Indiana 2025 Regular Session

Indiana Senate Bill SB0417 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2	Introduced Version
3	3	SENATE BILL No. 417
4	4	_____
5	5	DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL
6	6	Citations Affected: IC 4-2-7.
7	7	Synopsis: Inspector general government efficiency report. Requires
8	8	the inspector general to annually do the following: (1) Beginning in
9	9	2026, prepare a current list of all boards, committees, and commissions
10	10	of the executive, including administrative branch (commissions), and
11	11	send the list to the legislative council. (2) Beginning in 2027, conduct
12	12	efficiency reviews of at least 25% of the active commissions and report
13	13	the review results to the legislative council.
14	14	Effective: July 1, 2025.
15	15	Carrasco
16	16	January 13, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary.
17	17	2025 IN 417—LS 7498/DI 87 Introduced
18	18	First Regular Session of the 124th General Assembly (2025)
19	19	PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana
20	20	Constitution) is being amended, the text of the existing provision will appear in this style type,
21	21	additions will appear in this style type, and deletions will appear in this style type.
22	22	Additions: Whenever a new statutory provision is being enacted (or a new constitutional
23	23	provision adopted), the text of the new provision will appear in this style type. Also, the
24	24	word NEW will appear in that style type in the introductory clause of each SECTION that adds
25	25	a new provision to the Indiana Code or the Indiana Constitution.
26	26	Conflict reconciliation: Text in a statute in this style type or this style type reconciles conflicts
27	27	between statutes enacted by the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
28	28	SENATE BILL No. 417
29	29	A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning state
30	30	offices and administration.
31	31	Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
32	32	1 SECTION 1. IC 4-2-7-3, AS AMENDED BY P.L.201-2023,
33	33	2 SECTION 54, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
34	34	3 JULY 1, 2025]: Sec. 3. The inspector general shall do the following:
35	35	4 (1) Initiate, supervise, and coordinate investigations.
36	36	5 (2) Recommend policies and carry out other activities designed to
37	37	6 deter, detect, and eradicate fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement,
38	38	7 and misconduct in state government.
39	39	8 (3) Receive complaints alleging the following:
40	40	9 (A) A violation of the code of ethics.
41	41	10 (B) Bribery (IC 35-44.1-1-2).
42	42	11 (C) Official misconduct (IC 35-44.1-1-1).
43	43	12 (D) Conflict of interest (IC 35-44.1-1-4).
44	44	13 (E) Profiteering from public service (IC 35-44.1-1-5).
45	45	14 (F) A violation of the executive branch lobbying rules.
46	46	15 (G) A violation of a statute or rule relating to the purchase of
47	47	16 goods or services by a current or former employee, state
48	48	17 officer, special state appointee, lobbyist, or person who has a
49	49	2025 IN 417—LS 7498/DI 87 2
50	50	1 business relationship with an agency.
51	51	2 (4) If the inspector general has reasonable cause to believe that a
52	52	3 crime has occurred or is occurring, report the suspected crime to:
53	53	4 (A) the governor; and
54	54	5 (B) appropriate state or federal law enforcement agencies and
55	55	6 prosecuting authorities having jurisdiction over the matter.
56	56	7 (5) Adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 to implement IC 4-2-6 and this
57	57	8 chapter.
58	58	9 (6) Adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 and section 5 of this chapter to
59	59	10 implement a code of ethics.
60	60	11 (7) Ensure that every:
61	61	12 (A) employee;
62	62	13 (B) state officer;
63	63	14 (C) special state appointee; and
64	64	15 (D) person who has a business relationship with an agency;
65	65	16 is properly trained in the code of ethics.
66	66	17 (8) Provide advice to an agency on developing, implementing,
67	67	18 and enforcing policies and procedures to prevent or reduce the
68	68	19 risk of fraudulent or wrongful acts within the agency.
69	69	20 (9) Provide informal advisory opinions to current, former, and
70	70	21 prospective state employees, state officers, and special state
71	71	22 appointees. An informal advisory opinion issued by the office of
72	72	23 the inspector general is confidential under IC 5-14-3-4, including
73	73	24 any previously issued informal advisory opinion by the office of
74	74	25 the inspector general that recites that it is confidential.
75	75	26 (10) Recommend legislation to the governor and general assembly
76	76	27 to strengthen public integrity laws, including the code of ethics
77	77	28 for state officers, employees, special state appointees, and persons
78	78	29 who have a business relationship with an agency, including
79	79	30 whether additional specific state officers, employees, or special
80	80	31 state appointees should be required to file a financial disclosure
81	81	32 statement under IC 4-2-6-8.
