Establishes the task force on wastewater infrastructure investment and service to underserved areas (task force). Provides that the task force consists of the following 18 members: (1) Six members of the senate, with the president pro tempore appointing four members (one of whom serves as co-chair of the task force), and the minority leader appointing two members. (2) Six members of the house of representatives, with the speaker appointing four members (one of whom serves as co-chair of the task force), and the minority leader appointing two members. (3) Six gubernatorial appointees, including the following: (A) One officer or employee of the state. (B) One member representing operators of wastewater management systems. (C) One engineer, or another professional, with expertise in wastewater management systems. (D) One member representing ratepayers. (E) One member representing municipalities served by a wastewater operator not under the jurisdiction of the utility regulatory commission. (F) One member of the general public. Sets forth the duties of the task force. Requires the task force to develop a long term plan for addressing wastewater needs in Indiana. Requires the task force to issue a report setting forth its recommendations to: (1) the executive director of the legislative services agency for distribution to members of the general assembly; and (2) the governor; not later than December 1, 2021. Provides that the bill's provisions concerning the task force expire January 1, 2022. Establishes the water infrastructure grant program (program) to be administered by the Indiana finance authority (authority). Establishes the water infrastructure grant fund (fund) as a source of money for grants, loans, and other financial assistance to, or for the benefit of, participants in the program. Sets forth purposes for which money in the fund may be used, including the planning, designing, acquisition, construction, renovation, improvement, or expansion of: (1) water systems; and (2) wastewater or storm water collection and treatment systems. Requires the authority to adopt guidelines to establish criteria for the making of grants, loans, and other financial assistance from the fund. Sets forth certain conditions that apply to the making of grants, the making of loans, and the providing of other financial assistance from the fund. Requires the authority to establish a project prioritization system for the purposes of awarding loans and grants from the fund. Sets forth certain variables that the project prioritization system must include. Provides that the authority may provide advisory services and other services to a participant in connection with a grant, a loan, or other financial assistance from the fund. Requires the public finance director to submit to the budget committee and the legislative council, in each odd-numbered year through 2023, a report concerning grants, loans, or other financial assistance made available to participants from the fund.
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Requires the department of state revenue (department) to provide written notice, by electronic means, to each employer that is registered in the department's online INTIME program and whose employer's Form WH-1 monthly withholding tax report or withholding tax remittance is past due. Requires each payroll service provider to annually register with the department beginning January 1, 2022. Specifies the contents of the annual registration form. Defines "payroll service provider" and "responsible person" for purposes of these provisions. Provides that the department may charge an annual payroll service provider registration fee for purposes of the registration program. Provides that a provider shall be permitted to retain any income generated on business client (client) funds while held in a provider's legal possession pending remittance to authorized payees if the client agreement expressly permits it and the provider complies with certain rules. Provides that a payroll service provider contract must include a provision that specifies that if the payroll service provider fails to deposit or remit a business client's employer withholding taxes when due, and the failure is caused by an error or omission of the payroll service provider and not by the business client, the payroll service provider shall be required to reimburse the business client for the business client's payment of any penalties or interest assessed by the department as a result of the failure. Provides that, if a provider knowingly or intentionally fails to remit taxes withheld, the provider is liable and responsible persons shall be personally liable for such taxes that were withheld and not remitted, along with penalties and interest. Provides that a responsible person of the provider who knowingly or intentionally fails to remit taxes that were withheld commits a Class A misdemeanor, and increases the penalty depending on the amount of taxes that were not remitted. Provides that the liability shall not be construed to relieve the liability of the employer or any person otherwise with a duty to withhold. Provides that the employer's address shall be the address of record with the department for withholding tax purposes and that a payroll service provider may not change the address of record with the department.
A SENATE RESOLUTION declaring that the policy of the State of Indiana is to support the state's sovereign authority to manage, control, and administer its own election laws.
A SENATE RESOLUTION memorializing the victims of the Indianapolis FedEx mass shooting.
A SENATE RESOLUTION memorializing Marvin Leroy Keyes.
