Sen. Gary Byrne

Eliminates the authority of public libraries to impose an ad valorem property tax as a "taxing unit". Requires a public library to prepare and submit a recommended annual budget to the fiscal body of the county in which the territory of the public library is located to provide the revenues necessary for the operation and maintenance of the public library by a special tax levy, a specific appropriation, or both. Provides that a special tax levy for public library purposes is included in the calculation of the maximum permissible property tax levy for the county.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial Senate resolution (SR 1) honoring Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch for her service upon her retirement. It does not create new laws or affect any policies; it is a symbolic gesture recognizing her role. The resolution was introduced by Senators Bray and Yoder, adopted unanimously by voice vote on January 8, 2025, and has no binding effect or direct impact on constituents.

Amends the duties of state educational institutions' diversity committees. Provides that certain offices or individuals established or employed by a state educational institution (institution) regarding diversity programming must include within the mission of the office or position programming that substantially promotes both cultural and intellectual diversity. Establishes various requirements and restrictions for institutions regarding free inquiry, free expression, and intellectual diversity that does the following: (1) Requires the establishment of certain policies regarding: (A) disciplinary actions for certain persons that materially and substantially disrupt protected expressive activity; (B) limiting or restricting the granting of tenure or a promotion if certain conditions related to free inquiry, free expression, and intellectual diversity are not met; and (C) disciplinary actions that will be taken if, after a review, a determination has been made that a tenured faculty member has failed to meet certain criteria related to free inquiry, free expression, and intellectual diversity. (2) Requires the review and consideration, at least every five years, of certain criteria related to free inquiry, free expression, and intellectual diversity. (3) Requires the establishment of a procedure that allows students and employees to submit complaints that a faculty member or contractor is not meeting certain criteria related to free inquiry, free expression, and intellectual diversity and establishes requirements regarding the procedure and submitted complaints. (4) Establishes consideration requirements before an institution renews an employment agreement or other contract with, makes a bonus decision regarding, or completes a review or performance assessment of a faculty member or contractor. (5) Prohibits requiring an applicant, employee, or contractor to pledge allegiance to or make a statement of personal support for: (A) certain policies or actions; or (B) political or ideological movements. (6) Establishes restrictions regarding awarding admission, enrollment, employment, benefits, hiring, reappointment, promotion, or granting tenure to an applicant, employee, or contractor on the basis of the viewpoints expressed in a submitted pledge or statement. (7) Requires certain information be included in an institution's programming for new students. (8) Requires the adoption of a statement on neutrality that makes a distinction between the official positions of an institution from the individual viewpoints of the institution's employees, contractors, students, and alumni. (9) Allows the commission for higher education (commission) to establish a survey that attempts to collect information from students regarding the current perceptions of whether free speech and academic freedom are recognized and fostered by an institution in a manner that welcomes expression of different opinions and ideologies and requires an institution to promote and provide the survey to students. (10) Establishes various reporting requirements by institutions or the commission concerning complaints submitted regarding faculty members or contractors who are not meeting certain criteria related to free inquiry, free expression, and intellectual diversity. (11) Provides that certain individuals may request the commission to review a final decision by an institution concerning a violation of these provisions. Provides that the commission may enter into an agreement with the office of administrative law proceedings to review violations of certain provisions and issue an opinion on behalf of the commission. Requires each institution to submit certain information by September 1, 2024, and on September 1 of each year thereafter.

Requires health care entities to provide notice of certain mergers or acquisitions to office of the attorney general. Specifies notice requirements. Requires the office of the attorney general to review the information submitted with the notice. Allows the office of the attorney general to: (1) analyze in writing any antitrust concerns with the merger or acquisition; and (2) issue a civil investigative demand for additional information. Specifies that the information is confidential.

Establishes when certain officials may inspect a residential onsite sewage system or nonresidential onsite sewage system. Allows a nonresidential onsite sewage system to be installed in a lot if at least one site on the lot is determined to be suitable for the installation of the nonresidential onsite sewage system. Provides that a county onsite waste management district (district) or local health department may not assess a periodic permit or inspection fee that exceeds the actual cost of the inspection incurred by the district or local health department on an onsite sewage system or an onsite residential sewage discharging disposal system.

