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SB119 • 2026

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning criminal law and procedure.

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning criminal law and procedure.

Children
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Senator Dan Dernulc
Last action
2026-03-05
Official status
Enrolled Senate Bill (S)
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Amending Indiana's Criminal Law on Grooming and Protection for Children

This law changes Indiana's criminal laws by adding new restrictions for serious sex offenders, renaming certain offenses related to child grooming, and expanding the definition of places where these rules apply.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds entertainment or programming facilities that cater primarily to children under 18 years old to a list of places where sexually violent predators and offenders against children cannot work or volunteer.
  • Makes it illegal for serious sex offenders to enter any place holding an event that provides entertainment or programming mainly for children under 18 years old.
  • Changes the name of 'inappropriate communication with a child' to 'sexual grooming'.
  • Defines sexual grooming as engaging in repeated contact with someone believed to be under 14 years old, aiming to make them less resistant to future sexual activity.
  • Includes cellular telephones within the definition of computer networks for legal purposes.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Sexually violent predators and offenders against children
  • Serious sex offenders
  • Facilities that provide entertainment or programming primarily directed toward children under 18 years old

Terms To Know

sexually violent predator
A person who has been found by a court to be likely to commit future acts of sexual violence.
serious sex offender
An individual convicted of certain serious sex crimes, as defined by law.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact penalties for violating these new rules.
  • It is unclear how this legislation will be enforced in practice.

Amendments

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

SB0119.03.ENGS.AMH02

Committee Engrossed Senate Bill (H) • Representative Wendy McNamara

Filed

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to the Indiana Code that makes it illegal for drivers under 18 years old to use handheld cellphones while driving.

  • Adds a new law that bans drivers younger than 18 from using handheld cell phones when they are driving.
  • The amendment does not specify what kind of cellphone usage is allowed for drivers under 18, such as hands-free devices or emergencies.
  • It's unclear how this new law will be enforced and what the penalties might be for breaking it.
SB0119.01.INTR.AMS01

Committee Introduced Senate Bill (S) • Senator Aaron Freeman

Filed

Plain English: The amendment aims to add a new section related to grooming under Indiana's criminal law and procedure.

  • Adds a new section to the Indiana Code concerning criminal law and procedure, specifically addressing grooming.
  • The official text provided does not specify the exact details of what 'grooming' entails or how it will be addressed in the amendment.
SB0119.04.COMH.AMH001

Filed Senate Bill (H) • Representative Alex Zimmerman

Passed

Plain English: This amendment does not provide specific details about changes to the Indiana Code concerning criminal law and procedure.

  • The official text of the amendment is incomplete, providing no specifics on what changes it intends to make.
SB0119.04.COMH.AMH002

Filed Senate Bill (H) • Representative Andrew Ireland

Passed

Plain English: This amendment changes the Indiana Code to add a new section about criminal law and procedure, but the specific details of what this new section will include are not provided in the given text.

  • Adds a new section to the Indiana Code concerning criminal law and procedure.
  • The official amendment text does not provide enough information to explain the exact content or impact of the changes.
SB0119.04.COMH.AMH003

Filed Senate Bill (H) • Representative Andrew Ireland

Failed

Plain English: This amendment would add a new section to Indiana's criminal law that deals with the consequences for certain types of theft.

  • Adds a new section to the Indiana Code under IC 35-42 dealing with theft, specifically addressing penalties for theft involving property valued at less than $750.
  • The amendment text does not provide specific details about the exact nature of the penalties or how this new section would interact with existing laws.
  • It is unclear from the provided information what types of theft are specifically targeted by this amendment.
SB0119.02.COMS.AMS001

Filed Senate Bill (S) • Senator Liz Brown

Failed

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

  • The exact nature of the change is unclear from the provided text.
  • The official amendment text does not specify any concrete changes or updates to the Indiana Code.
  • Further information would be needed to understand the intended modifications.
SB0119.02.COMS.AMS002

Filed Senate Bill (S) • Senator Aaron Freeman

Passed

Plain English: This amendment changes the Indiana Code to add a new section about criminal law and procedure, but the specific details of what this new section will include are not provided in the given text.

  • Adds a new section to the Indiana Code concerning criminal law and procedure.
  • The official amendment text does not provide enough information to explain the exact content or impact of the changes.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Signed by the Governor

  2. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Public Law 111

  3. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Signed by the President Pro Tempore

  4. 2026-02-27 House

    Signed by the Speaker

  5. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Signed by the President of the Senate

  6. 2026-02-26 Senate

    Senator Doriot added as coauthor

  7. 2026-02-25 House

    Returned to the Senate with amendments

  8. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Motion to concur filed

  9. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Senate concurred with House amendments; Roll Call 293: yeas 48, nays 0

  10. 2026-02-24 House

    Third reading: passed; Roll Call 339: yeas 98, nays 0

  11. 2026-02-23 House

    Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed

  12. 2026-02-23 House

    Amendment #1 (Zimmerman) prevailed; voice vote

  13. 2026-02-23 House

    Amendment #2 (Ireland) prevailed; voice vote

  14. 2026-02-19 House

    Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

  15. 2026-01-29 House

    First reading: referred to Committee on Courts and Criminal Code

  16. 2026-01-28 Senate

    Senator Randolph added as coauthor

  17. 2026-01-28 Senate

    Referred to the House

  18. 2026-01-28 House

    Representative Cash added as cosponsor

  19. 2026-01-27 Senate

    Third reading: passed; Roll Call 96: yeas 46, nays 0

  20. 2026-01-27 Senate

    House sponsor: Representative Olthoff

  21. 2026-01-27 Senate

    Cosponsor: Representative Bartlett

  22. 2026-01-27 Senate

    Senator Young M added as coauthor

  23. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed

  24. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Amendment #2 (Freeman) prevailed; voice vote

  25. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Senator Brown L added as third author

  26. 2026-01-22 Senate

    Senator Niemeyer added as second author

  27. 2026-01-22 Senate

    Senators Clark, Pol added as coauthors

  28. 2026-01-20 Senate

    Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

  29. 2025-12-09 Senate

    Authored by Senator Dernulc

  30. 2025-12-09 Senate

    First reading: referred to Committee on Corrections and Criminal Law

Official Summary Text

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning criminal law and procedure.
Grooming.

Current Bill Text

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

Grooming.

Adds a facility or event that provides entertainment or programming primarily directed toward a child less than 18 years of age to the list of facilities at which a sexually violent predator or an offender against children may not work or volunteer. Adds entering a facility or location holding an event that provides entertainment or programming primarily directed toward a child less than 18 years of age by a serious sex offender to the crime of unlawful entry by a serious sex offender. Renames the offense of "inappropriate communication with a child" to "sexual grooming", and provides (in addition to the current elements of the offense) that a person commits the offense if the person engages in a pattern of repeated or continuous contact with an individual whom the person believes to be a child less than 14 years of age, with the intent to condition the individual to be less resistant to future sexual conduct or sexual activity. Specifies that "computer network" includes cellular telephones.