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HB1249 • 2026

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning family law and juvenile law.

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning family law and juvenile law.

Children Crime Education Labor
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Representative Alex Zimmerman
Last action
2026-03-12
Official status
Enrolled House Bill (H)
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Some parts of the candidate explanation are not supported by the official source material, such as employer reporting requirements for workplace batteries.

Indiana Law Changes for Family, Juvenile, and Criminal Matters

This law changes Indiana's rules about family and juvenile cases and makes new rules for criminal offenses like driving while intoxicated and battery against health care and school employees.

What This Bill Does

  • Makes it so people with one prior OWI (driving under the influence) conviction must serve at least 10 days in jail or do community service, and those with two convictions must serve at least 20 days or do community service.
  • Allows people to get good time credit while serving their sentence for OWI offenses.
  • Expands the definition of 'vehicle' to include watercraft when talking about driving under the influence laws.
  • Increases penalties for battery against health care and school employees, and adds specific protections for DCS (Department of Child Services) workers who interact directly with children or parents.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People convicted of OWI offenses in Indiana
  • Health care and school employees who are victims of battery
  • DCS workers involved in direct child or parent services

Terms To Know

OWI
Operating While Intoxicated, which means driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Good time credit
A reduction in sentence length given to prisoners who behave well and follow rules during their incarceration.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how long after the initial hearing a person can apply for specialized driving privileges.
  • It is unclear if there are specific guidelines on what constitutes 'remote aerial harassment' involving drones.

Amendments

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

HB1249.02.COMH.AMS02

Committee House Bill (S) • Senator Aaron Freeman

Filed

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to the Indiana Code that requires certain individuals with prior convictions related to family law or juvenile law to disclose this information when applying for licenses or certifications.

  • Adds a requirement for people with specific prior convictions in family or juvenile law cases to report these convictions when they apply for licenses or certifications.
  • The amendment does not specify which exact types of licenses or certifications are affected, nor does it provide details on the consequences of failing to disclose such convictions.
  • It is unclear how this new requirement will be enforced and what penalties might apply if someone fails to comply.
HB1249.03.COMS.AMS001

Filed House Bill (H) • Senator Rodney Pol

Failed

Plain English: This amendment aims to modify the Indiana Code regarding family law and juvenile law, but does not provide specific details on what changes it intends to make.

  • The amendment seeks to change parts of the Indiana Code related to family and juvenile laws, though exact modifications are unclear from the provided text.
  • The official amendment text is incomplete and does not specify the concrete changes intended for the Indiana Code.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-12 House

    Signed by the Governor

  2. 2026-03-12 House

    Public Law 158

  3. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Signed by the President Pro Tempore

  4. 2026-03-03 House

    Signed by the Speaker

  5. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Signed by the President of the Senate

  6. 2026-02-27 House

    CCR # 1 filed in the House

  7. 2026-02-27 Senate

    CCR # 1 filed in the Senate

  8. 2026-02-27 House

    Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House; Roll Call 424: yeas 96, nays 0

  9. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate; Roll Call 327: yeas 43, nays 4

  10. 2026-02-23 House

    House dissented from Senate amendments

  11. 2026-02-23 House

    Motion to dissent filed

  12. 2026-02-23 House

    House advisors appointed: McNamara, Bascom, Pierce M

  13. 2026-02-23 House

    House conferees appointed: Zimmerman, Gore

  14. 2026-02-23 Senate

    Senate advisors appointed: Pol, Clark

  15. 2026-02-23 Senate

    Senate conferees appointed: Freeman, Taylor G

  16. 2026-02-20 Senate

    Returned to the House with amendments

  17. 2026-02-19 Senate

    Third reading: passed; Roll Call 207: yeas 46, nays 0

  18. 2026-02-17 Senate

    Second reading: ordered engrossed

  19. 2026-02-12 Senate

    Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

  20. 2026-02-02 Senate

    First reading: referred to Committee on Corrections and Criminal Law

  21. 2026-01-29 House

    Referred to the Senate

  22. 2026-01-28 House

    Third reading: passed; Roll Call 135: yeas 74, nays 18

  23. 2026-01-28 House

    Senate sponsor: Senator Freeman

  24. 2026-01-20 House

    Second reading: ordered engrossed

  25. 2026-01-14 House

    Committee report: do pass, adopted

  26. 2026-01-05 House

    Authored by Representative Zimmerman

  27. 2026-01-05 House

    Coauthored by Representative Bascom

  28. 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 family law and juvenile law.
Various criminal law matters.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning family law and juvenile law.

Various criminal law matters.

Provides that if a person has one prior OWI conviction, the court shall order that the person be imprisoned for at least 10 days or perform community service, and if a person has two prior OWI convictions, the court shall order that the person be imprisoned for at least 20 days or perform community service. Provides that a person receives good time credit while serving a sentence imposed under this statute (under current law, a person does not receive good time credit). Provides that this statute does not increase the maximum sentence for the offense as provided by either IC 35-50-2 or IC 35-50-3. Specifies that "vehicle", for purposes of the crime of operating while intoxicated, includes a watercraft, and repeals the separate crime of operating a motorboat while intoxicated. Provides that an initial hearing may be waived and allows a person to apply for a specialized driving privilege after an initial hearing. Adds operating while intoxicated due to use of a controlled substance to the habitual traffic violator statute. Requires a law enforcement officer to offer a chemical test that includes a blood test to any person who the officer has reason to believe operated a vehicle that was involved in a fatal accident. Specifies that ignition interlock devices may only be used when the underlying offense is operating while intoxicated resulting from the use of alcohol. Specifies that certain provisions do not prevent an otherwise eligible individual from applying for a specialized driving privilege after the initial hearing. 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. Provides that certain uses of a drone constitute remote aerial harassment. Specifies that a child charged with dangerous possession of a firearm may be tried by a juvenile court under certain circumstances. Makes dangerous possession of a firearm a Level 5 felony if the child: (1) has a prior conviction for unlawful carrying of a handgun; or (2) possesses the firearm on school property, within 500 feet of a school, or on a school bus. Specifies that certain individuals may not be subject to a county residency requirement, including a public defender (except for the chief public defender), court personnel, and a deputy prosecuting attorney. Prohibits the release of personally identifying information concerning a railroad crew in a public report concerning a railroad fatality. Repeals provisions that require: (1) the department of education to maintain a public data base concerning public school employees who were physically injured on the job by students; and (2) each public school to provide to the department of education information concerning certain public school employees physically injured on the job by a student.