| HB1002 | CIVIL IMMUNITY RELATED TO COVID-19. (TORR J) Protects health care providers from professional discipline for certain acts or omissions arising from a disaster emergency unless the act or omission constitutes gross negligence, willful or wanton misconduct, or intentional misrepresentation. Provides that a health care provider is not protected from professional discipline for actions that are outside the skills, education, and training of the health care provider, unless certain circumstances apply. Specifies that orders and recommendations issued by local, state, and federal government agencies and officials during a state disaster emergency do not create new causes of action or new legal duties. Specifies that the orders and recommendations are presumed irrelevant to the issue of the existence of a duty or breach of a duty. Prohibits filing a class action lawsuit against a defendant in a civil action allowed by the statute. Specifies that a governmental entity or employee is not liable if a loss results from an act or omission arising from COVID-19 unless the act or omission constitutes gross negligence, willful or wanton misconduct, or intentional misrepresentation. Provides that a person is not liable to a claimant for loss, damage, injury, or death arising from COVID-19 unless the claimant proves that the person caused the loss, damage, injury, or death by an act or omission constituting gross negligence, willful or wanton misconduct, or intentional misrepresentation. Provides immunity from civil liability to certain persons, entities, and facilities providing health care and other services for certain acts or omissions related to the provision of health care services and other services during a state disaster emergency. Extends COVID-19 health care immunity during periods of disaster emergency after February 29, 2020, and before April 1, 2022. Resolves conflicts between SEA 1 and HB 1002. |
| | Current Status: | 4/29/2021 - Public Law 166
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| | Recent Status: | 4/29/2021 - SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
4/28/2021 - Received by the Governor
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| | State Bill Page: | HB1002 |
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| HB1008 | STUDENT LEARNING RECOVERY GRANT PROGRAM. (CARBAUGH M) Establishes the: (1) student learning recovery grant program; and (2) student learning recovery grant program fund (fund). Provides that, to be eligible to receive a grant, an eligible entity must develop and submit a student learning acceleration plan (plan). Establishes requirements for a plan and certain information reporting requirements for those eligible entities that are awarded a grant. Requires, before November 1, 2021, and November 1, 2022, the department of education to prepare and submit a report to the interim committee on education. Appropriates to the fund from the state general fund for the purposes of the program $150,000,000 for the 2021 state fiscal year. |
| | Current Status: | 4/29/2021 - Public Law 167
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| | Recent Status: | 4/29/2021 - SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
4/28/2021 - Received by the Governor
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| | State Bill Page: | HB1008 |
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| HB1101 | DAYCARE LICENSURE EXEMPTION IN DECLARED EMERGENCY. (DAVISSON S) Exempts from day care licensure requirements a child care program that: (1) is operated by a public or private organization under a contract with a public or private school; (2) serves children who are enrolled in a public or private school in grades kindergarten through 12, or in a preschool program offered by the public or private school; and (3) serves children who are: (A) attending school through remote or e-learning due to a disaster emergency; or (B) participating in a learning recovery program that administers an assessment to measure student learning loss and provides Indiana academic standards aligned instruction. |
| | Current Status: | 4/29/2021 - Public Law 173
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| | Recent Status: | 4/29/2021 - SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
4/28/2021 - Received by the Governor
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| | State Bill Page: | HB1101 |
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| HB1266 | SCHOOL EFFICIENCY. (CLERE E) Provides that, not later than October 1, 2021, the department of education (department) shall issue a request for information for the purposes of exploring potential opportunities to improve the efficiency of noninstructional school services. Provides that the deadline for submission of responses to the request for information may not be later than February 1, 2022. Provides that, not later than March 1, 2022, the department shall prepare a report based on the responses. |
| | Current Status: | 4/29/2021 - Public Law 186
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| | Recent Status: | 4/29/2021 - SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
4/28/2021 - Received by the Governor
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| | State Bill Page: | HB1266 |
