Sen. Ryan Mishler

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 17) honors the late State Senator Richard D. Young, Jr., who served Indiana's District 47 for decades, including as Senate Minority Leader. The resolution memorializes his lifetime of service to his community and the State of Indiana, acknowledging his roles as a legislator, rural caucus co-founder, and longtime Crawford County official. It directs the Senate Secretary to send copies of the resolution to his widow, Ashira Young. As a memorial resolution, it has no policy impact or procedural mechanisms beyond formal recognition.

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Urging the Indiana Department of Transportation to rename the stretch of State Road 45 that is between College Avenue and Fee Lane in Bloomington the “Bob Knight Memorial Way”.

Maddy summaryThis is a commemorative Senate Resolution (SR 6) honoring Dr. Erica Graham for her work advancing mental health awareness and suicide prevention efforts in Indiana. It does not create new laws or affect any specific policies or individuals; instead, it serves as a symbolic gesture of recognition from the Indiana Senate. The resolution was authored by Senator Hunley and adopted unanimously by the Senate on February 3, 2026, with broad bipartisan support.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SR 23) is a ceremonial Senate resolution honoring Nancy Nugent. It does not create new laws or affect policies; instead, it formally memorializes her contributions. The resolution was adopted unanimously by the Senate on February 3, 2026, with Senator Maxwell as the author and 42 senators as co-authors.

Amends the percentage increase in a public library's proposed budget that determines whether the public library's proposed budget is subject to binding review by the applicable county, city, or town, fiscal body.

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 acts, the attorney general shall defend the law enforcement officer, governmental body, or postsecondary educational institution throughout the action. Clarifies that the enforcement of federal immigration laws may be carried out by federal, state, or local law enforcement. Removes the mens rea standard in the statute concerning governmental bodies or postsecondary institutions violating the citizenship and immigration status information and enforcement of federal laws chapter. Provides that a governmental body that has the custody of an individual who is the subject of an immigration detainer request shall: (1) provide the judge authorized to grant or deny the individual's release on bail notice that the individual is subject to an immigration detainer request; (2) record in the individual's case file that the individual is subject to an immigration detainer request; (3) comply with the immigration detainer request; and (4) inform the individual that the individual is being held pursuant to an immigration detainer request. Provides immunity to a governmental body or an employee of a governmental body for any action taken concerning an immigration detainer request. Prohibits a political subdivision from taking certain actions to aid, assist, incentivize, or facilitate the migration of any alien or class of aliens into Indiana. Provides 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; and (2) impose a civil penalty for noncompliance with an immigration detention request. Requires a judge who receives notice that an individual is subject to an immigration detainer request to ensure that the notice of the immigration detainer request is recorded in the court's record. Prohibits an employer from knowingly or intentionally recruiting, hiring, or employing an unauthorized alien. Provides that if the attorney general determines that probable cause exists that an employer has recruited, hired, or employed an unauthorized alien, the attorney general may enjoin the action and seek the suspension of the employer's operating authorizations. Provides that a governmental entity that employs a prosecuting official is entitled to investigative costs and costs in an indecent nuisance action.

Amends and adds provisions regarding the regional development tax credit. Specifies the award of certain credits under the aggregate tax credit cap that the Indiana economic development corporation may certify each state fiscal year. Authorizes a county or city that is currently participating in a regional development authority to change its membership and instead participate in a new or different regional development authority.

Provides that members of the governing body for the South Bend Community school corporation (school corporation) serving on June 30, 2026, shall become on July 1, 2026, an advisory board to the governing body for the school corporation. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2026, members of the governing body for the school corporation shall be appointed by the secretary of education following a nomination process. Establishes a commission to nominate individuals for the governing body.

