(Corrections and clarifications: An earlier version of this article contained outdated language about the final version of House Bill 1002.)
That’s a wrap on the 2026 legislative session.
There were a number of moving parts during this final week, but not a whole lot of deaths. The most notable bill to fail in the final days of session was an attempt to ban marijuana-adjacent products like Delta 8.
Otherwise, the General Assembly sent dozens of bills to Gov. Mike Braun that authorize a Chicago Bears stadium, incentivize data centers and restrict social media access for minors.
Here’s where the most notable bills stand.
Senate Bill 27: Luring the Chicago Bears
Lead author: Sen. Ryan Mishler, R-Mishawaka
What it does: In light of the Chicago Bears’ stated commitment to move to northwest Indiana, this bill created a stadium authority that has the power to bond and build an NFL stadium and outlines a series of local taxes that would repay those bonds.
Status: The Senate passed the bill 45-4 on Feb. 26. Braun signed it shortly after.
House Bill 1359: Early voting
Lead author: Rep. Tim Wesco, R-Osceola
What it does: After a late Senate committee amendment, the bill would have reduced Indiana’s early voting period from 28 days to 16 days.
Status: The bill passed the Senate elections committee 7-2 on Feb. 16, but died on the Senate floor before lawmakers could vote.
House Bill 1200: Immigrant truck drivers
Lead author: Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie
What it does: The bill would require commercial truck drivers to demonstrate English proficiency and would make it a Level 6 felony to present a fake commercial driver’s license. The company would also receive a $50,000 fine. The final version of the bill also allows the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles to revoke a commercial driver’s license if the person no longer has legal status. Lawmakers also amended in a provision from Senate Bill 179 barring individual county councilors from allocating road funding to projects of their choice.
Status: The bill passed the Senate by a 49-1 vote and the House by a 92-3 vote on Feb. 27. It now goes to Braun for consideration.
Senate Bill 5: Violent bars
Lead author: Sen. Ron Alting, R-Lafayette
What it does: Bars plagued with violence could be immediately shut down for up to three days before a public hearing takes place under the bill.
Status: The Senate approved the bill 46-1 on Feb. 25. It now heads to Braun.
Senate Bill 91: Syringe exchange
Lead author: Sen. Michael Crider, R-Greenfield
What it does: Indiana’s law authorizing counties to approve syringe exchange programs is set to expire in July, but this bill would extend the law by another five years. Some new stipulations are part of the bill, too: These programs must require a one-for-one exchange of discarded to sterile needles, and participants must show identification.
Status: The Senate passed the bill 38-10 on Feb. 25. It now heads to the governor.
House Bill 1423: Indianapolis Public Education Corp.
Lead author: Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis
What it does: The bill creates the Indianapolis Public Education Corp. and a related board, which would have the power to levy and distribute property taxes and oversee transportation and facilities for both charter and traditional public schools within the Indianapolis Public Schools boundaries, with opt out provisions. The entity would be largely controlled by the Indianapolis mayor.
Status: The bill passed the Senate by a 67-30 vote on Feb. 25. It now heads to the governor.
House Bill 1002: Utility costs
Lead author: Rep. Alaina Shonkwiler, R-Noblesville
What it does: The bill would apply levelized billing to certain households who are eligible for and have applied for state home energy assistance programs. It also stops electric utilities from terminating service on days with extreme heat warnings to those same households. It requires utilities to submit three-year rate plans for approval and allows the state to penalize or reward electricity suppliers based on customer affordability.
Status: Braun signed this bill into law on Feb. 26.
House Bill 1036: How DCS handles cases
Lead author: Rep. Victoria Garcia-Wilburn, D-Fishers
What it does: Following IndyStar’s previous reporting on a case involving a neglected 5-year-old, this bill would require DCS to assess a child in person before closing its investigation into an abuse allegation.
Status: Braun signed this bill into law on Feb. 26.
House Bill 1343: Militarizing the Indiana National Guard
Lead author: Rep. Steve Bartels, R-Eckerty
What it does: Buried within a number of other veterans matters, the bill authorizes the adjutant general to give police powers to members of the Indiana National Guard during state active duty.
Status: The House passed the bill 65-29 and the Senate 37-11 on Feb. 27. It now heads to the governor.
