Sen. Rick Niemeyer

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial Senate Resolution (SR 1) honoring Senator Brandt Hershman for his retirement after serving District 7 in the Indiana State Senate since 2000. The resolution formally expresses the Senate's gratitude for his service, highlighting his leadership roles (including Majority Floor Leader and Committee Chair) and his work on tax policy improvements. The key mechanism is directing the Senate Secretary to send a copy of the resolution to Senator Hershman and his wife. It does not create new laws or affect any policy, as it is purely a symbolic gesture of appreciation.

Provides that a county board or assessing official shall not enter a property to conduct a physical inspection without first receiving the permission of the taxpayer to enter the property. Provides that under specific circumstances, that an individual may serve as a tax representative of any taxpayer concerning property subject to property taxes. Changes the expiration date for the county option circuit breaker tax credit. Describes elements that must be included in a report that must be prepared by the department of local government finance and presented to an interim study committee regarding automated valuation systems.

Requires the department of local government finance (department) not later than December 31, 2026, to compile data on each township (excluding townships in Marion County) and assign points based upon the township government's performance. Requires a township government that is assigned at least four points (designated township), with certain exceptions, to: (1) merge; or (2) for a township in which (A) at least 80% of the township's boundaries coincide with a municipality's boundaries; and (B) at least 51% of the township's population resides within the corporate boundaries of a municipality, reorganize with the municipality. Requires a merger to satisfy the following requirements: (1) A designated township must merge with at least one township that has less than four points (recipient township). (2) The merger must satisfy contiguity requirements under the township merger law. Provides that if all townships in a county have at least four points, the county executive must designate two townships to act as the recipient townships. Requires the county executive to designate which townships will merge taking into consideration: (1) the wishes of the designated townships and recipient townships; and (2) the contiguity requirements under the township merger law. Provides that all mergers in a county are effective not later than January 1, 2029. Establishes provisions for an interim township government for the new merged township government until a new township trustee and township legislative body are elected during the 2030 general election. Requires a designated township that is required to reorganize to adopt a resolution not later than October 1, 2027, that designates the municipality (recipient municipality) that will reorganize with the designated township. Requires the appointment of a joint board consisting of representatives of the designated township and the recipient municipality to prepare a plan of reorganization. Requires the county fiscal body to approve the budget, tax rate, and tax levy imposed by the recipient municipality within the boundaries of the rural township services district. Provides that a recipient municipality has all of the powers of the government modernization act in reorganizing the township. Amends the government modernization act to require a political subdivision to respond to a resolution that names the political subdivision as a participant in a proposed reorganization. Provides that a township merger does not affect the office of township assessor of a township participating in the merger. Amends the government modernization act to require a political subdivision to respond to a resolution that names the political subdivision as a participant in a proposed reorganization. Requires townships to annually provide certain information relating to fire protection to the department in a manner prescribed by the department using the department's computer gateway. Requires the department to share the information with the department of homeland security. Allows the county council, before January 2, 2027, to adopt a resolution to transfer the duties of a township assessor to the county assessor if: (1) the office of township assessor has been vacant for at least 90 days; (2) a caucus was held but failed to fill the vacancy; (3) the township board adopts a resolution approving the transfer of duties of the township assessor to the county assessor; and (4) the township trustee has approved, in writing, the transfer of duties of the township assessor to the county assessor. Prohibits the legislative body of a county from unilaterally requiring a unit participating in a reorganization that commenced after November 1, 2025, and before November 30, 2025, from being added to an existing fire protection district: (1) during negotiations regarding the reorganization among the participating units; (2) after the date on which a plan of reorganization is finally adopted by all participating units; or (3) as part of a reorganization in a finally approved plan of reorganization. Establishes requirements for the transfer of duties. Repeals a law that allows township governments to dissolve a merger.

Amends, repeals, or adds certain terms. Makes certain changes concerning the purpose, structure, and powers of the department of environmental management (department) or the environmental rules board. Prohibits the department from basing a decision solely on federal risk values that have not been promulgated through federal rulemaking. Instructs the department to avoid the use of federal risk values that are at or below background concentrations in air, water, soil, or sediment. Makes certain changes to various boards or funds. Eliminates or amends rulemaking provisions. Makes certain changes to hearing and permitting processes. Changes or eliminates certain reporting requirements. Makes various changes to the water pollution statutes. Makes various changes to the solid waste and hazardous waste management statutes. Repeals or amends various sections regarding: (1) hazardous substances; (2) the voluntary remediation programs; (3) regional water districts; and (4) citizen lawsuits. Amends provisions concerning the establishment of certain fees and the use of fee schedules. Repeals the division of pollution prevention and the office of voluntary compliance. Makes conforming, stylistic, and technical changes.