Requires the state department of agriculture and the department of natural resources, in consultation with Purdue University, the utility regulatory commission (IURC), agricultural producers, woodland owners, foresters, certain technical experts, the agricultural industry, the forest industry, and environmental and conservation groups, to: (1) study and make findings and recommendations concerning the potential role of the state in a voluntary carbon credit market; and (2) issue a written report to the general assembly. Requires the director of the department of natural resources to designate the operator of the carbon sequestration pilot project (pilot project) before July 31, 2021. Provides that material compliance by the pilot project with a permit for a Class VI carbon dioxide underground injection well is an affirmative defense for the pilot project against certain civil actions or claims. Provides that: (1) a claimant may overcome the affirmative defense by proving actual interference with the use of the property or direct physical injury to tangible property; and (2) recovery by a public utility for any effect of the pilot project on the sources of the utility's public water supply is not prohibited or limited. Defines a "federal phaseout mandate" as any federal statutory or regulatory requirement that: (1) is established after April 20, 2021, by Congress, a federal agency, or a federal executive order; and (2) requires the phaseout or discontinuance of a particular type of electric generating facility, technology, or fuel source. Requires the IURC to consider in the context of: (1) applications for certificates of public convenience and necessity for new generating facilities; and (2) integrated resource planning; the impact of federal phaseout mandates on the estimated useful life of certain generating facilities of an electric utility, including on depreciation expense associated with such facilities.
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION memorializing Irv Cross.
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION congratulating Auston Young on being named the 2021 Junior American Bull Riding Champion.
Provides that an electric utility that has certain qualified costs that: (1) are associated with an electric generation facility that will be retired from service within 24 months; and (2) are equal to at least 5% of the electric utility's total electric base rate; may file a petition with the utility regulatory commission (IURC) for a financing order authorizing the securitization of the qualified costs. Provides that an "electric utility", for purposes of the bill, is a public utility that: (1) owns or operates any electric generation facility for the provision of electric utility service to Indiana customers; (2) is under the jurisdiction of the IURC; and (3) has a total of not more than 200,000 retail electric customers. Provides that not later than 240 days after a petition for a financing order is filed, the IURC shall conduct a hearing and issue an order on the petition. Provides that in issuing a financing order for cost securitization, the IURC must find that: (1) the electric utility has proposed a reasonable mechanism to reflect a reduction in the electric utility's base rates and charges upon the assessment of securitization charges on customer bills, so as to remove any qualified costs from the electric utility's base rates; and (2) the mechanism will provide timely rate savings for customers. Provides that in issuing a financing order for cost securitization, the IURC must find that the electric utility will make capital investments in Indiana in an amount equal to or exceeding the amount of the electric utility's qualified costs, over a period of not more than seven years immediately following the issuance date of the securitization bonds. Provides that if the IURC makes the required findings with respect to the petition, the IURC shall issue a financing order that authorizes: (1) the issuance of securitization bonds with a term of not more than 20 years; (2) the collection of securitization charges from the electric utility's customers; and (3) the encumbrance of the resulting securitization property with a lien and security interest. Provides that qualified costs authorized in a financing order shall be allocated to the electric utility's customer classes using the same cost allocation methodology approved by the IURC in the electric utility's most recent base rate case, subject to certain exceptions. Provides that if an electric utility does not cause securitization bonds to be issued not later than 90 days after the date of a final, non-appealable financing order, the electric utility shall file a statement of abandonment with the IURC stating the reasons for the abandonment. Provides that a financing order issued by the IURC under these provisions must include a mechanism: (1) requiring that securitization charges be reviewed and adjusted by the IURC at least annually; and (2) allowing an electric utility, on its own initiative, to apply to the IURC at any time during a calendar year for an adjustment of its securitization charges, as the electric utility determines to be necessary; to correct any over collections or under collections of securitization charges, and to ensure the recovery of amounts sufficient to timely make all payments of debt service in connection with the securitization bonds. Sets forth provisions concerning the encumbrance of securitization property with a lien and security interest, including provisions concerning: (1) the attachment and perfection; and (2) the priority; of a security interest in securitization property. Specifies that securitization bonds are not: (1) a debt or obligation of the state; or (2) a charge on the state's full faith and credit or on the state's taxing power. Pledges that the state will not: (1) take or permit any action that would impair the value of securitization property; or (2) reduce, alter, or impair related securitization charges; until certain obligations in connection with the related securitization bonds have been paid or performed in full. Requires the IURC to adopt rules to implement these provisions. Urges the legislative council to assign to the interim study committee on energy, utilities, and telecommunications (committee) the task of studying during the 2022 legislative interim: (1) the implementation; and (2) use by electric utilities; of the bill's provisions concerning the securitization of costs for retired electric utility assets. Provides that if the committee is assigned to study this topic, the committee: (1) shall consider available data and other information concerning participating electric utilities to which the IURC has issued a financing order under the bill's provisions; (2) may request this data and information from certain parties; and (3) shall, not later than November 1, 2022, submit to the legislative council a report setting forth the committee's findings and recommendations, including the committee's recommendations as to whether to allow, under the bill's provisions, additional electricity suppliers to securitize costs associated with retired electric utility assets.
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION memorializing Marine Corporal John C. Bishop.