Requires an adult oriented website operator that displays material harmful to minors to use a reasonable age verification method to prevent a minor from accessing an adult oriented website. Creates a cause of action to permit: (1) the parent or guardian of a child harmed by a violation of the age verification requirement to obtain monetary damages, injunctive relief, and reasonable attorney's fees; and (2) any other person to bring an action to obtain injunctive relief and reasonable attorney's fees. Prohibits a person that conducts age verification from retaining the identifying information of an individual seeking to access an adult oriented website that displays material harmful to minors, and permits an individual whose identifying information is retained to bring an action to obtain monetary damages, injunctive relief, and reasonable attorney's fees. Requires adult oriented website operators to use commercially reasonable methods to secure all information collected and transmitted. Provides that the attorney general may bring an action to obtain an injunction, a civil penalty of not more than $250,000, or the attorney general's reasonable costs in investigating and maintaining the action. Provides that when the attorney general has reasonable cause to believe that any person has engaged in, is engaging in, or is about to engage in a violation, the attorney general is empowered to issue civil investigative demands under IC 4-6-3-3 to investigate the suspected violation. Requires verification information of minors to be kept confidential with certain exceptions. Adds verification information to the definition of "personal information". Adds a violation of IC 24-4-23 as a deceptive act.

Provides that a state of disaster emergency declared by the governor: (1) that applies to the entire state may not continue for more than 60 days unless a renewal is authorized by the general assembly; and (2) that only applies to part of the state may not continue for more than 30 days unless renewed by the governor. Provides that the renewal of a statewide disaster emergency authorized by the general assembly may continue for not more than 60 days. Specifies that if a state of disaster emergency that applies to the entire state has ended, the governor may not call a new state of disaster emergency that applies to the entire state unless the new disaster is wholly unrelated to the earlier disaster. Defines "wholly unrelated".

Specifies that certain workforce related programs must be reviewed by the legislative services agency at least once rather than every five years. Requires the budget agency to biennially prepare a list of dedicated funds that have not been used in the previous two state fiscal years. Makes technical corrections to various statutes concerning rulemaking. Requires agencies to submit a copy of the notice of the first public comment period and regulatory analysis to the small business ombudsman. Provides that the legislative notice required for rule readoptions must be submitted not later than January 1 of the year preceding the year in which the rule expires. Provides that the publisher of the Indiana Register shall assign a document control number when an agency submits the legislative notice during rule readoption instead of when the agency submits the notice of proposed readoption. Provides that an agency may adopt interim rules to implement a reduction, a full or partial waiver, or an elimination of a fee, fine, or civil penalty included in an administrative rule. Requires the budget agency to transfer money in the phase out trust fund on or before June 30, 2024, to the Medicaid contingency and reserve account. Expires the phase out trust fund on July 1, 2024, and makes corresponding changes. Specifies certain deadlines within the statutes governing an agency's failure to enact required licensure rules. Requires an agency to conduct a regulatory analysis for certain proposed rules, including if the implementation and compliance costs are at least $1,000,000. Provides that if a proposed rule has implementation and compliance costs of at least $1,000,000, the following: (1) The rule cannot be published in the Indiana Register until the budget committee has reviewed the rule. (2) The budget agency and the office of management and budget may not approve any part of the proposed rule prior to review of the proposed rule by the budget committee. Provides that for a provisional rule or an interim rule that has implementation and compliance costs of at least $1,000,000, the governor may not approve a rule prior to the budget committee's review of the rule. Requires the office of management and budget to notify the legislative council of certain proposed rules that have a fiscal impact of over $1,000,000 over the course of two years. Removes references concerning the adoption of an emergency rule. Amends a reference from emergency rules to provisional or interim rules under certain circumstances. Makes conforming changes.

Provides that the department of homeland security (department) shall not inspect, and operating permits are not required for, certain regulated amusement devices. Provides that the department may perform an inspection of an exempted regulated amusement device only if a valid complaint or incident is reported to the department concerning the regulated amusement device.

Provides that, if the attorney general determines probable cause exists, the attorney general, rather than any person lawfully domiciled in Indiana, shall bring an action to compel a governmental body or postsecondary educational institution to comply with statutes requiring cooperation with federal immigration officials. Requires a court to apply a preponderance of the evidence standard to enjoin the violation of those statutes.