Introduced Version
HOUSE BILL No. 1220
_____
DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL
Citations Affected: IC 4-6-2-1.5; IC 32-34-1.5.
Synopsis: Office of the attorney general. Requires a teacher's
electronic mail address to be used for sending the annual summary of
a teacher's rights and protections. Removes the requirement that the
attorney general publish an annual newspaper notice regarding
unclaimed property held by the attorney general with a value of more
than $100.
Effective: July 1, 2025.
Karickhoff, Bascom
January 9, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Government and Regulatory
Reform.
2025 IN 1220—LS 6844/DI 87 Introduced
First Regular Session of the 124th General Assembly (2025)
PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana
Constitution) is being amended, the text of the existing provision will appear in this style type,
additions will appear in this style type, and deletions will appear in this style type.
Additions: Whenever a new statutory provision is being enacted (or a new constitutional
provision adopted), the text of the new provision will appear in this style type. Also, the
word NEW will appear in that style type in the introductory clause of each SECTION that adds
a new provision to the Indiana Code or the Indiana Constitution.
Conflict reconciliation: Text in a statute in this style type or this style type reconciles conflicts
between statutes enacted by the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
HOUSE BILL No. 1220
A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning state
offices and administration.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
1 SECTION 1. IC 4-6-2-1.5, AS AMENDED BY P.L.184-2023,
2 SECTION 1, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
3 JULY 1, 2025]: Sec. 1.5. (a) Whenever any state governmental official
4 or employee, whether elected or appointed, is made a party to a suit,
5 and the attorney general determines that said suit has arisen out of an
6 act which such official or employee in good faith believed to be within
7 the scope of the official's or employee's duties as prescribed by statute
8 or duly adopted regulation, the attorney general shall defend such
9 person throughout such action.
10 (b) Whenever a teacher (as defined in IC 20-18-2-22) is made a
11 party to a civil suit, and the attorney general determines that the suit
12 has arisen out of an act that the teacher in good faith believed was
13 within the scope of the teacher's duties in enforcing discipline policies
14 developed under IC 20-33-8-12, the attorney general shall defend the
15 teacher throughout the action.
16 (c) Not later than July 30 of each year, the attorney general, in
17 consultation with the Indiana education employment relations board
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1 established in IC 20-29-3-1, shall draft and disseminate a letter by first
2 class electronic mail to the residence listed electronic mail address
3 of teachers providing a summary of the teacher's rights and protections
4 under state and federal law, including a teacher's rights and protections
5 relating to the teacher's performance evaluation under IC 20-28-11.5.
6 (d) The department of education, in consultation with the Indiana
7 education employment relations board, shall develop a method to
8 provide the attorney general with the names and electronic mail
9 addresses of active teachers in Indiana in order for the attorney general
10 to disseminate the letter described in subsection (c). Names and
11 electronic mail addresses collected and provided to the attorney
12 general under this subsection are confidential and excepted from public
13 disclosure as provided in IC 5-14-3-4.
14 (e) Whenever a school corporation (as defined in IC 20-26-2-4) is
15 made a party to a civil suit and the attorney general determines that the
16 suit has arisen out of an act authorized under IC 20-30-5-0.5 or
17 IC 20-30-5-4.5, the attorney general shall defend the school corporation
18 throughout the action.
19 (f) As used in this subsection, "bridge authority" refers to the New
20 Harmony and Wabash River bridge authority established by
21 IC 8-16-15.5-2. Whenever:
22 (1) the bridge authority;
23 (2) a member of the bridge authority;
24 (3) an officer of the bridge authority; or
25 (4) an employee of the bridge authority;
26 is made a party to a civil suit and the attorney general determines that
27 the suit has arisen out of an act or omission of any person described in
28 subdivision (1), (2), (3), or (4), that is authorized or required under
29 IC 8-16-15.5 or any other law, the attorney general shall defend that
30 person throughout the action.
31 (g) A determination by the attorney general under subsection (a),
32 (b), (e), or (f) shall not be admitted as evidence in the trial of any such
33 civil action for damages.
34 (h) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to deprive any such
35 person of the person's right to select counsel of the person's own choice
36 at the person's own expense.
