Establishes the Indiana rural health transformation fund and makes allotments and expenditures from the fund subject to budget committee review before the allotment and expenditure may occur. Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services to report biannually to the budget committee concerning the use of the money in the fund. Prohibits recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from using SNAP benefits to purchase candy and soft drinks. Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services to apply for a waiver or authorization to implement the prohibition if a waiver or authorization from a federal agency is required. Terminates the state's participation in the use of expanded categorical eligibility within the federal SNAP. Specifies gross income standards and countable resources for SNAP eligibility. Establishes immigration eligibility requirements for SNAP and requires the division of family resources to verify compliance with the requirements and submit information to the federal government about individuals for whom the division could not verify the immigration status. Specifies the time frame for Medicaid eligibility redeterminations. Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services (office) to transmit certain information to the federal government to prevent multiple state Medicaid enrollment. Specifies the time frame concerning the initial date of Medicaid assistance based on the application date. Sets forth additional countable income requirements for Medicaid. Modifies immigration status requirements for Medicaid, including presumptive eligibility and the healthy Indiana plan (HIP), and requires the office to verify compliance of the requirements and report information to the federal government. Modifies work and exemption requirements for HIP and requires the conditions to be met in the three preceding months before an individual applies to HIP. Requires the office to verify compliance with the work requirements on an ongoing basis and at least quarterly. Prohibits the office from expanding the medically frail exemption beyond the federal definition of the term. Removes the 12 month eligibility period for HIP and requires semiannual renewal. Sets forth additional copayments for the use of an emergency room setting for nonemergency services and other services under HIP.
Sponsored bills
Provides that the horse racing commission may issue three satellite facility licenses (instead of four per permit holder under current law). Requires Allen County, DeKalb County, and Steuben County to place a public question on the 2026 general election ballot that seeks approval from the voters to permit inland casino gambling. Authorizes the Indiana gaming commission (commission) to award a new riverboat license for an inland casino in Allen County, DeKalb County, or Steuben County. Prohibits the commission from awarding an owner's license to operate a casino in Allen County, DeKalb County, or Steuben County if the voters of the county do not approve casino gaming in the county. Specifies application requirements, including local government support and the applicant's commitment and plan to invest at least $500,000,000 for the development of a casino and nongaming amenities. Requires an approved applicant to pay $150,000,000 to the commission to be deposited by the commission as follows: (1) $100,000,000 to the state general fund; and (2) $50,000,000 to the shuttered riverboat fund to be used for local units that are affected by a shuttered riverboat or inland casino closure. Provides that if a licensed owner ceases operations or goes out of business, the license issued under this section is terminated effective on that date.
Maddy summarySB 27, titled "Vehicle Bill" (though the bill's actual content relates to stadiums, not vehicles), establishes the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority. This authority is created to acquire, build, and finance stadiums and related facilities in northwest Indiana. The bill outlines the authority's specific powers, including funding mechanisms and operational duties for managing these projects. The bill directly affects northwest Indiana communities by creating a dedicated entity to handle stadium development and financing.
Maddy summaryHR 51 is a commemorative resolution honoring Officer Brian Elliott, authored by Representative McGuire and coauthored by numerous representatives. It formally recognizes Officer Elliott's service and contributions, though it does not create any new laws or alter existing policies. As a procedural resolution, it has no direct policy impact or effect on specific groups beyond the ceremonial acknowledgment of the officer. The bill was adopted during its first reading on February 25, 2026.
Requires the secretary of family and social services to certify integrated reentry and correctional support programs. Requires the owner of a recovery residence to register with the division of mental health and addiction (division). Sets forth the requirements for registration. Requires the division to post a list of registered recovery residences on the division's public website and include certain information concerning each recovery residence. Requires the division to adopt rules concerning: (1) the issuance, revocation, and denial of a registration; and (2) any rules necessary to implement these provisions. Allows the division to contract with certain entities to administer the registration of recovery residences.
Requires the Indiana department of health (state department) to: (1) collaborate with a national Alzheimer's disease and dementia organization in educating the public about Alzheimer's disease and dementia; and (2) identify and collaborate with additional partners in the education. Requires the state department to partner for outreach in the education and publish certain educational materials on the state department's website. Allows the state department to accept grants, services, and property from public and private entities for the education.
Increases the penalty for battery on certain health care employees and school employees. Specifies that the enhancement for battery committed against a department of child services (DCS) employee applies only to those DCS employees whose responsibilities include personally supervising a child or parent, personally providing services to a child or parent, or personally interviewing a child or parent as part of an investigation. Requires the employer of a health care or school employee who is the victim of battery to make a semiannual report to the department of labor concerning workplace batteries.
Sets forth additional requirements for a nonprofit hospital's community benefits plan (plan). Requires a nonprofit hospital to spend more under the nonprofit hospital's plan than the nonprofit hospital's estimated tax exemption value. Allows the Indiana department of health (state department) to enforce compliance with the plan requirements. Sets forth additional reporting requirements for a nonprofit hospital's annual plan report (report). Requires the state department to review the report for compliance and to verify certain reported expenditure data. Allows for the assessment of a penalty for violations.
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION recognizing Wednesday, February 4, 2026, as a day to honor the work and mission of the Indiana Region of the American Red Cross.
Authorizes the attorney general to enforce provisions concerning health care debt wage garnishment and principal residence lien restrictions and establish a complaint process. Requires hospitals to do the following: (1) Offer a person who meets certain income guidelines and has received health services the opportunity to pay the charges through a payment plan that satisfies certain requirements. (2) Develop a written notice about a charity care program operated by the hospital, provide the notice to patients, and post the notice. (3) Include certain information concerning financial assistance on a billing statement. (4) Requires a hospital that reports an annual gross patient revenue of at least $20,000,000 to provide written notice and information to a person who has requested an eligibility determination concerning a payment plan or charity care. Provides that the unpaid earnings of a consumer who meets specified income eligibility requirements may not be attached by garnishment if an individual makes 200% of the federal income poverty level or less, and limits the amount to be garnished over a certain amount of the individual's disposable earnings in satisfaction of: (1) health care debt owed or alleged to be owed by the consumer; or (2) any amount of the judgment that represents health care debt determined to be owed by the consumer. Provides that: (1) health care debt owed or alleged to be owed by a consumer; or (2) in an action against a consumer in which a judgment has been entered, the amount of the judgment that represents health care debt determined to be owed by the consumer; does not constitute a lien against the consumer's principal residence for a consumer. Requires the disclosure of whether a debt is a health care debt in the execution of a judgment. Provides that in any action filed in Indiana for the recovery of health care debt owed or alleged to be owed by a consumer, the principal residence of the consumer is not liable to judgment or attachment or to be sold on execution against the consumer.