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| HB1313 | STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. (CLERE E) Requires the Indiana management performance hub to: (1) use its data resources and technology to cross-reference with data bases of certain state agencies to identify certain former students with disabilities (eligible individuals); (2) coordinate with the state department of health to determine whether identified eligible individuals are deceased; and (3) provide the information concerning eligible individuals to the department of workforce development (DWD). Requires the state department of health to, not later than November 1, 2021, coordinate with the Indiana management performance hub. Requires the DWD to: (1) communicate with identified eligible individuals; and (2) provide to the eligible individuals a copy of a resource list concerning training and education opportunities and employment services resources. Requires the state advisory council on the education of children with disabilities (council) to annually update and submit the resource list to the department of education and the DWD. Requires the department of education and DWD to post a copy of the most recently updated resource list on the department's and DWD's Internet web sites. Requires the DWD, in consultation with the department of education, to prepare and submit an annual report to the general assembly and the council. Requires the state board of education to, not later than December 1, 2021, adopt rules to create an alternate diploma for students with significant cognitive disabilities. |
| | Current Status: | 4/23/2021 - Public Law 113
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| | Recent Status: | 4/23/2021 - SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
4/22/2021 - Received by the Governor
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| | State Bill Page: | HB1313 |
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| HB1437 | ELECTRONIC MEETINGS AND SIGNATURES. (COOK A) Allows a member of a governing body of a political subdivision to participate in a meeting electronically subject to the following: (1) Requires the governing body to adopt a written policy establishing procedures for electronic participation. (2) Requires the technology to permit simultaneous communication between members and the public to attend and observe the proceedings. (3) Requires at least 50% of the members to be physically present at the meeting site. (4) Allows a member participating electronically to be counted for quorum purposes. (5) Provides that a member participating electronically may participate in a final action taken by the governing body only if the member can be seen and heard. Exempts governing bodies of state agencies that have a majority of members with disabilities from certain attendance requirements. Provides that if a statute requires a manual signature for attesting or authenticating an obligation issued by certain state and local public entities, an electronic signature has the same force and effect as a manual signature. Adds provisions applicable to state and local public agencies when a state or local disaster emergency is declared. Makes stylistic changes. |
| | Current Status: | 4/20/2021 - Public Law 88
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| | Recent Status: | 4/20/2021 - SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
4/19/2021 - Received by the Governor
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| | State Bill Page: | HB1437 |
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| HB1438 | COURSE ACCESS PROGRAM. (COOK A) Makes various changes to the course access program (program) provisions, including the following: (1) Requires the state board of education (state board) to establish certain requirements regarding the program. (2) Establishes the duties of the state board and the department of education (department) regarding the program. (3) Establishes notification requirements for a school corporation regarding an eligible student who submits a request to enroll in a course access program course. (4) Amends a provision that establishes the reasons for which a school corporation may deny an eligible student's enrollment. (5) Provides that a school corporation may be authorized as a course provider if the school corporation meets the requirements for authorization. (6) Allows a course provider to appeal a denial to the state board. (7) Requires the department to approve a civics course access program course that meets certain requirements. (8) Provides that: (A) a school corporation that is an authorized course provider shall provide to the department and post on the school corporation's Internet web site certain information regarding open slots in an online course access program course; and (B) the department shall post the information for each school corporation on the department's Internet web site. |
| | Current Status: | 4/29/2021 - Public Law 200
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| | Recent Status: | 4/29/2021 - SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
4/28/2021 - Received by the Governor
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| | State Bill Page: | HB1438 |
