A property tax compromise and the Senate’s budget bill consumed most of the headlines this week, but several bills also made it out of committee by the Thursday deadline.
Lawmakers, especially those on the Senate Appropriations Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee, had their final (and for some, especially long) meetings this week as they returned to some of the last and thorniest bills left on their plates.
Several bills died, but keep an eye out: a dead bill’s language could be amended into another bill.
IBJ is watching key bills that could impact the state’s economic development, health care and workforce efforts and is following developments in legislation related to property taxes and Medicaid. And of course, we’re tracking that budget bill, which will determine state spending for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 and will likely be the landing place for many issues related to taxes and spending.
Here’s the status of some of the bills we’re watching during the session, which is expected to adjourn at the end of April.
Economic development
After eight years of former Gov. Eric Holcomb’s development-focused tenure, Braun—an entrepreneur and former CEO—wants a greater focus on entrepreneurship and small businesses.
House Bill 1601
Senate Bill 516
House Bill 1489
- Creates an Indiana-Ireland commission to advance trade relations
- Author: Rep. Timothy O’Brien, R-Evansville
- Last action: Passed Senate unanimously April 1
- Awaiting: House concurrence vote
- Status: Progressing
Senate Bill 431
- Prohibits a company from a foreign adversary from building a center in Indiana without an electricity usage study and requires the project to generate its own electricity
- Author: Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford
- Last action: Passed House unanimously, March 25
- Awaiting: Governor’s signature or veto
- Status: Progressing
House Bill 1172
- Creates the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which would develop and administer programs to support small business, entrepreneurship and innovation
- Author: Rep. Jake Teshka, R-North Liberty
- Status: Dead, but language could be amended into another bill
House Bill 1032
- Prevents the state from signing agreements with companies that are majority-controlled by citizens or residents of adversary nations or are headquartered within one
- Author: Rep. Craig Haggard, R-Mooresville
- Status: Dead, but language could be amended into another bill
Workforce
Over the past few years, state leaders have overhauled the state’s high school curriculum and graduation requirements to prioritize career coaching and alternative paths to higher education. The state has also been working to boost training and certificate programs for young and adult learners.
Senate Bill 448
- Requires the Department of Education to prepare a plan to develop a market-driven credential program with at least three priority industry pathways
- Author: Sen. Greg Goode, R-Terre Haute
- Last action: Passed 8-4 in House Education Committee, Feb. 20
- Awaiting: Consideration on the House floor
- Status: Progressing
Senate Bill 488
- Establishes a reemployment skills training pilot program for those on unemployment benefits
- Author: Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne
- Status: Dead, but language could be amended into another bill
Child care
Child care—and the lack of available and affordable options—has been plaguing families in Indiana and across the country. Business leaders now worry the price and lack of options will prevent new workers from moving to the state and remove others from the workforce.
Senate Bill 463
- Adds employee training, scholarship programs and compensation for employees with a higher level of training to permitted uses of funds for the employer child care expenditure tax credit; also sets staff ratios and maximum group sizes based on certain age ranges in licensed child care centers
- Author: Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso
- Last action: Passed House unanimously, April 9
- Awaiting: Senate concurrence vote
- Status: Progressing
House Bill 1253
- Allows a single-owner child care company or nonprofit, including YMCAs and school-affiliated organizations, to open multiple locations under one license
- Bill author: Rep. Dave Heine, R-Fort Wayne
- Last action: Passed Senate 48-1, April 7
- Awaiting: House concurrence vote
- Status: Progressing
Indianapolis
The capital city is a demographic and political outlier in Indiana, sometimes causing the Republican supermajority to target legislation toward conflicting priorities and initiatives. But also, as the state’s largest city, some legislation impacts its government and residents more than others.
House Bill 1131
- Classify the town of Cumberland as an excluded city and no longer part of the consolidated city of Indianapolis
- Author: Rep. Doug Miller, R-Elkhart
- Last action: Governor signed into law, April 10
- Status: Law, effective July 1
House Bill 1461
- Address road-funding disparities through a range of funding mechanisms, including an increase to the maximum rate for county wheel and vehicle excise tax and required county bonding abilities
- Author: Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie
- Last action: Amended and passed 9-4 in Senate Appropriations Committee, April 10
- Awaiting: Consideration on the Senate floor
- Status: Progressing
House Bill 1006
- Establishes a special prosecutor unit, prosecutor review board and public prosecution fund, in part to investigate whether prosecuting attorneys are “noncompliant” with state laws. Similar legislation has previously been used to target Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears.
- Author: Rep. Chris Jeter, R-Fishers
- Last action: Passed Senate 35-8, April 10
- Awaiting: House concurrence vote
- Status: Progressing
Senate Bill 142
- Allows a court to order an expungement in certain eviction cases
- Authors: Sens. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne; Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis; and Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores
- Last action: Passed Senate 85-5, April 8
- Awaiting: Senate concurrence vote
- Status: Progressing
Senate Bill 13
- Increases the penalties for street takeovers, which are most prevalent in Marion County. Specifically, the legislation would make “spinning” a Class B misdemeanor.
- Authors: Sens. James Tomes, R-Wadesville; Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis; and Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell
- Status: Dead, but language could be amended into another bill
Taxes
Braun and legislative leaders have prioritized changes that would reduce property taxes and could have a significant impact on local government spending.