37 SECTION 2. IC 32-34-1.5-25, AS ADDED BY P.L.141-2021,
38 SECTION 20, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
39 JULY 1, 2025]: Sec. 25. (a) The attorney general shall give notice to an
40 apparent owner that property presumed abandoned and appearing to be
41 owned by the apparent owner is held by the attorney general under this
42 chapter by
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1 (1) publishing once per year in at least one (1) newspaper of
2 general circulation to each county of the state notice of property
3 with a value greater than one hundred dollars ($100) held by the
4 attorney general, which must include:
5 (A) the name of each apparent owner residing in the county, as
6 set forth in the report filed by the holder;
7 (B) the last known address or location of each apparent owner
8 residing in the county, if an address or a location is set forth in
9 the report filed by the holder;
10 (C) a statement explaining that the property of the apparent
11 owner is presumed abandoned and has been taken into the
12 protective custody of the attorney general;
13 (D) a statement that information about the abandoned property
14 and its return to the apparent owner is available from the
15 attorney general to a person having a legal or beneficial
16 interest in the property;
17 (E) the web address of the unclaimed property Internet web
18 site maintained by the attorney general;
19 (F) a telephone number and electronic mail address to contact
20 the attorney general to inquire about or claim property; and
21 (G) a statement that a person may access the Internet by a
22 computer to search for unclaimed property and a computer
23 may be available as a service to the public at a local public
24 library; and
25 (2) maintaining an Internet web site a website or data base
26 accessible by the public and electronically searchable which
27 contains the names reported to the attorney general of all apparent
28 owners for whom property valued at ten dollars ($10) or more is
29 being held by the attorney general.
30 (b) The Internet web site website or data base maintained under
31 subsection (a)(2) (a) must include instructions for filing with the
32 attorney general a claim to property and a printable claim form with
33 instructions for its use.
34 (c) In addition to publishing the information under subsection (a)(1)
35 and maintaining the Internet web site website or data base under
36 subsection (a)(2), (a), the attorney general may use other printed
37 publication, telecommunication, the Internet, or other media to inform
38 the public of the existence of unclaimed property held by the attorney
39 general.
40 SECTION 3. IC 32-34-1.5-79, AS ADDED BY P.L.141-2021,
41 SECTION 20, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
42 JULY 1, 2025]: Sec. 79. (a) When reasonably necessary to enforce or
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1 implement this chapter, the attorney general may disclose confidential
2 information concerning property held by the attorney general or the
3 attorney general's agent only to:
4 (1) an apparent owner or the apparent owner's personal
5 representative, attorney, other legal representative, relative, or
6 agent designated under section 76 of this chapter to have the
7 information;
8 (2) the personal representative, other legal representative, relative
9 of a deceased apparent owner, agent designated under section 76
10 of this chapter by the deceased apparent owner, or a person
11 entitled to inherit from the deceased apparent owner;
12 (3) another department or agency of this state or the United
13 States;
14 (4) the person that administers the unclaimed property law of
15 another state, if the other state accords substantially reciprocal
16 privileges to the attorney general of this state if the other state is
17 required to maintain the confidentiality and security of
18 information obtained in a manner substantially equivalent to
19 sections 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, and 84 of this chapter; and
20 (5) a person subject to an examination under section 55(6) of this
21 chapter.
22 (b) Except as otherwise provided in section 78(a) of this chapter, the
23 attorney general shall include on the Internet web site website or in the
24 data base required by section 25(a)(2) 25(a) of this chapter the name
25 of each apparent owner of property held by the attorney general. The
26 attorney general may include in published notices, printed publications,
27 telecommunications, the Internet, or other media and on the Internet
28 web site website or in the data base additional information concerning
29 the apparent owner's property if the attorney general believes the
30 information will assist in identifying and returning property to the
31 owner and does not disclose personal information except the home or
32 physical address of an apparent owner.
33 (c) The attorney general and the attorney general's agent may not
34 use confidential information provided to them or in their possession
35 except as expressly authorized by this chapter or required by another
36 law of this state.
2025 IN 1220—LS 6844/DI 87