Allows a state agency to use artificial intelligence software to prepare information and projections for the state budget. Requires a state agency to provide a quarterly report to the budget committee that details the requests submitted by the state agency for new federal funds or to participate in a new federal program. Provides that, in addition to the quarterly reports, a state agency may not immediately accept an award of new federal funds in certain circumstances or participate in a new federal program before a report has been reviewed by the budget committee. Specifies the contents of the report that must be submitted for budget committee review. Requires a state agency to provide the state comptroller with a contract for inclusion in the Indiana transparency website not later than 30 days after the contract is fully executed. Requires that permanent full-time positions which have been vacant for 90 days or more be reviewed and either reauthorized or eliminated by the budget director. Requires the budget director to provide a quarterly report to the governor's office regarding those positions that were reauthorized or eliminated by the budget director in the preceding three months. Requires a state agency to provide quarterly reports to the budget committee regarding the state agency's active contracts. Provides for the reversion of funds appropriated to a state agency for expenses related to a contract that are unused after the end of the contract term. Requires the department of administration (department) to develop certain contract language to be included in state contracts of $500,000 or more. Requires a state agency to provide a report to the budget committee concerning amendments to a contract that: (1) increase the maximum contract amount by not less than $500,000; or (2) for a contract with an initial maximum contract amount of not less than $500,000, extend the term of the contract by not less than six months. Prohibits a state agency from entering into a nonpublic contract. Requires all contract opportunities of state agencies to be posted in the form of a request for proposals or a request for quotations on the department's website at least 30 days prior to the contract being awarded. Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services and the office of Medicaid policy and planning to do the following: (1) Review monthly reports on the Medicaid program service utilization to identify trends and risks within the state Medicaid program. (2) Post publicly on the office of the secretary of family and social services's website monthly financial reports or expenditures and revenues for each state Medicaid program and commentary providing context for each monthly financial report. (3) Submit a quarterly report to the budget committee.