Senate Bill 199: Low-earning degrees
Lead author: Sen. Jeff Raatz, R-Richmond
What it does: The bill would eliminate college degrees classified as “low earning.” Language requiring social media companies to obtain written parental permission for their child under 16 years old to have an account was moved from this bill to House Bill 1408.
Status: The Senate passed Senate Bill 199 by a 34-14 vote and the House by a 62-32 vote on Feb. 27. The House passed House Bill 1408 unanimously on Feb. 26, and the Senate passed it 49-1 on Feb. 27. Both are headed to Braun.
House Bill 1408: Social media
Lead author: Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis
What it does: Language was moved from Senate Bill 199 to this bill requiring social media companies to obtain written parental permission for their child under 16 years old to have an account.
Status: The bill passed the Senate by a 49-1 vote and the House by a 93-0 vote on Feb. 27.
Senate Bill 140: Doxing
Lead author: Sen. Vaneta Becker, R-Evansville
What it does: The bill would make doxing ― posting someone’s personal information publicly online as a retaliatory threat ― a misdemeanor or felony, depending on whether the act led to the targeted person being harmed.
Status: The bill passed the Senate by a 49-1 vote on Feb. 27 and now goes to Braun for consideration.
Senate Bill 78: Cell phone ban
Lead author: Sen. Jeff Raatz, R-Richmond
What it does: The bill would ban cell phones and smart watches for students during the entire school day, rather than just during instructional time as current law states.
Status: The bill passed the Senate by a 36-12 vote on Feb. 25 and now goes to Braun for consideration.
Senate Joint Resolution 1: Constitutional amendment
Lead author: Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford
What it does: The resolution, which would amend the Indiana Constitution, allows judges to deny bail for people who are deemed a public safety threat.
Status: The resolution passed the House on Feb. 16 by a 75-11 vote. It will now appear as a question on Indiana voters’ ballots in the 2026 election.
House Bill 1055: Municipal elections
Lead author: Rep. Jennifer Meltzer, R-Shelbyville
What it does: The bill would have allowed any city or town to hold its municipal elections during an even-numbered year and requires towns with a population of 10,000 or less to do so.
Status: The bill passed the Senate elections committee by a 6-3 vote Feb. 16, but died before reaching a full vote on the Senate floor.
Senate Bill 270: Township consolidation
Lead author: Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell
What it does: The bill would require the state to rate townships based on performance and require mergers for lower-performing townships.
Status: The bill passed the Senate by a 34-15 vote on Feb. 26 and now goes to Braun for consideration.
House Bill 1277: The Medicaid waitlist
Lead author: Rep. Brad Barrett, R-Richmond
What it does: The bill proposes a number of measures to save millions annually in the Pathways program, the managed-care program for Medicaid recipients, with the hopes that the savings could help alleviate the ongoing waitlist for assisted living and other home- and community-based services.
Status: The bill passed the House unanimously and the Senate 46-4 on Feb. 27.
Senate Bill 1: Medicaid, SNAP and immigrants
Lead author: Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown
What it does: The bill primarily aligns Indiana code with Medicaid provisions in the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act, though it also goes further than the federal government requires in terms of verifying work requirements among certain Medicaid recipients. It also allows the state to report applicants to Medicaid or SNAP whose citizenship is in question, as well as any of their household members, to the federal government.
Status: The bill passed the Senate by a 39-9 vote on Feb. 25. The bill now goes to Braun for consideration.
Senate Bill 243: Trump’s ‘No tax on tips’
Lead author: Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle
What it does: A provision included in the bill extends Trump’s tax cuts for tip workers, new car loan interest and Hoosiers who receive overtime pay for one year. The costly proposal will require Indiana to shell out $251 million from its reserves.
Status: The Senate passed the bill 45-4 on Feb. 26. It now heads to Braun.
Senate Bill 284: Police civilian oversight boards
Lead author: Sen. Cyndi Carrasco, R-Indianapolis
What it does: The bill would strip power from the General Orders Board, a civilian oversight board created in 2020 that approves the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s policies on officer conduct and use of force.
Status: The bill passed the House by a 70-25 vote on Feb. 24. It now heads to the governor.
Senate Bill 88: Waiting for marriage for kids
Lead author: Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville
What it does: The bill would require public schools to teach students to wait until marriage before having kids, one of three steps in the conservative anti-poverty theory called the “success sequence.”
