Legislative Calls to Action -- Mar 3, 2026
- Mar 3
- 9 min read
The 2026 Indiana General Assembly session has concluded. The following are bills that passed and either awaiting the Governor’s signature or have been signed into law by the Governor.
Refer to Mad Voters Bill tracker for most up-to-date information. BILL TRACKER | MADVoters
Indiana Legislature
SB 076: Immigration matters.
Author: Senator Liz Brown, Senator Chris Garten, Senator Tyler Johnson (R); Representative JD Prescott (R)
What it does: Mandates that Indiana law enforcement, public schools, universities, and local governments must comply and cooperate with federal immigration authorities and agencies, including ICE, or be sued for $10,000 per violation. Prohibits employers from hiring undocumented people. More specifically, SB 76 increases the risk of wrongful detention and 4th Amendment violations; it requires mandatory compliance with ICE detainers, which increases the risk of unlawful detention, leading to costly litigation. This has happened in other states, and SB 76 sets up Indiana to experience the same problem. SB 76 increases surveillance of immigrant communities; it weaponizes public programs and hospitals by requiring them to report and collect data on non-citizens, which could deter eligible people from seeking essential services.
Status: Status: The Senate passed the bill 37-11 on Feb. 25. On the Governor’s desk for consideration (MadVoters)
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 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 require electricity suppliers to apply a budget billing plan to all active residential customers. It also stops electric utilities from terminating service on days with extreme heat warnings. 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
(Indy Star)
Federal Legislation
War Powers Resolution
WASHINGTON (AP) — Key members of Congress are demanding a swift vote on a war powers resolution that would restrain President Donald Trump's military attack on Iran unless the administration wins their approval for what they warn is a potentially illegal campaign that risks pulling the United States into a deeper Middle East conflict.
Both the House and Senate, where the president's Republican Party has a slim majority, had already drafted such resolutions long before the strikes Saturday. Now they are ready to plunge into a rare war powers debate next week that will serve as a referendum on Trump's decision to go it alone on military action without formal authorization from Congress.
H.R. Department of Homeland Securities Appropriations Act, 2026 is now H.R. 7744 and is in committee. According to the House of Representatives schedule for March 2, 2026, a business meeting is scheduled by the Committee on Rules for this bill.
S.A.V.E. Act
Many people have expressed concerns and called their Senators about the S.A.V.E. Act. At this point it has stalled in the Senate and is not expected to pass due to lack of votes. Here is a further description and breakdown of the act and status:
The original SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act) passed the House in April 2025 but stalled in the Senate due to opposition and filibuster rules. In 2026, Republicans introduced updated versions, including the SAVE America Act and the Make Elections Great Again (MEGA) Act, collectively referred to as "SAVE Act 2.0". The SAVE America Act passed the House on February 11, 2026, and is now in the Senate awaiting a vote.
League of Conservation Voters+1
What is keeping it from passing the Senate?
The bill currently has 50 Republican Senate supporters, including Sen. Susan Collins, but this is insufficient to overcome the 60-vote threshold required to break a Democratic filibuster. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has indicated that a vote will occur, but Democrats, led by Sen. Chuck Schumer, are committed to blocking the legislation, citing concerns about voter disenfranchisement.
NBC News+1
Key Provisions
The SAVE Act would require:
Documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in person to register to vote for federal elections, including birth certificates, passports, or naturalization certificates.
Photo ID requirements for in-person and absentee voting, including government-issued IDs such as passports, driver’s licenses, military IDs, and tribal IDs. Removal of noncitizens from voter rolls and criminal penalties for election officials who fail to enforce these requirements. States to submit voter registration lists to the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE database.
