As previewed in last week’s Tech Talk, this week I offer you a summary of “tech-related” bills that were filed and are “moving” during the current legislative session. Below are the bill numbers, authors, status and descriptions.
Quick disclaimer about the descriptions: They are not comprehensive and only include the most relevant portions of the synopsis and technology references. Click on the link to each bill for more information, and please feel free to contact me with your input or any questions.
SB 3 – Telehealth Matters (Charbonneau)
Passed by Senate, 47-0.
Specifies certain activities that are considered to be health care services for purposes of the telehealth laws. Expands the application of the telehealth statute to additional licensed practitioners instead of applying only to prescribers. Specifies that a patient waives confidentiality of medical information concerning individuals in the vicinity when the patient is using telehealth. Prohibits certain insurance policies and individual and group contracts from mandating the use of certain technology applications in the provision of telehealth services.
SB 142 – Age Verification for Tobacco and Vaping Sales (Bray)
Passed by Public Policy Committee, 10-0.
Makes it a Class C infraction if a person or retail establishment sells or distributes tobacco, an e-liquid or an electronic cigarette without performing age verification of the purchaser with scanning technology or an automated software system. Provides that a good faith effort to verify the age of a purchaser of e-liquids includes performing age verification with scanning technology or an automated software system.
SB 213 (Holdman), HBs 1218 (Heine) & 1545 (Ellington) – Certified Technology Parks
Only SB 213 is scheduled for a hearing – Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee on February 16.
Among the three CTP bills, it seems that SB 213 is the one to watch. It increases, from $100,000 to $250,000, the annual additional incremental income tax deposit amount that a CTP captures once it has reached its limit on deposits.
HB 1545 would increase incremental income to $500,000 annually and provide an additional deposit to a CTP located in Crane, Indiana, or within a radius of five miles of a qualified military base.
SB 239 – Remote Provision of Child and Family Services (L. Brown)
Passed by Senate 48-0.
Requires the department of child services (DCS) to establish before October 1, 2021, policies and procedures to allow for child and family services to be provided remotely. Requires a child and family services provider to collaborate with DCS in determining whether remote services are appropriate in a particular case and allows the provider to provide services remotely at the provider’s discretion until DCS makes the final determination.
HB 1168 – Electric Vehicles and Advanced Technology (Karickhoff)
Passed by House Ways and Means Committee, 24-0.
Establishes the electric vehicle product commission to evaluate the existing inventory of facilities, workforce and training capabilities, as well as to identify opportunities for preparing the future of our state to accommodate EV manufacturing.
HB 1072 – Personal Delivery Devices (Sullivan)
Passed by House, 95-0.
I call this the “robot bill”; provides that a personal delivery “device” (i.e., robot) may operate in Indiana under certain circumstances, but may not operate on portions of any state route, U.S. route or interstate highway comprising the state highway system located in a municipality. Provides that a personal delivery device is exempt from motor vehicle licensing and registration requirements. Provides that a political subdivision may participate in the regulation of personal delivery devices. Provides that local governments shall not be required to make or pay for infrastructure improvements for the purpose of better accommodating personal delivery devices. Provides that a political subdivision may not enact or enforce an ordinance or resolution relating to: (1) the design, manufacture, maintenance, certification, licensing, registration, taxation, assessment or insurance of a personal delivery device; or (2) the types of property that may be transported by a personal delivery device.
HB 1082 – High Tech Crimes Unit Program (Steuerwald)
Passed by Courts and Criminal Code Committee, 12-0. Recommitted to Ways & Means.
Establishes the high-tech crimes unit fund for the purpose of establishing up to 10 high-tech crimes units that collectively represent the north, south, east, west and central geographic areas of Indiana to enhance the ability of prosecuting attorneys to investigate, collect evidence and prosecute high-tech crimes.
HB 1156 – Prohibition on Microchipping Employees (Morrison)
Passed by House, 94-0.
Provides that the definition of an “employer” subject to the prohibition against requiring the implantation of devices includes the state or any individual, partnership, association, limited liability company, corporation, business trust or other governmental entity or political subdivision that has one or more employees. (NOTE: Last year, the general assembly made it illegal to require an employee to implant, inject or ingest an acoustic, optical, electrical, etc. device. HB 1156 merely defines “employer.”)