Adds a facility or event that provides entertainment or programming primarily directed toward a child less than 18 years of age to the list of facilities at which a sexually violent predator or an offender against children may not work or volunteer. Adds entering a facility or location holding an event that provides entertainment or programming primarily directed toward a child less than 18 years of age by a serious sex offender to the crime of unlawful entry by a serious sex offender. Renames the offense of "inappropriate communication with a child" to "sexual grooming", and provides (in addition to the current elements of the offense) that a person commits the offense if the person engages in a pattern of repeated or continuous contact with an individual whom the person believes to be a child less than 14 years of age, with the intent to condition the individual to be less resistant to future sexual conduct or sexual activity. Specifies that "computer network" includes cellular telephones.

Authorizes a county that operates a community corrections program to establish a county community corrections trust fund (fund). Specifies the funding sources and permissible uses of the fund. Specifies reporting and auditing requirements relating to the administration of the fund. Makes technical corrections to a reference to community corrections programs located in the civil procedure law.

Maddy summaryHB 1192 updates Indiana's seed law by incorporating existing administrative rules into the statute, repealing outdated rules, and making technical adjustments. It directly affects seed producers, distributors, and regulators by clarifying regulatory requirements without introducing new policy. The bill focuses solely on administrative updates to streamline compliance, with no new financial or operational obligations for affected parties. This is a procedural refinement of current law, not a substantive policy change.

Establishes a statewide regulatory scheme for grease control equipment. Provides that a waste water treatment plant must continue to accept septage under certain circumstances. Creates a process for septage haulers to resolve disputes with wastewater treatment plants with respect to accepting septage.

Establishes the Indiana rural health transformation fund and makes allotments and expenditures from the fund subject to budget committee review before the allotment and expenditure may occur. Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services to report biannually to the budget committee concerning the use of the money in the fund. Prohibits recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from using SNAP benefits to purchase candy and soft drinks. Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services to apply for a waiver or authorization to implement the prohibition if a waiver or authorization from a federal agency is required. Terminates the state's participation in the use of expanded categorical eligibility within the federal SNAP. Specifies gross income standards and countable resources for SNAP eligibility. Establishes immigration eligibility requirements for SNAP and requires the division of family resources to verify compliance with the requirements and submit information to the federal government about individuals for whom the division could not verify the immigration status. Specifies the time frame for Medicaid eligibility redeterminations. Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services (office) to transmit certain information to the federal government to prevent multiple state Medicaid enrollment. Specifies the time frame concerning the initial date of Medicaid assistance based on the application date. Sets forth additional countable income requirements for Medicaid. Modifies immigration status requirements for Medicaid, including presumptive eligibility and the healthy Indiana plan (HIP), and requires the office to verify compliance of the requirements and report information to the federal government. Modifies work and exemption requirements for HIP and requires the conditions to be met in the three preceding months before an individual applies to HIP. Requires the office to verify compliance with the work requirements on an ongoing basis and at least quarterly. Prohibits the office from expanding the medically frail exemption beyond the federal definition of the term. Removes the 12 month eligibility period for HIP and requires semiannual renewal. Sets forth additional copayments for the use of an emergency room setting for nonemergency services and other services under HIP.

Provides that before a municipally owned utility (utility) may condemn land for the extension of a water main or a wastewater main that is located outside: (1) the corporate boundaries of the municipality; or (2) the existing service territory of the utility; the utility must provide, by mail, written notice to each landowner whose land is needed for the extension and to the county plan commission for the county in which the extension project is proposed. Sets forth the information that must be included in the required notices. Requires the: (1) utility to post on the utility's website; and (2) county in which the extension project is proposed to post on the county's website; certain information about the proposed extension project. Provides that a landowner or a county plan commission that receives a notice from a utility under the bill's provisions may, not later than 30 days after receiving the notice, request in writing a meeting with the utility regarding the proposed extension project. Provides that upon receiving such a request, the utility shall offer to meet with the landowner or county plan commission not later than 30 days after the utility's receipt of the request. Authorizes a utility to proceed with a proposed extension project if the utility has satisfied the bill's notice requirements. Beginning in 2027, requires the Indiana utility regulatory commission (IURC) to include in its annual report the following information with respect to the most recently concluded state fiscal year: (1) Any reported delays in an extension project that a utility attributes to any of the bill's requirements. (2) Any complaints or disputes arising under the bill's provisions that are submitted to the IURC. (3) Any action taken by the IURC with respect to any reported delays, complaints, or disputes arising under the bill's provisions.