RESOLUTION to honor Senator Eddie Melton upon his retirement from the Indiana Senate.

Authorizes counties, cities, and towns (local units) to adopt an ordinance for a commercial property assessed capital expenditure program (C-PACE program) and enter into an assessment contract with the owner or owners of commercial property to impose a voluntary C-PACE tax assessment and lien on an applicant's property as a means of assisting the applicant in obtaining financing of eligible clean energy improvements on the property. Defines an "eligible improvement". Requires the local unit to obtain written consent of each existing mortgage lienholder on the property stating that the lienholder does not object to the imposition of the C-PACE tax assessment. Requires certain provisions to be included in an assessment contract. Specifies the procedures for imposing the assessment, collection, enforcement, and the priority of any tax lien. Prohibits the local unit from issuing bonds secured by tax revenue from any special assessment and further specifies that a local unit shall have no financial obligation or liability for the payment of tax revenue from a special assessment, other than to transfer the proceeds to the financing provider for the improvements.

Provides that school coaches, assistant coaches, marching band leaders, drama and musical leaders, and extracurricular activity leaders may ensure that an operational automated external defibrillator (AED) is present at each event in which students have an increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest (event) for which the individual is providing coaching or leadership. Provides that the AED may be: (1) deployed in accordance with the venue specific emergency action plan; (2) located on the premises where the event occurs; and (3) present for the duration of the event. Allows two or more events to share an AED if certain conditions are met. Provides that school coaches, assistant coaches, marching band leaders, drama and musical leaders, and extracurricular activity leaders, at each event, may inform all individuals who are overseeing or supervising the activity of the location of the AED. Provides that a school corporation, charter school, and state accredited nonpublic school may: (1) ensure that each required AED is properly maintained; (2) develop a venue specific emergency action plan for sudden cardiac arrest (plan); (3) post the plan in a conspicuous place at an event; and (4) share the plan with the school board, school coaches, assistant coaches, marching band leaders, drama and musical leaders, extracurricular activity leaders, and applicable students. Requires a plan to: (1) establish a goal of responding within three minutes; and (2) require the performance of periodic drills. Provides that a school corporation, a charter school, a state accredited nonpublic school, or an accredited nonpublic school may apply for a grant from the Indiana secured school fund to purchase an AED under certain circumstances. Requires the department of education to conduct a statewide survey of school corporations, charter schools, and state accredited nonpublic schools to determine: (1) the number of AEDs owned before July 1, 2023, by schools; and (2) school policies in effect before July 1, 2023, regarding AEDs.

Makes changes in various adoption law provisions to provide 15 days (rather than 30 days) to contest certain adoptions. Provides that a confidentiality agreement entered into between a foster parent and the department of child services (department) may not prohibit the foster parent from releasing or disclosing information to a duly elected state government official for whom the information is relevant to the official's responsibility under the law to protect children from child abuse and neglect (elected official). Provides an exception prohibiting release or disclosure of specified information and records regarding a child who is or was in foster care or under the supervision of a juvenile court, or regarding the child's parent, guardian, or custodian. Provides that the department may not: (1) take adverse action against a foster parent's license; or (2) remove a foster child from the home of a foster parent; solely on the basis of the foster parent having spoken to an elected official. Requires the department to provide a licensed foster parent with: (1) an information packet describing the foster parent's rights and the grievance filing process; and (2) a complete copy of the department's policy manual. Provides that the department may not remove a foster child from the home of a foster parent, unlicensed caregiver, or de facto custodian solely on the basis of the foster parent, unlicensed caregiver, or de facto custodian having filed a petition to adopt the child. Allows a child's adoptive parent to request that the department allow the child to have visitation with the child's sibling. Requires the department to provide notice of the department's decision regarding a request for sibling visitation not later than seven business days after the department receives the request. Provides that if: (1) a child is the subject of a petition alleging that the child is a child in need of services; and (2) a parent of the child has been convicted of committing one or more specified offenses against the child; there is a rebuttable presumption that it is in the child's best interests to prohibit the parent from having in-person contact with the child until a dispositional decree is entered or the petition is dismissed. Provides that if a hearing regarding a petition to terminate the parent-child relationship is not held before the statutorily required deadline, the court shall dismiss the petition without prejudice: (1) upon filing of a motion with the court by a party to the proceeding; and (2) absent good cause shown for the failure to hold the hearing before the statutorily required deadline.

Exempts military pay for members of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States or the national guard from the individual income tax. (Current law provides an individual income tax exemption for members of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States or the national guard for the period the member is mobilized and deployed.) Exempts military pay earned by members of an active component of the armed forces of the United States from the individual income tax. (Current law exempts from the individual income tax the military pay earned by members of the National Guard and reserve components of the armed forces of the United States while serving on active duty.)

Sets the income eligibility requirements for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program at a specified percentage of the federal income poverty level. Requires the division of family resources (division) to amend the state TANF plan or take any other action necessary to implement the income requirements. Increases certain payment amounts nder the TANF program. Repeals provisions: (1) regarding TANF eligibility of a child born more than 10 months after the child's family qualifies for TANF assistance; (2) encouraging a family that receives TANF assistance to receive family planning counseling; and (3) requiring the division to apply a percentage reduction to the total needs of TANF applicants and recipients in computing TANF benefits. Provides that TANF assistance shall be provided to a woman who: (1) is pregnant at the time an application for assistance is filed; and (2) meets the income requirements. Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services to calculate and report to the legislative council, by December 1 of every even-numbered year, the amounts that would result if certain payment amounts were adjusted each year using the Social Security cost of living adjustment rate. Makes conforming changes.

Prohibits the Indiana public retirement system from investing in certain restricted entities or restricted investment products, including particular investments publicly confirmed to be controlled by the People's Republic of China or the Chinese Communist Party. Specifies exceptions, a divestment schedule, and reporting requirements. Adds a provision urging the legislative council to assign to the interim study committee on pension management oversight the topic of studying whether to cease or defer divestment or resume investment in an entity or product in accordance with the provisions regarding divestment from Chinese companies.

Provides that the amount of foster care support tax credits allowed may not exceed $2,000,000 in each calendar year beginning after December 31, 2023, and ending before January 1, 2028. Requires the department of state revenue (department) to post certain information regarding the: (1) application for the tax credit; (2) timeline for receiving the tax credit; and (3) total amount of tax credits awarded during the current calendar year; on the department's website. Makes various changes to the process to apply for the tax credit. Provides that money in the insuring foster youth trust fund (fund) at the end of a state fiscal year does not revert to the state general fund. Provides that the fund's administrative expenses may not exceed 10% of the amounts deposited into the fund. Provides, in addition to inpatients of state or federally owned or operated hospitals or institutions and their supervisors, that the department of natural resources (DNR) may not charge an admission fee to foster families who reside together in the same licensed foster family home, or other certain foster youth, for the use of any property owned or managed by the DNR for purposes of the statutes concerning state parks and recreation areas. Requires the department of child services to make available a list provided by the Insurance Institute of Indiana that identifies insurers that may provide automobile insurance coverage for a minor without a guardian cosigner. Requires the Indiana assigned risk automobile insurance plan, subject to the rules of the plan, to make automobile insurance available to a foster youth who is between 16 and 23 years of age and is receiving services from the department of child services. Provides that a state or local government agency, a foster parent, or an entity providing services shall not be liable for any damages resulting from a foster youth's operation of an automobile owned and insured by the foster youth.