Status: The bill passed the Senate by a 34-14 vote on Feb. 25. It now heads to the governor.
House Bill 1001: Housing affordability
Lead author: Rep. Doug Miller, R-Elkhart
What it does: In an effort to address housing affordability and add stock, this bill would limit cities’ ability to restrict duplexes and other dense development in residential areas.
Status: The House passed the bill 72-21 on Feb. 25. It now heads to the governor.
Senate Bill 250: Hemp regulation
Lead author: Sen. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis
What it does: The bill changes the state’s definition of low-THC hemp to align with a new federal law, making products containing Delta-8 illegal. It also creates a new licensing structure for hemp products.
Status: This bill died after failing to be called for a full vote in the House.
Senate Bill 285: Homeless camps
Lead author: Sen. Cyndi Carrasco, R-Indianapolis
What it does: The bill bans people from sleeping or camping on publicly owned land, making it a Class C misdemeanor. The bill also bans cities from adopting policies that discourage enforcement of the ban.
Status: The Senate passed the bill 28-22 on Feb. 26. It now heads to the governor.
Senate Bill 76: Immigration
Lead author: Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne
What it does: The bill would require law enforcement agencies to hold immigrants for up to 48 hours if requested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, prohibit employers from knowingly or intentionally employing undocumented immigrants and penalize universities or governmental bodies who limit immigration enforcement.
Status: The Senate passed the bill 37-11 on Feb. 25. It now heads to the governor.
House Bill 1333: Data centers
Lead author: Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer
What it does: Data centers are currently exempt from paying Indiana sales tax, but this bill would have required them to pay 1% of the sales tax they would have paid on any equipment they purchase, the proceeds of which would go to the local government where they want to build. The bill also allowed large projects like data centers to be built on some farmland without a public hearing.
Status: The bill died in the Senate, but a provision allowing local governments to reap 1% of the data center’s sales tax savings on electricity bills passed in House Bill 1210 by a 91-3 vote in the House and a unanimous vote in the Senate on Feb. 27.
Senate Bill 182: Transgender bathrooms
Lead author: Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne
What it does: In addition to defining “sex” and “gender” throughout Indiana code, the bill would ban transgender students’ use of bathrooms that match their gender identity and enact penalties for schools that don’t enforce this.
Status: The bill passed the Senate on Jan. 27 by a 37-8 vote but died after not receiving a committee hearing in the House.
House Bill 1137: Ultraprocessed food and beverages
Lead author: Rep. Julie McGuire, R-Indianapolis
What it does: The bill would ban public and charter schools that participate in federally funded or assisted meal programs from selling or allowing a third-party to sell food and beverages that contain any of 13 chemicals and food dye ingredients. That would include foods like Fruity Pebbles or nacho cheese Doritos.
Status: The House passed the bill Jan. 22 by an 83-7 vote but never received a committee hearing in the Senate, effectively killing the bill.
Senate Bill 21: Pork tenderloin state sandwich
Lead author: Sen. Blake Doriot, R-Goshen
What it does: The bill would designate the pork tenderloin as the official state sandwich.
Status: The bill passed the Senate by a 37-11 vote on Jan. 13 but died after failing to be heard in a House committee.
Senate Bill 236: Abortion-inducing drugs
Lead author: Sen. Tyler Johnson, R-Leo
What it does: The bill outlaws the prescribing or mailing of abortion-inducing drugs to people in Indiana and allows a mother or father to sue the drug manufacturer, prescriber or transporter for the “wrongful death” of their unborn child.
Status: The bill passed the Senate in a 35-10 vote on Jan. 27 but died without a hearing in the House.
Contact IndyStar Statehouse reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on X @kayla_dwyer17.
Contact senior government accountability reporter Hayleigh Colombo at hcolombo@indystar.com or follow her on X @hayleighcolombo.
Contact breaking politics reporter Marissa Meador at mmeador@gannett.com or find her on X at @marissa_meador.
Sign up for our free weekly politics newsletter, Checks & Balances, curated by IndyStar political and government reporters.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Bill tracker: Which bills crossed the finish line the final week of the legislative session
Reporting by Kaitlin Lange, Marissa Meador, Kayla Dwyer and Hayleigh Colombo, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
