Beginning in taxable year 2027, increases the credit provided for a contribution to an Indiana529 savings plan against a taxpayer's adjusted gross income from $1,500 to $2,500 (and from $750 to $1,250 in the case of a married individual filing a separate return), subject to other requirements.
Allows the legislative body of a county and certain cities to adopt a resolution to place a referendum on the ballot to impose a local preschool referendum tax levy (levy) to fund administration of a preschool program and provide tuition and other assistance. Allows a unit to impose a levy if approved by a majority of the voters. Provides that voters may not approve a levy that is imposed for more than eight years. Specifies procedures for the referendum. Provides that a unit that imposes a levy must establish a preschool education program and a local preschool education referendum tax levy fund.
Provides that provisions regarding the following apply to charter schools: (1) Child suicide awareness and prevention policy requirements. (2) Staff performance evaluation plan requirements. (3) Curriculum. (4) Student discipline. (5) Criminal organization activity. (6) Student safety reporting. (7) Government funds and accounts. (8) Certain notice requirements regarding convictions of licensed employees. Removes the charter board, state educational institutions, and nonprofit college or university governing boards from the definition of an authorizer. After June 30, 2026, provides that the charter board, state educational institutions, and governing boards may not issue new charters or renew existing charters. After June 30, 2026, establishes a five year moratorium that prohibits an authorizer from granting a charter to an organizer to establish and operate a charter school in Indiana. Requires charter schools to provide transportation services to all students who reside within the public school district within which the charter school is located. Exempts school corporations subject to certain property tax sharing requirements from the dollar law. Changes the maximum charter school contract term to five years. Provides that a charter must contain a provision to appoint certain persons to the governing board of the charter school. Requires any public meeting of a charter school governing board where the annual budget is adopted to be held in the county in which the charter school is located. Prohibits certain charter schools from receiving state funding, or from receiving funding from operation fund property tax levies, operating referendum tax levies, and school safety referendum tax levies. Removes, expires, and repeals provisions that require school corporations to share operation fund property tax levy, operating referendum tax levy, and school safety referendum tax levy funds with charter schools. Makes conforming changes.
Requires each state educational institution that offers a two year graduate degree program in mental or behavioral health to evaluate the graduate degree program to determine the feasibility of providing the program in a specifically structured manner to allow full-time students to complete the program within: (1) one year; or (2) five years if the program is combined with a baccalaureate degree program. Requires certain state educational institutions to offer at least one graduate degree program in one or more certain disciplines that is structured to allow full-time students to complete the program within: (1) one year; or (2) five years if the program is combined with a baccalaureate degree program. Requires certain state educational institutions to report to the commission for higher education (commission) regarding the graduate degree programs. Requires the commission to post the submitted reports on the commission's website.
Provides that the commission for higher education may allow a student who does not meet full-time enrollment or credit hour requirements under the twenty-first century scholars program to be eligible or to maintain eligibility for a twenty-first century scholarship award if the student is a student with a disability and meets certain other requirements. Provides that a scholarship may be renewed for the student for the number of academic terms that constitute eight undergraduate academic years. Makes conforming changes.
Establishes the hunger-free campus grant program (grant program) to provide grants to state educational institutions for purposes of addressing food insecurity among students enrolled in state educational institutions. Provides that the commission for higher education (commission) shall provide a grant under the grant program to a state educational institution if at least one campus is designated by the commission as a hunger-free campus. Establishes criteria that a campus of a state educational institution must meet in order to be designated as a hunger-free campus. Makes an appropriation.
Provides that the commission for higher education shall determine a tuition rate and mandatory fee cost of living adjustment for specified postsecondary educational institutions. Requires that, except for cost of living adjustments, the tuition rate and mandatory fees at specified postsecondary educational institutions may not increase from the time the student initially enrolls until the student graduates for an undergraduate student who is an Indiana resident.
