Maddy summaryHB 1230 establishes a school safety specialist training program for Indiana schools, requiring annual training on bullying prevention, criminal activity prevention, and threats on school property. It mandates the Department of Education to develop a curriculum covering these topics and creates a certification process for safety specialists. The bill expands anti-bullying rules to include cyberbullying (defined as bullying via digital devices) and requires schools to report off-campus incidents to law enforcement. Additionally, it requires all school staff to complete annual human trafficking identification and reporting training, with resources provided to schools and parents. These provisions apply to all public school corporations, charter schools, and accredited nonpublic schools.
Sponsored bills
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.
Modifies the definition of "protected person" for purposes of the admission of a statement or videotape of an individual who is less than 14 years of age at the time of the offense but less than 18 years of age at the time of trial. Provides that a person who knowingly or intentionally: (1) pays, or offers or agrees to pay, money or other property; or (2) offers a benefit; for a human trafficking victim with the specific intent to induce or obtain the product or act for which the human trafficking victim was trafficked commits human trafficking, a Level 4 felony. Specifies that consent by the human trafficking victim is not a defense to a prosecution. Requires law enforcement agencies to report human trafficking investigations to the attorney general within 30 days after an investigation begins. Makes a technical correction.
Provides that the dyslexia screening and intervention provisions apply to: (1) qualified districts or qualified high schools; and (2) innovation network schools. Provides that the following may not waive or suspend the dyslexia screening and intervention provisions: (1) A coalition of continuous improvement school districts. (2) State accredited public schools. Adds, for consistency, the dyslexia screening and intervention provisions to the list of statutes that apply to charter schools. (Under current law, the dyslexia screening and intervention requirements already apply to charter schools because of the language in the dyslexia screening and intervention provisions.)
Provides that a policy adopted by a school corporation, charter school, or nonpublic school with at least one employee addressing expanded criminal history checks or expanded child protection index checks (background checks) must prohibit the hiring of, continuing the employment of, contracting with, or continuing to contract with a person who has been convicted of an offense requiring license revocation, unless the conviction has been reversed, vacated, or set aside on appeal. (Current law provides that such a policy addressing background checks must prohibit the hiring of a person who has been convicted of an offense requiring license revocation, unless the conviction has been reversed, vacated, or set aside on appeal.) Provides that: (1) a school corporation; (2) a charter school; or (3) an entity: (A) with which a school corporation contracts for services; and (B) that has employees who are likely to have direct, ongoing contact with children within the scope of the employees' employment; shall consider whether information obtained from the background checks concerning an individual's conviction for certain offenses constitutes grounds to not employ, not contract with, or to terminate the employment of or contract with the individual. Provides that, in the event that an entity obtains information that an individual employed by the entity who works at a particular school corporation or charter school has been convicted of certain offenses, the entity shall immediately notify the school corporation or charter school of the employee's conviction. Makes changes to the list of offenses for which the department of education shall permanently revoke a teacher's license. Makes conforming changes.
Modifies the newborn safety device requirements that apply to a fire department. Modifies the immunity provisions applicable to certain individuals and entities that take custody of a child or operate a newborn safety device. Makes conforming changes.
Requires a governing body of a school corporation (school board) to allow each member of the public attending a meeting (attendee) the opportunity to provide oral public comment. Allows a school board to permit oral public comment at a public meeting that is conducted electronically during a state or local disaster emergency. Restricts the circumstances in which the governing body of a state or local public agency may hold a virtual meeting during a declared disaster emergency without any of the governing body members physically present.
Provides for protection for a buyer who purchases a converted motor vehicle for personal, noncommercial use, when the converted motor vehicle suffers from a nonconformity.
Provides that a recreational vehicle campground that is not connected to a public sewer system may include one or more holding tanks in which wastewater from recreational vehicles is stored before processing. Limits the capacity of a holding tank to not more than 10,000 gallons.
Designates the mastodon as the official state fossil of Indiana.