82	82	33 (11) Annually submit a report to the legislative council detailing
83	83	34 the inspector general's activities. The report must be in an
84	84	35 electronic format under IC 5-14-6.
85	85	36 (12) Prescribe and provide forms for statements required to be
86	86	37 filed under IC 4-2-6 or this chapter.
87	87	38 (13) Accept and file information that:
88	88	39 (A) is voluntarily supplied; and
89	89	40 (B) exceeds the requirements of this chapter.
90	90	41 (14) Inspect financial disclosure forms.
91	91	42 (15) Notify persons who fail to file forms required under IC 4-2-6
92	92	2025 IN 417—LS 7498/DI 87 3
93	93	1 or this chapter.
94	94	2 (16) Develop a filing, a coding, and an indexing system required
95	95	3 by IC 4-2-6 and IC 35-44.1-1.
96	96	4 (17) Prepare interpretive and educational materials and programs.
97	97	5 (18) Annually:
98	98	6 (A) conduct efficiency reviews; and
99	99	7 (B) report to the legislative council in an electronic format
100	100	8 under IC 5-14-6;
101	101	9 under section 3.5 of this chapter.
102	102	10 SECTION 2. IC 4-2-7-3.5 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE
103	103	11 AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY
104	104	12 1, 2025]: Sec. 3.5. (a) As used in this section, "commission" means
105	105	13 a board, committee, or commission of the executive, including the
106	106	14 administrative, department of state government that is authorized
107	107	15 by statute or executive order and functions in a policy or advisory
108	108	16 role. The term includes a body corporate and politic established as
109	109	17 an instrumentality of the state.
110	110	18 (b) Not later than July 1, 2026, and before every July 1
111	111	19 thereafter, the inspector general shall do the following:
112	112	20 (1) Compile a list of all commissions.
113	113	21 (2) Indicate whether each commission on the list functions as
114	114	22 an advisory body or policy making body that has the
115	115	23 authority in statute or executive order to make policy or
116	116	24 regulatory decisions on behalf of a state agency.
117	117	25 (3) Send the list, including annual updates, to the legislative
118	118	26 council in an electronic format under IC 5-14-6.
119	119	27 (c) Not later than July 1, 2027, and before every July 1
120	120	28 thereafter, the inspector general shall:
121	121	29 (1) conduct an efficiency review of not less than twenty-five
122	122	30 percent (25%) of the commissions still authorized by statute
123	123	31 or executive order; and
124	124	32 (2) report the results of the efficiency review to the legislative
125	125	33 council in an electronic format under IC 5-14-6.
126	126	34 The inspector general shall have discretion in selecting which
127	127	35 commissions to review each year.
128	128	36 (d) The inspector general shall conduct an efficiency review for
129	129	37 each commission on the list created under subsection (b)(1) at least
130	130	38 once every four (4) years.
131	131	39 (e) The report under subsection (c) shall include the following:
132	132	40 (1) The results of the efficiency review of active commissions
133	133	41 under subsection (c)(1). A commission selected for review
134	134	42 shall be evaluated as to whether the commission:
135	135	2025 IN 417—LS 7498/DI 87 4
136	136	1 (A) creates clear and measurable net economic or other
137	137	2 tangible benefits that accrue generally to all citizens of the
138	138	3 state, even in the absence of federal funding;
139	139	4 (B) clearly fills a necessary function that only the
140	140	5 government can fill;
141	141	6 (C) is fulfilling the commission's function as provided in
142	142	7 statute or executive order;
143	143	8 (D) is likely to result in a financial obligation to the state;
144	144	9 (E) is using funds appropriated by the general assembly for
145	145	10 the purpose of accomplishing the commission's intended
146	146	11 purpose; and
147	147	12 (F) is required by federal law.
148	148	13 (2) An analysis of how the state may allocate resources
149	149	14 currently provided to the commissions reviewed under
150	150	15 subsection (c)(1) in a more efficient and fiscally responsible
151	151	16 manner, including:
152	152	17 (A) streamlining, reorganizing, consolidating, contracting
153	153	18 out, or eliminating functions performed by the
154	154	19 commission;
155	155	20 (B) if a commission is overstaffed, reducing duplicative
156	156	21 staffing;
157	157	22 (C) if a commission is understaffed, ensuring adequate
158	158	23 staffing;
159	159	24 (D) increasing the commission's capacity to deliver services
160	160	25 and improve responsiveness to citizens;
161	161	26 (E) improving the use of cost saving information
162	162	27 technology in service delivery and lessening the need for
163	163	28 paperwork; and
164	164	29 (F) establishing techniques for measuring productivity and
165	165	30 evaluating commission performance.
166	166	2025 IN 417—LS 7498/DI 87