Provides that a public utility that owns and operates a reliable capacity electric generation resource shall operate and maintain the unit using good utility practices and in a manner reasonably intended to support the availability of the unit for dispatch and for providing reliable service to customers of the public utility. Prohibits a public utility from terminating a power agreement with a legacy generation resource in which the public utility has an ownership interest unless the public utility provides the utility regulatory commission (IURC) with at least three years advance notice of the termination. Provides that the IURC shall determine the reasonable costs incurred by the public utility under the power agreement and allow the public utility to recover those costs in a fuel adjustment charge proceeding. Provides that a public utility may not retire, sell, or transfer a reliable capacity resource with a capacity of at least 80 megawatts before May 1, 2021, unless: (1) the public utility first provides written notice to the IURC of the public utility's intent to do so; and (2) the IURC conducts a public hearing to receive information concerning the reasonableness of the planned retirement, sale, or transfer. Requires the IURC to conduct the required hearing and issue its analysis and conclusions concerning the reasonableness of the planned retirement, sale, or transfer not later than 120 days after the date of the IURC's receipt of the public utility's written notice to the IURC. Provides that if the planned retirement, sale, or transfer: (1) was included in the public utility's preferred portfolio in the public utility's most recent integrated resource plan, the public utility may proceed with the planned retirement, sale, or transfer after the commission issues the commission's analysis and conclusions; or (2) was not included in the public utility's preferred portfolio in the public utility's most recent integrated resource plan, the public utility may not proceed with the planned retirement, sale, or transfer until at least six months have elapsed from the date of the commission's receipt of the public utility's written notice of the planned retirement, sale, or transfer. Provides that if a public utility cites a federal mandate as the basis, in whole or in part, for the planned retirement, sale, or transfer of the reliable capacity resource, the IURC may consider as part of its analysis and conclusions whether the cited federal mandate: (1) is in force; (2) has not expired or been revoked; and (3) is not merely anticipated to be enacted; at the time of the public utility's notice. Provides that these provisions expire May 1, 2021. Provides that in awarding high value workforce ready credit-bearing grants, the commission for higher education, in conjunction with the department of workforce development, shall give priority to an applicant who is a coal transition worker. Defines a "coal transition worker" as an individual who is laid off or terminated from the individual's employment: (1) at a commercial coal mine in Indiana; (2) at a coal fired electric generating unit in Indiana; or (3) in an Indiana based manufacturing or transportation supply chain serving: (A) a commercial coal mine; or (B) a coal fired electric generating unit; in Indiana.
Sponsored bills
Renames the offense of "interfering with law enforcement" to "interfering with public safety", and provides that a person who enters a marked off area after having been denied entry by an emergency medical services provider commits interfering with public safety. (Under current law, the offense is only committed if the person is denied entry by a law enforcement officer.)
Provides that a township or a county may assume maintenance of a cemetery for which it would otherwise not be responsible. Requires a property owner that has a cemetery located on the owner's property to make a reasonable effort to maintain the cemetery. Provides that a township or county that assumes responsibility for maintaining a cemetery may seek reimbursement from the property owner for the cost of maintenance. Provides that a property owner commits a Class C infraction if the property owner fails to maintain the cemetery after the township or county provides two written notices.
Provides that the governor's workforce cabinet (cabinet) shall, on or before December 1, 2020, create a comprehensive strategic plan to ensure alignment of Indiana's primary, secondary, and postsecondary education systems with Indiana's workforce training programs and employer needs. Requires the cabinet to include early childhood education in the cabinet's: (1) systematic and comprehensive review to determine whether Indiana's educational system is aligned with employer needs; and (2) comprehensive strategic plan to ensure alignment of Indiana's educational system with employer needs.
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.