Senate Bill 1
- Reforms how the state collects property taxes, establishes 10% credit and includes a charter school revenue-sharing bill (previously Senate Bill 518)
- Author: Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle
- Last action: Passed House 65-29, April 10
- Awaiting: Senate concurrence vote
- Status: Progressing
Senate Bill 518
- Requires some public schools to share property tax revenue with certain charter schools
- Author: Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger
- Status: Amended into SB 1
Senate Bill 451
- Continues to decrease the adjusted gross income tax rate annually until it reaches 2.7% for tax year 2032. The 2025 tax rate is 3.0%.
- Author: Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle
- Last action: Senate concurred unanimously, April 7
- Awaiting: Governor’s signature or veto
- Status: Progressing
Senate Bill 497
- Creates a $500 tax credit for families with newborn children
- Author: Sen. Greg Walker, R-Columbus
- Status: Dead, but language could be amended into another bill
Senate Bill 443
- Increases the acquisition cost threshold for the business personal property tax exemption
- Authors: Sens. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis; and Chris Garten, R-Charlestown
- Status: Dead, but language could be amended into another bill
Health
Reducing the cost of health care is a major priority for policymakers. And the debate comes as the state’s Medicaid costs continue to balloon, making the low-income health insurance program a budgetary concern.
House Bill 1003
- Enacts a range of measures to increase transparency
- Author: Rep. Brad Barrett, R-Richmond
- Last action: Amended and passed unanimously in Senate Appropriations Committee, April 10
- Awaiting: Consideration on Senate floor
- Status: Progressing
House Bill 1004
- Penalizes large hospital systems if their prices exceed certain thresholds
- Author: Rep. Martin Carbaugh, R-Fort Wayne
- Last action: Passed 9-4 in Senate Appropriations, April 10
- Awaiting: Consideration on Senate floor
- Status: Progressing
Senate Bill 2
- Reels in Medicaid’s Healthy Indiana Plan, or HIP, by applying coverage limits and work requirements
- Author: Sens. Ryan Mishler, R-Mishawaka; Chris Garten, R-Charlestown; and Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso
- Last action: Passed House 66-28, April 8
- Awaiting: Senate concurrence
- Status: Progressing
Senate Bill 3
- Installs measures to push insurers and related financial officials to act in the best financial interests of their clients
- Author: Sen. Justin Busch, R-Fort Wayne
- Last action: House unanimously passed, March 31; Senate concurred
- Awaiting: Governor’s signature or veto
- Status: Progressing
Water policy & utilities
The state’s management of its natural resources and energy systems has risen to public consciousness thanks to questions about water for the LEAP District and debates about electricity for data centers.
House Bill 1007
- Creates a tax credit for expenses in the manufacturing of a small modular nuclear reactor
- Author: Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso
- Last action: Amended on Senate floor, April 10
- Awaiting: Final Senate vote
- Hearing in Status: Progressing
Senate Bill 424
- Establishes a framework for small modular nuclear reactor development in Indiana
- Author: Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford
- Awaiting: Governor signed into law, April 10
- Status: Law, effective July 1
Senate Bill 4
And everything else
Senate Bill 478
- Creates a three-tiered permitting system for retailing, distributing and manufacturing of both low-THC hemp products and hemp flower
- Authors: Sens. Travis Holdman, R-Markle; and Chris Garten, R-Charlestown
- Last action: Amended and passed 9-3 in House Courts and Criminal Code, April 9
- Awaiting: Consideration on full House floor
- Status: Progressing
House Bill 1008
- Creates a boundary adjustment commission that would study whether to recommend absorption of Illinois counties that want to secede from the Democrat-led state
- Author: House Speaker Rep. Todd Huston, R-Fishers
- Last action: Passed 7-2 in Senate Public Policy Committee, April 2
- Awaiting: Consideration on full Senate floor
- Status: Progressing
House Bill 1073
- Provide regulations for bare-knuckle fighting, professional wrestling, boxing and sparring through the Indiana Gaming Association
- Author: Rep. Craig Haggard, R-Mooresville
- Last action: Passed Senate 37-2, April 1
- Awaiting: House concurrence vote
- Status: Progressing
Senate Bill 209
- Legalizes use of electronic pull-tabs largely for use at veteran organizations
- Author: Sen. Kyle Walker, R-Lawrenceburg
- Last action: Passed House 74-17, April 1; Senate concurred
- Awaiting: Governor’s signature or veto
- Status: Progressing
Senate Bill 157
- Makes it easier for property owners to oust squatters in certain circumstances where trespassing law may not cover
- Author: Sen. Mike Gaskill, R-Pendleton
- Last action: Passed House 74-18, March 31
- Awaiting: Senate concurrence vote
- Status: Progressing
Senate Bill 11
- Requires a social media company to obtain parental consent before allowing a child under 16 to use the platform
- Authors: Sens. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores; and Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne
- Status: Dead, but language could be amended into another bill
House Bill 1531
- Prohibits an employer from knowingly or intentionally employing an undocumented immigrant
- Author: Rep. J.D. Prescott, R-Union City
- Status: Dead, but language could be amended into another bill