SB 171 Indiana Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Family and children matters.

Summary
Requires the local office of the department of child services to provide notice of an adoption petition to the court in which a CHINS proceeding is open or pending. Provides that the consent to adoption may be executed or acknowledged at any time after the birth of the child in the presence of an attorney, in person, or by video conferencing. Provides that a court may grant postadoption contact privileges if the child is at least 12 months of age. (Current law requires the child to be at least two years of age.) Provides certain exceptions to confidentiality requirements. Requires the department of child services (department) to consider certain factors when evaluating an out-of-home placement for a child in a child in need of services (CHINS) case. Provides that a placement with whom a child has resided with for at least 12 months, consecutively or nonconsecutively, is presumed to be an individual who has a significant relationship with the child. Requires a court to write a formal order in certain circumstances and include specific information in the order. Provides that the objectives of the dispositional decree are not considered met solely because a court is prohibited from changing a child's placement under IC 31-34-23-6(g) and prohibits the court from considering certain information when deciding whether the objectives of the dispositional decree are met. Requires any party seeking a change in placement for certain children to file a motion with the court, provide notice to all persons affected, and inform all persons affected of the right to file a written objection within 15 days. (Current law only allows the department to file the motion for a change of placement.) Allows a court to rule on a party's motion for the change in placement without delay if exigent circumstances are alleged in the party's motion. Provides that, with certain exceptions, if a child is the subject of an adoption petition, the adoption petitioner is the child's current placement, and the adoption petitioner has been the child's placement for at least 12 months, the court shall not change the child's placement until the adoption petition has been ruled on. Provides that if the party seeking a change of placement is a parent, guardian ad litem, or a court appointed special advocate, the party must provide notice to the department of child services, and the department shall then provide notice of the motion to the child's out-of-home placement.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
House Passage
Feb 2026
Signed into Law
Mar 2026
Introduced Jan 5, 2026 Signed Mar 5, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Enrolled Senate Bill (S) Senate Bill (S) · 5 edits
MODERATE
This bill updates Indiana's family and child welfare laws to lower the age threshold for post-adoption contact privileges from two years to 12 months, allowing birth parents to maintain relationships with their children sooner. It also mandates that child services prioritize placing children with relatives or de facto custodians who have lived with the child for at least 12 months, and requires courts to provide more detailed written opinions in specific cases.
Scope change
The bill expands the scope of post-adoption contact privileges to younger children and strengthens the presumption that relatives are significant to a child's life if they have resided with the child for a year.
ELIGIBILITY

Post-adoption contact privileges are now available to children who are at least 12 months old, reducing the previous requirement of two years.

The law now presumes that a relative who has resided with a child for at least 12 months has a significant relationship with the child.

REQUIREMENT

Courts must now include specific information in their formal opinions when granting post-adoption contact privileges or handling related cases.

Child services must consider relatives who have lived with a child for at least 12 months as individuals with a significant relationship before making other out-of-home placement decisions.

The department of child services is prohibited from requesting a change of placement in certain circumstances to protect established family connections.

Floor votes · Senate Jan 22, 2026 · House Feb 19, 2026

How they voted

420
Passed · 6 other
Total votes 48
Jan 22, 2026
D Democratic9
7 Yea 2
77% Yea
R Republican39
35 Yea 4
89% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
26
Key actions
10
Committee
2
Amendments
1
Mar 5, 2026
Signed into law
Signed by the Governor
executive
Feb 27, 2026
Upper · Passed
Signed by the President Pro Tempore
upper
Feb 27, 2026
Lower · Passed
Signed by the Speaker
lower
Feb 27, 2026
Upper · Passed
Signed by the President of the Senate
upper
Feb 25, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate concurred with House amendments; Roll Call 279: yeas 46, nays 0
upper
Feb 19, 2026
Lower · Passed
Third reading: passed; Roll Call 290: yeas 94, nays 0
lower
Feb 16, 2026
Lower · Passed
Committee report: amend do pass, adopted
lower
Jan 22, 2026
Upper · Passed
Third reading: passed; Roll Call 54: yeas 43, nays 0
upper
Jan 20, 2026
Upper · Passed
Amendment #1 (Johnson T) prevailed; voice vote
upper
Jan 12, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee report: amend do pass, adopted
upper
4 primary · 5 co-sponsors

Sponsors