HB 1169 – Cybersecurity Incidents (Karickhoff)
Passed by House, 95-0.
Requires the office of technology to maintain a repository of cybersecurity incidents. Provides that a state agency and a political subdivision shall: (1) report any cybersecurity incident to the office; and (2) provide the office with the name and contact information of any individual who will act as the primary reporter of a cybersecurity incident. Allows the office of technology to assist a state agency with certain issues concerning information technology. Provides that if requested by a political subdivision or a state agency, the office may develop a list of third-party technology providers that work with the office.
HB 1385 – Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Pilot Programs (Manning)
Heard by the House Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committee, held.
Authorizes an electric utility (defined for purposes of these provisions as a public utility that is subject to the jurisdiction of the utility regulatory commission [IURC]) to request approval from the IURC to implement a pilot program to do any of the following: (1) Install, own or operate charging infrastructure and make-ready infrastructure for electric vehicles. (2) Provide incentives or rebates to customers to encourage customer investment in electric vehicles and in associated individual electric vehicle infrastructure. Provides that an electric utility’s request may include a request to include customers’ rates to pay for the pilot.
HB 1416 – Remote Worker Grants and Remote Work Sites (Carbaugh)
Passed by House Commerce, Small Business and Economic Development Committee, then recommitted to House Ways and Means. Waiting for a hearing date.
Establishes the remote worker grant program (“program”). Provides that the Indiana Destination Development Corporation (IDDC) shall administer the program, including awarding grants to a new remote worker for qualifying remote worker expenses. Requires that: (1) the IDDC; and (2) the commissioner of the department of administration; shall submit reports to the legislative council.
This bill needs a hearing! Read more here about why this bill is important and how you can help.
Broadband
On Thursday (tomorrow) the Senate Utilities Committee is hearing three broadband-related bills. The synopsis for each of these bills are very long, so below are high-level overviews. They are as follows:
SB 352 – Broadband Development (Houchin)
Amends the statutory priorities for the funding of projects from the rural broadband fund to service areas in which the only available connections to the internet are at actual speeds of not more than 25 megabits per second downstream. Provides that prior to opening a funding round that the state can request from internet service providers data identifying each service address for which the person provides broadband service in a rural area, including information on upload and download speeds of the service provided; and (2) information identifying service addresses or other locations in rural areas to which the person will provide eligible broadband service.
SB 359 – Broadband Projects (Baldwin)
Permits a unit of local government to finance broadband projects through the issuance of taxable or tax-exempt bonds to be repaid by a broadband provider under the terms of a financing agreement. Provides that a broadband project must make broadband services available to all known addresses and public streets in a geographic area that includes at least one census tract. Requires the fiscal body of a unit to: (1) hold a public hearing to approve a financing agreement; and (2) adopt an ordinance if the financing agreement is approved. Requires a broadband provider to pledge the fees for services generated from a broadband project as its primary source of funds for payment under a financing agreement.
SB 377 – Broadband Development (Zay)
Establishes the Indiana broadband expansion fund (“fund”) for deposit and distribution of federal broadband funding and calls for an appropriation of $100,000,000 to the fund, which will be distributed proportionally to the (1) rural broadband fund, (2) the connectivity program, and (3) the adoption program.
(1) The rural broadband fund is similar to the existing fund except that it, similar to SB 352, amends the priorities and revises the priorities for the funding of projects.
(2) The connectivity program permits residents and businesses to submit their address to an online portal to report that they have slow broadband. Then, providers may bid on a grant to service those addresses.
(3) The adoption program, through which the state will provide financial assistance to an individual who reports through the public broadband portal that: (1) Internet connectivity or broadband internet connectivity is available at the individual’s address; but (2) the individual is unable to afford the service.
Again, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or comments as I always enjoy hearing from our readers.
One last albeit unrelated announcement:
Applications for the 2021 Innovate WithIN™ pitch competition, a statewide initiative hosted by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) and the STARTedUP Foundation, are open to high school students across Indiana. Applications opened earlier this year, and student teams are encouraged to continue submitting video pitches before Feb. 28. Learn more here.
Adam H. Berry is vice president of economic development and technology at the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. He joined the organization in 2019.
