A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning state and local administration.

Labor

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Representative Jim Pressel
Last action: 2026-02-26
Official status: Enrolled House Bill (H)
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact details of how employers will manage changes in agency status are not fully specified.

Insurance Help for Disabled Public Safety Workers

This law allows disabled public safety workers to keep their group health insurance at the same cost as when they were employed, with specific deadlines and conditions.

What This Bill Does

It lets disabled public safety employees get group health insurance from their employer if they become disabled on or after January 1, 2020.
Disabled workers must pay the same amount for insurance that they would have paid while still employed.
Workers need to ask their employer in writing before June 1, 2026, or within 90 days of getting disability benefits, whichever is later.
If a public safety agency closes down, merges, or otherwise ceases to exist, the employer must keep providing health insurance coverage.
Surviving spouses and dependents of workers who died on duty can get the same group health insurance at the same cost.

Who It Names or Affects

Disabled public safety employees
Public safety employers
Spouses and dependents of deceased public safety employees

Terms To Know

Class 1 or Class 2 impairment benefit: A type of disability payment for public safety workers who are unable to work due to injury or illness.
Local unit public employer: The government agency that employs public safety workers, such as a city or county police department.

Limits and Unknowns

It does not specify what happens if the disabled worker does not ask for insurance coverage by the deadline.
Details about how employers will manage changes in agency status are not provided.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB1044.03.COMS.AMS001

Filed House Bill (S) • Senator Kyle Walker

Passed

Plain English: This amendment changes the Indiana Code to add new requirements for state and local administration.

The amendment adds new provisions to the Indiana Code regarding state and local administrative rules.

The official text does not provide specific details about what these new provisions entail, making it unclear exactly how they will affect state and local administration.

Bill History

2026-02-26 House
Signed by the Governor
2026-02-26 House
Public Law 38
2026-02-25 Senate
Signed by the President of the Senate
2026-02-24 Senate
Signed by the President Pro Tempore
2026-02-23 House
Signed by the Speaker
2026-02-19 House
House concurred with Senate amendments; Roll Call 295: yeas 93, nays 0
2026-02-19 House
Motion to concur filed
2026-02-18 Senate
Returned to the House with amendments
2026-02-17 Senate
Third reading: passed; Roll Call 176: yeas 45, nays 0
2026-02-16 Senate
Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed
2026-02-16 Senate
Amendment #1 (Walker K) prevailed; voice vote
2026-02-16 Senate
Senator Hunley added as cosponsor
2026-02-16 Senate
Senator Yoder added as cosponsor
2026-02-12 Senate
Committee report: do pass, adopted
2026-02-12 Senate
Senator Qaddoura added as third sponsor
2026-02-12 Senate
Senator Randolph added as cosponsor
2026-01-26 Senate
First reading: referred to Committee on Insurance and Financial Institutions
2026-01-21 House
Referred to the Senate
2026-01-20 House
Third reading: passed; Roll Call 54: yeas 92, nays 0
2026-01-20 House
Senate sponsors: Senators Walker K, Crider
2026-01-15 House
Second reading: ordered engrossed
2026-01-13 House
Committee report: do pass, adopted
2026-01-08 House
Representative Davis added as coauthor
2026-01-05 House
Representatives Lawson, Goss-Reaves added as coauthors
2025-12-02 House
Authored by Representative Pressel
2025-12-02 House
First reading: referred to Committee on Insurance

Official Summary Text

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning state and local administration.
Insurance coverage for public safety employees.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning state and local administration.

Insurance coverage for public safety employees.

Provides that a public safety employee who: (1) becomes disabled on or after January 1, 2020; (2) receives a Class 1 or a Class 2 impairment benefit; and (3) is eligible for group health insurance coverage for the public safety employee and the public safety employee's spouse or dependents; must pay no more than the amount that the public safety employee would have been required to pay if still serving as a current active public safety employee employed by the local unit public employer. Specifies that the public safety employee must file a written request for insurance coverage with the employer before June 1, 2026, or within 90 days after the public safety employee begins receiving disability benefits, whichever is later. Specifies that if a public safety agency closes, merges, or otherwise ceases to exist, the local unit public employer that caused the public safety agency to cease to exist, shall continue to provide certain insurance coverage. Provides that a surviving spouse or dependent of a public safety employee who dies in the line of duty must pay the same amount that the public safety employee would have been required to pay if still serving as a current active public safety employee employed by the local unit public employer for coverage selected by the surviving spouse or dependent under the group health insurance program.