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Thursday, July 01, 2004

Indiana Law - Many New Laws Take Effect Today

Following up on our entry Sunday on the new Indiana laws taking effect today, July 1, here are some of today's reports on the new laws.

The Indianapolis Star reports here. Some quotes:

Tens of thousands of Hoosier businesses and individuals owing overdue state taxes will have their identities and tax debts posted on the Internet beginning today as dozens of new Indiana laws take effect.

In addition, nearly every detail related to taxpayer-financed pensions of lawmakers, judges, prosecutors and public safety officers became secret at midnight.

Another new law, however, could open child welfare files to public scrutiny after children die of abuse or neglect.

Here is a Star sidebar titled "Some laws aim to protect children and other vulnerable residents."

Observation. The Indiana General Assembly used to put out a handy publication at the end of every session summarizing all the laws enacted, with indices and tables in the back. Unless I've missed something, or it is only available in print but not online, it looks like now you have to cobble together much of the information yourself, using the 2004 Digest of Enactments (which complies in order of Bill Number the digests from each bill that became law) and the 2004 Enrolled Act Summary (a table that lists the bills that became law, along with effective dates and the Public Law number assigned to the act). If you want to easily convert between bill (enrolled act) numbers and public law numbers you will need to download two other tables (PL to EA and EA to PL).

Background Check Law. The problematic HEA 1194, also discussed in our entry Sunday, is the subject of this story today in the Star. Some quotes:

A controversial part of a law that required, beginning today, FBI background checks of everyone in the home of a relative wanting to provide foster care to a child was blocked by a Marion County judge Wednesday.

Had the background-check provision taken effect, Child Protection Services caseworkers would have had to place children with strangers in foster care before considering placing the child with a grandmother or other close relative, said Ken Falk, legal director of the Indiana Civil Liberties Union, which filed the legal challenge Friday.

"Everyone knew there was a problem with this law that had to be fixed. I think this is a good solution," Falk said.

Other parts of House Enrolled Act 1194 took effect at 12:01 a.m. today. They include requiring that parents under investigation be informed of their rights, opening the records of children killed as a result of abuse or neglect, and establishing a state task force to investigate child deaths.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on July 1, 2004 07:27 AM
Posted to Indiana Law