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HB1119 • 2026
A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning corrections.
A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning corrections.
Crime
Firearms
Healthcare
Passed Legislature
This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.
- Sponsor
- Representative Jim Lucas
- Last action
- 2026-01-28
- Official status
- Engrossed House Bill (H)
- Effective date
- Not listed
Plain English Breakdown
Checked against official source text during the last sync.
Changes to Execution Methods
This bill changes how executions are carried out in Indiana, allowing firing squads and adding pooled media witnesses.
What This Bill Does
- Allows the death penalty to be carried out by shooting people with guns (firing squad).
- Does not require executions to happen at a specific prison or before sunrise anymore.
- Adds pooled media witnesses to those who can watch an execution.
- Exempts some people from having to take part in an execution if they don't want to.
- Requires the Department of Correction to provide mental health help for people involved in executions.
Who It Names or Affects
- People sentenced to death
- Prison staff and medical professionals who might be involved in executions
- Media representatives
Terms To Know
- Execution team
- The group of people responsible for carrying out an execution.
- Pooled media witness
- A representative from a group of news organizations who are allowed to watch an execution.
Limits and Unknowns
- It is not clear if the bill will become law since it did not pass with enough votes in the legislature.
- The bill does not specify which people can be exempted from participating in executions.
Amendments
These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.
Plain English: This amendment does not provide specific changes to the bill and is incomplete.
- The official text of the amendment does not specify any concrete changes or updates to the Indiana Code concerning corrections.
Plain English: The amendment adds a conscience clause to the Indiana Code concerning corrections.
- Adds a provision that allows certain individuals involved in corrections to refuse to participate in activities that violate their religious beliefs or moral convictions.
- The exact details of what activities and who is covered under this conscience clause are not specified in the provided amendment text.
Plain English: This amendment does not provide specific changes to the bill and is marked as 'second', indicating it might be a procedural or placeholder amendment.
- The official text of the amendment does not specify any concrete changes, making it unclear what this amendment aims to achieve.
Plain English: This amendment changes the Indiana Code concerning corrections, but does not provide specific details about what exactly is being amended.
- The amendment modifies the Indiana Code regarding corrections, though it does not specify which part of the code or how it will be changed.
- The official text provided does not give enough information to explain the exact changes this amendment would make.
Plain English: This amendment aims to modify the Indiana Code regarding corrections, but does not provide specific details on what changes it intends to make.
- The amendment seeks to change the Indiana Code concerning corrections, but the exact nature of these changes is not specified in the provided text.
- The official amendment text does not include detailed information about the specific changes to be made to the Indiana Code.
- Without more details, it's unclear what concrete impact this amendment would have.
Plain English: This amendment changes the Indiana Code to add new requirements for certain prison inmates.
- Adds a requirement that prisoners who are serving sentences for violent crimes must participate in counseling programs designed to address their behavior and attitudes.
- The specific details of the counseling programs, such as what they will cover or how often prisoners must attend, are not provided in this amendment text.
Plain English: This amendment would modify Indiana's corrections laws by adding new provisions related to the management of correctional facilities.
- Adds new sections to the Indiana Code that pertain to the operation and management of correctional facilities.
- The specific details about what these new sections entail are not provided in the amendment text, making it unclear exactly how corrections management would change.
- Since the status of this amendment is 'Failed', it did not become part of the bill and therefore has no legal effect.
Plain English: This amendment changes the Indiana Code to add new requirements for certain prison programs.
- Adds new rules about how prisons must run educational and job training programs for inmates.
- The official text does not provide specific details on what these new rules are, so it's unclear exactly which changes will be made to the prison programs.
Plain English: This amendment would change how Indiana handles certain aspects of its corrections system, but the specific details are not provided in the given information.
- The exact changes to the Indiana Code concerning corrections are not specified in the provided text.
- The official amendment text does not provide enough detail to explain the concrete changes it would make.
Plain English: This amendment would change how Indiana handles certain aspects of its corrections system, but the specific details are not provided in the given information.
- The exact changes to the Indiana Code concerning corrections are not specified in the provided text.
- The official amendment text does not provide enough detail to explain the concrete changes it would make.
Plain English: This amendment changes the Indiana Code to add new requirements for certain prison inmates.
- Adds a requirement that prisoners who are serving sentences for violent crimes must participate in counseling programs designed to address their behavior.
- The specific details of the counseling programs and how they will be implemented are not provided in this amendment text.
Bill History
-
2026-01-28
House
Third reading: failed for lack of constitutional majority; Roll Call 142: yeas 48, nays 47
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2026-01-27
House
Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed
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2026-01-27
House
Amendment #1 (Zimmerman) prevailed; voice vote
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2026-01-27
House
Amendment #2 (Zimmerman) prevailed; Division of the House: yeas 58, nays 32
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2026-01-27
House
Amendment #4 (Pierce M) failed; voice vote
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2026-01-27
House
Amendment #6 (Garcia Wilburn) prevailed; Roll Call 101: yeas 87, nays 6
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2026-01-27
House
Amendment #9 (Morris) failed; voice vote
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2026-01-22
House
Committee report: amend do pass, adopted
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2026-01-05
House
Authored by Representative Lucas
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2026-01-05
House
Coauthored by Representatives Prescott, Bartels, Ireland
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2026-01-05
House
First reading: referred to Committee on Courts and Criminal Code
Official Summary Text
A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning corrections.
Execution methods.
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning corrections.
Execution methods.
Authorizes the death penalty to be carried out by firing squad. Removes the requirement that an execution be carried out: (1) at the Indiana state prison; and (2) before sunrise. Adds a pooled media witness to the list of persons authorized to witness an execution. Exempts certain persons from being required to participate in an execution, and requires the department of correction to contract with a psychologist or psychiatrist to make available treatment services to a member of an execution team. Makes conforming amendments and technical corrections.