The tenth and final week of the short session marked the third reading deadlines for Senate bills in the House and House bills in the Senate. This week has seen a flurry of activity as both chambers work to finalize language in remaining bills through the conference committee process. If all goes to plan, the legislative session plans to adjourn “sine die” later today, two weeks early (accounting for the two weeks the General Assembly met in December 2025). By state statute, the short session must be completed by 11:59 p.m. on March 14th.
House Bills
HB 1004: Various education matters
House dissented from Senate amendments and conference committee held
The bill removes and repeals various education provisions and expired education provisions in Indiana Title 20: Education. This is the second deregulation bill in a multi-year process to “cut red tape in education by eliminating unnecessary rules and regulations, freeing up resources and giving K-12 schools more flexibility to focus on educating our kids.”
HB 1268: Indiana defense task force funding
House dissented from Senate amendments and conference committee held
The bill provides that certain amounts appropriated for state fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 must be used exclusively to support priorities identified by the Indiana Defense Task Force (task force) established by IC 4-3-21.5. Provides that the Indiana Economic Development Corporation shall consult with, and receive approval from, the task force prior to obligating or expending the funds. The bill requires the task force to make a report detailing the use of the funds and their correspondence to task force priorities to the State Budget Committee and the Legislative Council.
Senate Bills
SB 76: Immigration matters
Senate concurred with House amendments 37-11
The bill, among other provisions, provides that if a law enforcement officer, governmental body, or postsecondary educational institution is made a party to a civil suit and the attorney general determines that the suit has arisen out of certain immigration matters, the attorney general may defend the law enforcement officer, the governmental body, or the postsecondary educational institution if representation is requested. The bill provides, with certain exceptions, that if the attorney general determines that probable cause exists that a governmental entity has not complied with an immigration detention request, the attorney general may bring a court action to: (1) enjoin an act or practice constituting a violation of an immigration detention request; (2) impose a civil penalty for noncompliance with an immigration detention request; and (3) and obtain other such relief as is necessary. The bill provides that a governmental body or postsecondary educational institution may not create a policy or resolution that restricts another governmental body from cooperating with federal officials regarding information of the citizenship or immigration status of an individual as long as the request does not conflict with federal law.
SB 88: Various education matters
Senate concurred with House amendments 34-14
The bill, among other provisions, requires a state educational institution (SEI) to accept the Classic Learning Test (CLT) examination to the same extent the SEI accepts the ACT or SAT examination with respect to admission criteria.
SB 199: Various education matters
Senate dissented from House amendments and conference committee held
This bill requires the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, not later than December 1, 2026, to evaluate accrediting agencies of state educational institutions and to report the commission's findings and recommendations to the general assembly. The bill requires state educational institutions to obtain approval from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education to continue degree programs with low enrollment or those classified as “low-earning outcome programs” per the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1087d).
SB 204: Various education matters
Senate dissented from House amendments and conference committee held
This bill, among other provisions, repeals reporting requirements related to duplicative or outdated reports in Title 21: Higher Education and changes certain amounts concerning construction, land purchases, and repair and rehabilitation by an institution to $3,000,000, adjusted for inflation. It provides that a state educational institution that has been denied approval to continue a degree program may: (1) permit students to enroll in the degree program until June 1 of the year following the denial; and (2) provide students enrolled in the degree program with the opportunity to finish their degree prior to the degree program's closure. The bill prohibits health profession education programs from requiring students to receive immunizations as a condition of participating in required clinical training if the student, or parent, if the student is a minor, objects on religious grounds. The bill requires a state educational institution to award course credit for a satisfactory score on an AP exam in which the AP exam corresponds to the state educational institution's course in the core transfer library.
SB 256: Foreign agent registration, foreign terrorist organizations, and foreign adversaries
Senate dissented from House amendments and conference committee held
The bill requires certain persons acting on behalf of a hostile foreign country to register with the attorney general. The bill establishes a procedure to deny state benefits to persons who aid a foreign terrorist organization. This bill prohibits state educational institutions from admitting or enrolling students who are agents of a foreign adversary in a qualifying program offered by the approved postsecondary educational institution without a “foreign influence and research security review.” This bill requires an approved postsecondary educational institution to provide to the commission for higher education the number of foreign students currently enrolled in a qualifying program and the number of foreign students enrolled in a qualifying program for each academic year for the preceding 10 years. The bill prohibits certain individuals and business entities from acquiring real property located in Indiana. The bill repeals existing statutes regarding foreign ownership of agricultural land.