Appropriates money for capital expenditures, the operation of the state, K-12 and higher education, the delivery of Medicaid and other services, and various other distributions and purposes. Provides that the annual salary of the members of the general assembly shall not be increased during the biennium beginning July 1, 2025. Extends the review, analysis, and evaluation of tax incentives by the legislative services agency through 2030. Requires the legislative services agency to perform a fiscal impact analysis for each executive order issued by the governor under the emergency management and disaster law. Requires state officials to report to the budget committee expenses and funding used for trips taken in their official capacity. Provides that if the budget director determines at any time that a state agency can perform the agency's statutory obligations with less than the amount appropriated, the budget director shall, with the approval of the governor, and after notice to the state agency, reduce the amount or amounts allotted or to be allotted. Requires the budget director to withhold not less than 5% of any appropriation to a state agency to be used for salaries or other wages for state agency employees or general operating expenses of the state agency. Repeals the governor's workforce cabinet. Makes conforming changes. Requires the department of natural resources (not the Indiana department of veterans' affairs under current law) to provide staff support to the Indiana semiquincentennial commission and repeals provisions requiring certain meetings and events of the commission to be held at the World War Memorial in Indianapolis. Removes a requirement to include certain services in a lease between the Indiana department of administration and the Indiana historical society for use of a building. Makes an appropriation from the Pokagon Band Tribal-state compact fund to the Midwest continental divide commission fund. Establishes the Indiana local government investment pool board for the purpose of establishing policies governing the investment of funds contributed to the local government investment pool. Removes political affiliation requirements that apply to members appointed by the governor to the board for depositories. Allows the Indiana finance authority to begin a project related to the Learning and Training Center in Boone County beginning July 1, 2027 if certain conditions are met. Provides that a price preference for certain businesses applies to any proposal, contract, project, or agreement of the Indiana department of transportation, including state highway contracts, to the extent that the bid does not exceed the estimated cost of the project. Provides that the Indiana department of administration has sole control and jurisdiction over the policies governing and the usage of the Beth Bowen Meditation Room in the state capitol building. Exempts the Indiana board of tax review from requirements concerning live transmissions of meetings. Removes the statewide innovation development district fund as a funding source for an agreement between the Indiana economic development corporation (IEDC) and a taxpayer to receive payment in lieu of claiming an economic development for a growing economy tax credit. Amends the cap on the aggregate amount of tax credits the IEDC may certify each year. Requires the department of state revenue to establish an amnesty program for taxpayers who have an unpaid tax liability for a listed tax that was due and payable before January 1, 2023. Increases the cigarette tax by $2 per pack on cigarettes weighing not more than three pounds per 1,000 and by a proportionate amount on cigarettes weighing more than three pounds per 1,000. Increases the tax rate imposed on the sale of closed system cartridges, open system electronic cigarettes, moist snuff, alternative tobacco products, other tobacco products, and cigars. Specifies penalties for the underpayment of certain estimated taxes for pass through entities. Increases the amount of the public utility fee from 0.15% to 0.175% of the public utility's annual gross intrastate operating revenue and transfers the public utility fee revenue and certain payments to the state general fund (not the public utility fund under current law). Requires termination of the compact related to the establishment of the Chicago-Gary Regional Airport Authority. Requires that the salary matrix for state police, capitol police officers, and department of natural resources law enforcement officers be adjusted each time an adjustment is made to a pay plan for state employees in the executive branch. Adds purposes related to the Stop the Bleed program and the purchase of bleeding control kits to the allowable purposes for which a secured school fund matching grant may be used. Provides that a managed care organization that participates in the risk based managed care program that fails to pay a claim submitted by a nursing facility provider within a specified period shall pay a penalty of $500 per calendar day per claim. Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services (office of the secretary) to determine rebate eligibility for outpatient prescription drugs prescribed to Medicaid recipients from certain entities. Adds a member from the mental health Medicaid quality advisory committee to the therapeutics committee. Removes the prohibition on prior authorization for mental health drugs. Allows the office of the secretary to establish a prior authorization program. Specifies provider payment requirements that apply to any managed care organization that participates in the risk based managed care program. Establishes the health care engineering fund for the purpose of funding plan reviews for certain health facilities. Imposes a fee for each plan review, which is deposited in the fund. Repeals the provisions requiring the office of the secretary of family and social services to transfer $38,000,000 each year to the Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County. Makes certain eligibility changes for the On My Way Pre-k program and the CCDF program. Adds therapeutic ibogaine research to the research that is currently funded under the therapeutic psilocybin research fund. Provides that a community mental health center that provides compensation to any individual employee in an amount that is $400,000 or more per year is not eligible to receive funding from local property taxes or state programs or grants, but excluding the Medicaid program. Requires the department of natural resources to provide free admission to state parks to a Gold Star family member. Requires the bureau of motor vehicles to update the Gold Star family member license plate form. Provides that funding to a local board of health from the local public health fund may only be used for Indiana residents who are legal citizens of the United States. Extends the sunset of the collection of health facility quality assessment fees from June 30, 2025, to June 30, 2027. Specifies that a company that seeks to construct, operate, and maintain a carbon dioxide transmission pipeline in Indiana must apply to the department of natural resources (DNR) for a carbon dioxide transmission pipeline certificate of authority (certificate). Amends provisions in existing law that provide an exemption from the requirement to obtain a certificate under certain circumstances to specify that the exemption does not apply in circumstances in which the proposed pipeline crosses a parcel for which the pipeline company would be required to obtain a right-of-way or easement for the pipeline. Establishes the carbon sequestration project program administrative fund (fund) for the purpose of defraying the administrative costs of the DNR in managing and operating the carbon sequestration project program (program). Requires the DNR to deposit the following in the fund (instead of in the state general fund, under