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| HB1449 | BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT. (SOLIDAY E) Amends the statute governing the awarding of grants from the rural broadband fund as follows: (1) Provides that an "eligible broadband project" for purposes of the statute includes a project for the deployment of terrestrial broadband infrastructure: (A) to buildings used by public school corporations primarily for educating students; (B) to rural health clinics; (C) to ensure that eligible students (defined as Indiana residents who are less than 23 years of age and who are enrolled in a K-12 school in Indiana) have access points providing a connection to eligible broadband service; and (D) in rural areas in Indiana. (Current law provides that an "eligible broadband project" means only a project for the deployment of broadband infrastructure for the provision of eligible broadband service in rural areas in Indiana.) (2) Specifies that terrestrial broadband infrastructure includes infrastructure used for a fixed wireless Internet connection but does not include infrastructure used for a satellite Internet connection. (3) Provides that "eligible broadband service" means a connection to the Internet that provides an actual speed of at least: (A) 1,000 megabits per second downstream for a project involving the deployment of broadband infrastructure to public school corporation buildings or rural health clinics; or (B) 50 megabits per second downstream and at least five megabits per second upstream for a project to provide to eligible students access points for connections to eligible broadband service, or for a project to provide eligible broadband service to rural areas. (4) Specifies the following priorities for the awarding of grants from the rural broadband fund: (A) First, for extending eligible broadband service to public school corporation buildings with respect to which the only available Internet connections are at actual speeds of less than 1,000 megabits per second downstream. (B) Second, for extending eligible broadband service to rural health clinics with respect to which the only available Internet connections are at actual speeds of less than 1,000 megabits per second downstream. (C) Third, for extending eligible broadband service so as to ensure that every eligible student has at the student's residence an access point providing a connection to eligible broadband service. (D) Fourth, extending eligible broadband service to rural areas in which the only available connections to the Internet are at actual speeds of less than 25 megabits per second downstream. (5) Provides that a state agency may fund an eligible broadband project that is designated as a lower priority under the funding priorities set forth in the statute if no competitive applications for eligible broadband projects designated as a higher priority are submitted in a particular round of grant funding. (6) Specifies that a grant may not be awarded from the rural broadband fund: (A) for any project to extend the deployment of eligible broadband service to one or more service addresses for which funding from the federal government has been used or will be disbursed to extend broadband service at actual speeds of at least 25 megabits per second downstream to those same addresses; or (B) if the awarding of the grant would jeopardize funding that has been awarded by the federal government under certain programs for purposes of expanding broadband service in Indiana. (7) Provides that the system of priorities used by the office of community and rural affairs (office) for awarding grants from the rural broadband fund must give preference to projects that require a lower contribution from the fund per passing, as determined by a specified calculation. (8) Provides that the procedures established by the office for the awarding of grants from the rural broadband fund must require the office to: (A) include, in publishing grant applications to the office's Internet web site, specific addresses for which state funds would be used to provide eligible broadband service; and (B) consider, in making a determination as to whether to award a grant to an applicant, all comments or objections received during the statutory comment period, including any new grant application that: (i) is submitted within the statutory comment period by another eligible broadband service provider; and (ii) indicates that such other provider would be willing to provide eligible broadband service to the same addresses at a lower cost to the state. (9) Requires the office to establish a program to expand broadband Internet connectivity by: (A) entering into agreements with broadband service providers under which such providers agree to accept subsidy payments distributed by the office as a form of payment for eligible broadband service; and (B) distributing subsidy payments to participating providers to be used as a form of payment for eligible broadband service provided before July 1, 2025, to certain persons and entities, prioritized as follows: (i) School buildings. (ii) Rural health clinics. (iii) Eligible students. Provides that money in the rural broadband fund may be used to provide financial assistance under the new program. (10) Requires the office to establish and publish on the office's Internet web site: (A) specific, measurable goals; and (B) metrics to be used in assessing the progress made toward accomplishing those goals; for the disbursement of state broadband grant funds. (11) Requires the office to report annually to the interim study committee on energy, utilities, and telecommunications (rather than to the general assembly, under current law) concerning the awarding of state broadband grants. (12) Requires the state board of accounts to conduct an annual audit (rather than an audit every three years, under current law) of the awarding of state broadband grants. Establishes the Indiana broadband connectivity program (connectivity program), under which the office must establish a public broadband portal through which an individual may report that minimum broadband Internet (defined as a connection to the Internet at an actual speed of at least 25 megabits per second downstream and at least three megabits per second upstream) is unavailable at the individual's residential or business address. Provides that the public broadband