Provides that, if certain criminal penalties are increased (or, in the case of an infraction, imposed) due to a prior conviction or infraction committed by a defendant, the new offense must have been committed not later than 12 years from the later of the date: (1) of the conviction or infraction judgment; or (2) the person was released from incarceration, probation, or parole. Excludes certain crimes and classes of crimes from the 12 year lookback period. Specifies the duties of an operator of a boat who is involved in an accident or collision resulting in injury. Adds strangulation and domestic battery to the definition of "crimes of violence". Specifies that references to a conviction for Indiana offenses include: (1) an attempt to commit the offense; (2) a conspiracy to commit the offense; and (3) a substantially similar offense committed in another jurisdiction. Provides that credit earned by a person on pretrial home detention does not include accrued time. Makes it a crime to possess a firearm with an obliterated serial number (under current law, it is only a crime to possess a handgun with an obliterated serial number). Provides that a person who: (1) agrees with two or more persons to commit theft; and (2) performs an overt act in furtherance of the agreement; commits organized theft, a Level 6 felony. Prohibits a person who has been adjudicated a delinquent child for committing an act while armed with a firearm that would be a serious violent felony if committed by an adult (serious delinquent) from possessing a firearm unless the person is at least: (1) 26 years of age, in the case of less serious acts; or (2) 28 years of age, in the case of more serious acts. Makes possession of a firearm by a serious delinquent a Level 6 felony, and increases the penalty to a Level 5 felony for a second or subsequent offense. Requires a juvenile court to transmit certain findings to the office of judicial administration for transmission to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) upon a finding of delinquency for an act that would be a serious violent felony if committed by an adult. Allows a court to consider certain factors when evaluating a petition to expunge certain juvenile adjudications. Beginning July 1, 2021: (1) requires the office of judicial administration to collect and publish certain statistics related to the confiscation and retention of firearms; and (2) requires a court to provide certain information to the office of judicial administration after issuing a finding concerning a person's dangerousness. Provides that a person who knowingly makes a false report that another person is dangerous commits false informing, a Class B misdemeanor. Specifies that a person commits the offense of operating a vehicle with a controlled substance if the controlled substance is in the person's blood (rather than the person's body). Increases the penalty for operating a vehicle with a controlled substance in the person's blood if the person is transporting a child in the vehicle. Provides a defense to a "smokable hemp" offense if the hemp is carried in continuous transit from a licensed producer in another state through Indiana to a licensed handler in another state. Makes conforming amendments, reconciles conflicts, and makes technical corrections.
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.
Allows a victim of harassment, human trafficking, intimidation, or invasion of privacy to participate in the address confidentiality program (program) of the office of the attorney general (office). (Currently the law allows only victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking to participate in the program.) Removes the requirement that a victim must have obtained a protective order to participate in the program. Requires that an applicant to the program provide a description of the applicant's plan to maintain the confidentiality of the applicant's new address. Provides, with certain exceptions, that if a program participant provides written notice to an individual, state or local government agency, business, or other legal entity: (1) the entity shall use the address designated by the office; (2) the entity may not disclose the program participant's address; and (3) if the entity is a landlord, the entity may not display the program participant's name at the protected address. Allows the office to revoke a person's participation in the program or deny an applicant's application if the person: (1) uses or intends to use the program in furtherance of a crime; (2) knowingly misrepresents in a fraudulent manner any information the program participant or applicant provides to the program; or (3) is unable or unwilling to maintain the confidentiality of the program participant's or applicant's address. Establishes the circumstances under which a program participant's address may be disclosed in a court proceeding and requires the court to issue an appropriate order to limit any further disclosure. Repeals a statute providing that a program participant who provides false information on a program application commits perjury.
Requires the board of firefighting personnel standards and education to establish best practices to improve safety and health outcomes for firefighters. Establishes the best practices fund for the purpose of providing matching grants to political subdivisions and volunteer fire departments to purchase equipment and other gear to implement best practices. Provides that the worker's compensation rating bureau of Indiana may recommend a premium or rate discount toward worker's compensation insurance to political subdivisions and volunteer fire departments that implement best practices.