current law): (1) Filing fees for applications for carbon dioxide transmission pipeline certificates of authority. (2) Filing fees for applications for permits for carbon sequestration projects. (3) The fee paid by a storage operator based on the amount of carbon dioxide injected into a storage facility. (4) The cash bond and permit fee required to be paid by a person that applies for a permit for drilling, converting, or operating a nonproduction well for use in carbon dioxide investigations. Requires the DNR to deposit certain fees and penalties in the carbon dioxide storage facility trust fund (instead of in the state general fund, under current law): Amends the Indiana Code section requiring the payment of a fee that is based on the amount of carbon dioxide injected into a storage facility by a storage operator, to provide that the fee is to be: (1) paid annually (instead of one time after the storage operator begins injecting carbon dioxide into the storage facility); and (2) based on the number of metric tons of carbon dioxide injected into the storage facility during the immediately preceding calendar year (instead of based on the metric tons of carbon dioxide proposed to be injected during the first 10 years of the carbon sequestration project). Requires the secretary of education to provide a report and recommendation to the general assembly concerning aligning state funding for dual credit and the advanced placement program with the new high school diploma and expanding access to dual credit course work to all Indiana students. Prohibits a school employer from bargaining collectively with the exclusive school employee representative regarding contract costs for curricular materials. Establishes a teacher appreciation grant program to provide grants to school corporations and charter schools to attract, reward, and retain teachers who significantly impact student outcomes. Repeals the chapter establishing the curricular materials fund and certain provisions related to procedures for reimbursement of costs of providing curricular materials. Removes the annual income maximum for choice scholarship eligibility beginning June 29, 2026. Specifies the maximum tuition or fee amount that may be charged to enroll a career scholarship student enrolled in the career scholarship account (CSA) program, or an approved intermediary acting on behalf of a career scholarship student, in a career and technical education program, course, or class. Changes the administration of the education scholarship program and the CSA program from the treasurer of state to the department of education, and in certain instances, the responsibilities related to the CSA program from the commission for higher education to the department. Requires the state board of education to meet at least one time per year (instead of one time per month). Requires the commission for higher education to annually prepare and submit to the legislative council and to the budget committee a report that examines the utilization of physical facilities for instruction at each state educational institution. Amends the membership appointments and requirements for the board of trustees of Indiana University. Requires a state educational institution (institution) to plan and conduct degree program reviews. Provides that if: (1) the average number of students graduating in a degree program is below a certain threshold; and (2) the institution would like to continue the degree program; the institution must request approval from the commission. Requires the board of trustees of each institution to establish a post tenure review process for tenured faculty that measures productivity and a review process regarding department level promotions and tenure expectations. Requires a faculty member to post syllabi on an institution's website. Provides that: (1) certain faculty governance organization meetings must be open to the public; (2) faculty governance organization actions are advisory only; and (3) members of faculty governance organizations must be employees of the institution to vote. Repeals provisions regarding the election of members to the board of trustees of Indiana University by the alumni of Indiana University. Repeals the nonreverting provisions for the higher education award fund and the freedom of choice grant fund. Authorizes the department of child services to enter into a written agreement with the department of state revenue to transfer the administration of the child support bureau to the department of state revenue. Requires a clerk to collect a small claims service fee of $26 in each action filed in a Marion County small claims court. Establishes the small claims fund. Requires the court to distribute certain fees to the county auditor for distribution to the small claims fund. Provides that the fees in the small claims fund are to be distributed equally among the townships and the fees must fund the operation of the small claims court located within the township. Amends provisions concerning the designation of an innovation development district (district) to add certain qualification requirements. Provides for the determination of the: (1) base assessed value; (2) gross retail base period amount; and (3) income tax base period amount; in a district. Requires the executive of a city, county, or town, or, if applicable, executives, and the IEDC to enter into an agreement establishing the terms and conditions governing any district (instead of only certain districts). Repeals the statewide innovation development district fund. Establishes the economic development reserve account. Increases the maximum amount of covered taxes that may be captured in the Evansville professional sports and convention development area (PSCD) from $10 per resident to $2,000,000 and expands the PSCD area. Provides that unexpended and unencumbered amounts appropriated from the federal economic stimulus fund in P.L.165-2021 do not revert to the state general fund. Requires the state comptroller to transfer: (1) $15,000,000 from the addiction services fund; and (2) $25,000,000 from the department of insurance fund; to the tobacco master settlement agreement fund on July 1, 2025. Requires the budget agency to transfer to the state general fund the balance in the freedom of choice grant fund (IC 21-12-4-5) and the higher education award fund (IC 21-12-3-19) that is not needed for the payment of scholarship awards in the state fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Requires the office of management and budget to submit a report to the budget committee with options for reforming: (1) a certain funding model in the Indiana office of technology; and (2) the management performance hub. Requires the northwest Indiana regional development authority to transfer certain money received from wagering revenues to the northern Indiana commuter transportation district for operation and maintenance costs of the South Shore line that are attributable to the operations of the part of the South Shore line located in Lake County. Provides that: (1) an appropriation to the legislative council and the legislative services agency for a state fiscal year ending before July 1, 2027, reverts to the state general fund as directed by the personnel subcommittee of the legislative council; and (2) an employee in an entity in the legislative or judicial branch of state government is eligible to participate in a pilot program for converting unused excess accrued leave to a monetary contribution for the employee in the employee's 401(a) matching account with Hoosier START. Changes the effective dates of the provisions of HEA 1601-2025 to January 1, 2026. Urges the legislative council to assign to the appropriate interim study committee during the 2025 legislative interim the task of studying the impact of removing caseload limitations for the department of child services. Makes conforming changes.