portal must solicit information as to whether one or more eligible students reside at an address that is reported by an individual through the portal. Provides that the office may contract or consult with one or more third parties in the creation or administration of the portal. Provides that a broadband Internet provider may: (1) register with the connectivity program; (2) receive, at least every three months, notice of addresses submitted to the office as addresses at which minimum broadband Internet is unavailable; (3) report to the office any listed address at which the provider's minimum broadband Internet service is already available; and (4) bid for an award of a grant for purposes of extending connectivity to broadband Internet service (defined as a connection to the Internet at an actual speed of at least 50 megabits per second downstream and at least five megabits per second upstream) to an address at which minimum broadband Internet is unavailable. Provides that if the office does not receive notice from any providers that minimum broadband Internet is available at an address reported through the public broadband portal, the office shall transmit to each registered provider |
| | Current Status: | 4/20/2021 - Public Law 89
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| | Recent Status: | 4/20/2021 - SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
4/19/2021 - Received by the Governor
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| | State Bill Page: | HB1449 |
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| HB1514 | VARIOUS EDUCATION MATTERS. (COOK A) Requires the state board of education (state board) to: (1) establish a compilation of longitudinal data indicating school performance success in various selected and enumerated program areas; and (2) present the data for each school in a manner that is commonly known as an Internet dashboard. Requires each school to post on a web page maintained on the school's Internet web site the exact same data and in a similar format as the data presented for the school on the state board's Internet web site. Allows a school to include custom indicators on the school's web page. Provides that the performance of a school's students on the statewide assessment program test and other criterion referenced benchmark assessments recommended by the department of education (department) and approved by the state board are the primary and majority means of assessing a school's improvement. (Current law provides that the performance of a school's students on the statewide assessment program test and other assessments recommended by the department and approved by the state board are the primary and majority means of assessing a school's improvement.) Provides that the state board may assign each domain, indicator, or measure used to assess school performance a separate and distinct category or designation. Provides that the state board shall assign to a school or school corporation (including adult high schools) a "null" or "no letter grade" for the 2020-2021 school year. Requires each governing body of a school corporation and the equivalent for each charter school to submit to the department a report that includes certain information regarding instruction during the 2020-2021 school year and the 2021-2022 school year. Requires the department to do the following: (1) Conduct, in collaboration with the state board, a learning loss study regarding students in kindergarten through grade 10. (2) Prepare a report regarding the 2020-2021 school year and a report regarding the 2021-2022 school year that includes the submitted information and the study by the department. (3) Not later than December 1, 2021, and not later than December 1, 2022, submit the applicable reports to the governor, state board, and legislative council. Urges the legislative council to assign to an appropriate study committee for the 2022 interim and the 2023 interim the task of studying the information in the reports. Amends requirements that a benchmark, formative, interim, or similar assessment must meet for approval by the state board. Provides that before the state board may approve a benchmark, formative, interim, or similar assessment, the assessment vendor must enter into a data share agreement with the department. Repeals provisions that: (1) provide consequences for failing schools; (2) provide consequences for failing charter schools or choice scholarship schools; and (3) authorize the establishment of turnaround academies. |
| | Current Status: | 4/29/2021 - Public Law 211
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| | Recent Status: | 4/29/2021 - SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
4/28/2021 - Received by the Governor
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| | State Bill Page: | HB1514 |
