Hoosier Gov. Mike Braun would be able to deploy an Indiana National Guard unit with police powers anywhere in the state for any reason under a finalized proposal heading to his desk.
The conference committee report for House Bill 1343 passed largely by party line votes: 65-29 in the House and 37-11 in the Senate. GOP opponents included Rep. Daniel Lopez of Carmel and Sen. Vaneta Becker of Evansville.
It allows the guard’s leader, Adjutant General Lawrence Muennich, to establish a “military police force” of members with police powers, like for arrests, searches, seizures and more.
Bill author Rep. Steve Bartels, R-Eckerty, has said the Guard will merge six existing units under a new moniker, not form a new unit.
Members would have to take army or air military police training, Indiana-specific law enforcement instruction and an oath of office. They’d also need security clearances and clean records.
Rep. Steve Bartels, R-Eckerty, takes notes during discussion on his Indiana National Guard “military police force” bill on the House floor on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (Photo by Leslie Bonilla Muñiz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Beginning July 1, Braun could authorize the force to exercise those policing powers throughout the state after providing “reasonable” notice to local law enforcement. He’d coordinate with them “as circumstances permit.”
Democrats unsuccessfully advocated for a requirement that communities request the help before the governor deploys the force.
They pushed back on the House floor Friday.
“The biggest problem is you haven’t the solved the possibility of this being abused,” said Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington. “… Military police will be able to supplant your own law enforcement, because they’ll be out enforcing civilian laws against civilians.”
Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) called the move “the biggest insult to our police and sheriffs.”
“If you live a city or a county where you think the local law enforcement is not up to the job and could be shoved aside, then you might want to vote for this,” he said.
Bartels has previously said a governor can already deploy the guard at will but the proposal offers guardrails through the training and other mandates.
The force would also have to coordinate with the Indiana State Police — and use the National Incident Management System, a federal guide for all levels of government, the private sector and beyond to coordinate emergency responses. Bartels said NIMs is standard operating procedure already but that lawmakers wished to put that into Indiana Code.
Lawmakers also inserted a version of a dead bill — House Bill 1040, dealing with attacks against school and health care employees — and a brand-new ISP recruitment provision.
The Law Enforcement Training Board would be able to waive basic training requirements in Indiana for experienced out-of-state officers who meet certain requirements.
The wide-ranging public safety matters bill also alters the military family relief fund, along with grants for veterans and guard members, and establishes a civilian cyber corp subdivision of the guard’s reserves, among other provisions.