STATE OF INDIANA
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
INDIANAPOLIS
FOR: ADDITIONAL DIRECTIVES IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY
TO ALL WHOM THESE PRESENTS MAY COME, GREETINGS:
WHEREAS, on March 6, 2020, I issued Executive Order 20-02
[20200311-IR-GOV200091EOA] which declared a public health emergency exists throughout the State of Indiana as result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in the United States and a confirmed report of the disease in our state;
WHEREAS, since then, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a global pandemic, and on March 13, 2020, the President of the United States declared a national emergency with respect to this dangerous virus;
WHEREAS, the virus has now spread to every county throughout Indiana. On March 6th, the ISDH confirmed the first case of COVID-19 and on March 16th, the ISDH reported the first death in Indiana due to COVID-19. Within the span of 6 weeks, Indiana now has over 23,000 confirmed cases with over 1300 deaths. Unfortunately, we expect these numbers to continue and rapidly increase in the days ahead. On April 3, 2020, and again on May 1, 2020, I extended the declaration of a public health emergency for an additional thirty (30) days each time;
WHEREAS, the financial impact on Hoosiers has been significant and severe with over 600,000 Hoosiers applying for unemployment benefits in the first 2 months of the public health emergency;
WHEREAS, despite significant steps being taken in our State, this virus remains a serious threat to the health, safety, and welfare of all residents of Indiana;
WHEREAS, those who work in clinics, hospitals, and care facilities are the dauntless heroes fighting this disease and are being stretched to capacity and beyond, requiring additional steps to reinforce them;
WHEREAS, as Governor, under Indiana's Emergency Management and Disaster Law, Ind. Code ch. 10-14-3 ("Emergency Disaster Law"), I have been given broad authority to take actions necessary to prepare for and respond to the prompt and efficient rescue, care and treatment of persons victimized or threatened by disasters, which include an epidemic, public health emergency and any other public calamity requiring emergency action; and
WHEREAS, as Governor, my authority and powers under the Emergency Disaster Law to declare and respond to public health emergencies on behalf of our State, specifically include:
° making, amending and rescinding the necessary orders, rules and regulations to carry out the response to a disaster; and
° suspending the provisions of any regulatory statute prescribing the procedures for conduct of state business, including the orders, rules or regulations of any state agency if strict compliance with any of these provisions would in any way prevent, hinder or delay necessary action in coping with the emergency.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Eric J. Holcomb, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Governor by the Indiana Constitution and the laws of the State of Indiana, do hereby order:
1. Election Worker Stipend and Unemployment Compensation Benefit Payments
To encourage recruitment of poll workers for Indiana's upcoming primary election, I suspend the relevant portions of Ind. Code § 22-4-5-1 to prohibit any stipend paid to any individual working the polls for Indiana's Primary Election on June 2, 2020 from being considered "deductible income" under Indiana unemployment compensation benefit laws. Therefore, individuals who are receiving unemployment compensation benefits and who receive a stipend or compensation for working as a poll worker in Indiana on June 2, 2020 will not have any unemployment benefit reduced by payment of the stipend. Nothing in this directive shall impact the way in which a stipend payment is considered for federal and state income tax purposes.
2. Extension of Waiver of Late Fees and Penalties by the Bureau of Motor Vehicle
A. The Commissioner shall further extend deadlines for renewal of driver's license or identification cards, vehicle registration renewals, title transactions, salvage titles, and off-road vehicle and snowmobile titles by suspending the imposition of administrative penalty fees (late fees) through June 4, 2020 from the prior extension of May 22, 2020 as provided in Executive Orders 20-05
[20200401-IR-GOV200191EOA] & 20-09
[20200401-IR-GOV200195EOA].
B. The Superintendent of State Police is directed to notify all law enforcement agencies within Indiana of the further extension of expiration of State-issued identification cards drivers licenses, vehicle registration renewals and firearms licenses and must make reasonable efforts to notify law enforcement of this extension in other states.
C. Law enforcement agencies within Indiana should suspend enforcement actions against individuals solely based on expired credentials, licenses, and registrations which occur during this public health emergency.
3. Extension of Certain Tax Deadlines
The Indiana Department of Revenue shall take such action as is necessary to ensure Indiana conforms to the relief provided by the United States Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service under Notices 2020-18 and 2020-23 by providing an extension of time related to state income tax liabilities. These actions shall include:
a. Extending the due dates for individual second quarter estimated payments (Indiana Form IT-40ES) from June 15 to July 15, 2020;
b. Extending the due date for corporate estimated payments (Indiana Form IT-6, FT-QP and URT-Q) due on April 20, May 20 or June 22 to July 15, 2020;
c. Extending the due date for corporate tax returns (Indiana Form IT-20, IT-41, IT-65, IT-20S, FIT-20, IT-6WTH, URT-1, IT-20NP and NP-20) due on May 15, June 15 or July 15 to August 17, 2020. This includes returns subject to an extended due date of April 15, May 15, June 15 or July 15, 2020, and therefore, the safe harbor date for paying 100% of tax due is also extended accordingly; and
d. Extending the deadline, meaning the statute of limitations, for filing a claim for refund of income tax currently set to expire on or after April 1, 2020, to July 15, 2020. This includes refunds of withholding or estimated tax paid for 2016 from April 15, 2020 to July 15, 2020.
4. Renewals of Professional Licenses, Certificates & Permits
The expiration of any state agency-issued license, certification or permit which has expired during, or is set to expire during, this public health emergency shall be further extended automatically to June 4, 2020 from the prior extension of May 22, 2020, as provided in Executive Order 20-09
[20200401-IR-GOV200195EOA]. This suspension and extension of expiration dates applies to, among other things, occupational, professional and firearms licenses held by Hoosiers. This provision further extends
This extension does not suspend or change any other renewal requirement for any license, certification or permit.
5. Access to COVID-19 Test Results by Health Care Providers
In order to expedite and facilitate health care provider access to COVID-19 test results for their patients, Ind. Code § 16-41-8-1 is waived to the extent necessary to allow the Indiana Health Information Exchange, Inc. to receive COVID-19 information in the Indiana Network for Patient Care database from the ISDH.
6. Audits of Water Distribution System by Water Utilities
Due to the suspension of training classes to certify independent evaluators eligible to validate a non-revenue water audit, the relevant provisions of Ind. Code § 8-1-30.8 are suspended to the extent it requires a water utility to have its non-revenue water audit verified by an independent evaluator and submitted to the Finance Authority by August 1, 2020, and all non-revenue water audits verified by an independent evaluator shall be now submitted to the to the Indiana Finance Authority on or before January 1, 2021. Additionally, the relevant provisions of Ind. Code § 8-1-30.8 are suspended to the extent it requires the Indiana Finance Authority to compile the verified results in a report and deliver the report to the director of the Legislative Services Agency on or before December 15, 2020 and the compiled verified results shall be now submitted on or before June 15, 2021.
7. Extension of State Agency Deadlines
Any state agency as defined by Ind. Code § 4-2-6-1(a)(2) is hereby granted authority to further extend any non-essential deadline of their agency for an additional 60 days period if deemed necessary.
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| | IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I, Eric J. Holcomb, have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Indiana, on this 8th day of May, 2020. |
| | |
| | Eric J. Holcomb |
| | Governor of Indiana |
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| SEAL | |
| ATTEST: | Connie Lawson |
| | Secretary of State |
Posted: 05/13/2020 by Legislative Services Agency
DIN: 20200513-IR-GOV200252EOA
Composed: May 14,2024 11:32:37AM EDT
A
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