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| HB1549 | EDUCATION MATTERS. (BEHNING R) Allows the priority enrollment period for the prekindergarten pilot program to begin later than April 1, 2021, in calendar year 2021. Provides that a school corporation may not enter into or renew a contract with an outside vendor to operate or manage a dedicated virtual education school of the school corporation unless the school corporation submits the most recent contract or proposed contract with the vendor to the department of education (department). Amends limits on the percentage of appropriated funds that may be used for grants to limited eligibility children under the prekindergarten pilot program. Provides that the department of education (department) shall make informational material that is evidenced based available on the department's Internet web site that may help teachers and other school employees identify a student who may have been impacted by trauma. Requires the department to provide a notice to each school corporation and charter school on how to access the informational material. Provides that a charter school may give enrollment preference to children who attend another charter school that is closed because of action by the state board of education (state board). Establishes the Cambridge International program (program). Requires the department to: (1) administer the program; and (2) submit a report regarding the program to the state board each year. Establishes the Indiana postsecondary prior learning assessment clearinghouse (clearinghouse). Requires the governor to direct the commission, department, and governor's workforce cabinet (cabinet), in collaboration with state educational institutions, to: (1) develop and regularly update the clearinghouse; and (2) collect information concerning prior learning assessments used by state educational institutions to award advanced standing or postsecondary credit. Requires each state educational institution to report prior learning assessment information. Requires the commission, department, and the cabinet to publish the clearinghouse information on its respective Internet web site. Requires the governor to direct the commission, department, and cabinet, in consultation with state educational institutions, to prepare model guidance and informational resources concerning postsecondary enrollment opportunities that incorporate work based learning experiences. Requires the governor to direct the commission, department, and cabinet to publish model guidance and information resources on its respective Internet web site. Prohibits a charter school organizer from entering into contracts under which an officer or employee of the organizer or a relative of an officer or employee of the organizer will receive compensation or proceeds. Provides an exception for de minimis contracts valued at $1,000 or less. Repeals a provision regarding high school credit for Cambridge International courses. |
| | Current Status: | 4/29/2021 - Public Law 216
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| | Recent Status: | 4/29/2021 - SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
4/28/2021 - Received by the Governor
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| | State Bill Page: | HB1549 |
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| SB1 | CIVIL IMMUNITY RELATED TO COVID-19. (MESSMER M) Provides civil tort immunity for damages arising from COVID-19 on the premises owned or operated by a person, on any premises on which the person or an employee or agent of the person provided property or services to the individual, or during an activity managed, organized, or sponsored by the person, except for an act or omission that constitutes gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct (including fraud and intentionally tortious acts). Defines "COVID-19 protective product" and provides civil tort immunity for harm that results from the design, manufacture, labeling, sale, distribution, or donation of a COVID-19 protective product, except for an act or omission that constitutes gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct (including fraud and intentionally tortious acts). Prohibits class action suits. |
| | Current Status: | 2/18/2021 - Public Law 1
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| | Recent Status: | 2/18/2021 - SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
2/15/2021 - Signed by the President of the Senate
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| | State Bill Page: | SB1 |
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| SB101 | EDUCATION AND HIGHER EDUCATION MATTERS. (RAATZ J) Amends requirements regarding the development of a student's graduation plan. Provides that a student who is at least 17 years of age has full legal capacity to enter into a contract for a next generation Hoosier educators scholarship. Provides that the requirement that a postsecondary credit bearing proprietary educational institution that ceases operation submit student records to the Indiana archives and records administration applies regardless of any outstanding debts owed to the institution. Repeals a provision that requires a student to develop an initial graduation plan in grade 6. |
| | Current Status: | 4/1/2021 - Public Law 9
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| | Recent Status: | 4/1/2021 - SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
3/31/2021 - Received by the Governor
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| | State Bill Page: | SB101 |
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| SB196 | EDUCATION MATTERS. (RAATZ J) Requires the state board of education (state board) to adopt administrative rules to allow an organization to provide credit under a Core 40 curriculum model for alternative programs in which students obtain credit counting toward the student's graduation requirements from nonschool educational experience that applies or incorporates content area knowledge in lieu of a required or elective course in the Core 40 curriculum model. |
| | Current Status: | 4/19/2021 - Public Law 73
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| | Recent Status: | 4/19/2021 - SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
4/19/2021 - Received by the Governor
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| | State Bill Page: | SB196 |
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