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Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

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SB144 • 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 Education
Enacted

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific penalties or enforcement details.

Law Changes for Selling and Buying Tobacco and Vapor Products

This law increases the penalties for selling tobacco products and vapor devices to people under 21 years old and bans advertising these items near schools.

What This Bill Does

  • Increases the punishment for selling or distributing tobacco products to someone younger than 21 from a Class C infraction to a Class B infraction.
  • Makes it against the rules with serious consequences to sell or distribute vapor devices like e-cigarettes to people under 21 years old, and also prohibits purchasing these items on behalf of minors.
  • Bans advertising of e-liquids and vapor products within 1,000 feet of school property.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who sell or distribute tobacco products and vapor devices to minors under 21 years old.
  • Minors under 21 years old who buy, accept, or possess vapor devices.
  • Businesses that advertise e-liquids or vapor products near schools.

Terms To Know

Class C infraction
A minor offense with less serious consequences than a Class B infraction.
Class B infraction
An offense that is more serious than a Class C infraction and has stricter penalties.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact penalties for each type of violation.
  • It does not mention how enforcement will be carried out or who will enforce these rules.

Amendments

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

SB0144.03.ENGS.AMH02

Committee Engrossed Senate Bill (H) • Representative Wendy McNamara

Filed

Plain English: The amendment proposes changes to how conflicts are resolved in criminal law and procedure under Indiana Code.

  • Modifies the rules for resolving conflicts within the criminal law and procedure section of the Indiana Code.
  • The specific details on how conflict resolution will be changed are not provided, making it hard to explain concrete changes.
SB0144.04.COMH.AMH001

Filed Senate Bill (H) • Representative Alex Burton

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 does not specify any concrete changes or updates to the bill, making it impossible to describe its effects.
SB0144.02.COMS.AMS001

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 141

  3. 2026-03-03 House

    Signed by the Speaker

  4. 2026-02-27 Senate

    CCR # 1 filed in the Senate

  5. 2026-02-27 House

    CCR # 1 filed in the House

  6. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate; Roll Call 320: yeas 50, nays 0

  7. 2026-02-27 House

    Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House; Roll Call 417: yeas 96, nays 0

  8. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Signed by the President Pro Tempore

  9. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Signed by the President of the Senate

  10. 2026-02-25 House

    Returned to the Senate with amendments

  11. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Motion to dissent filed

  12. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Senate dissented from House amendments

  13. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Senate advisors appointed: Freeman, Jackson L

  14. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Senate conferees appointed: Alexander, Niezgodski

  15. 2026-02-25 House

    House advisors appointed: Prescott, Bascom, Manning, Burton, Gore

  16. 2026-02-25 House

    House conferees appointed: Rowray, DeLaney

  17. 2026-02-24 House

    Third reading: passed; Roll Call 341: yeas 97, nays 0

  18. 2026-02-23 House

    Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed

  19. 2026-02-23 House

    Amendment #1 (Burton) prevailed; voice vote

  20. 2026-02-19 House

    Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

  21. 2026-01-28 House

    First reading: referred to Committee on Courts and Criminal Code

  22. 2026-01-23 Senate

    Referred to the House

  23. 2026-01-22 Senate

    Third reading: passed; Roll Call 50: yeas 44, nays 0

  24. 2026-01-22 Senate

    House sponsor: Representative Rowray

  25. 2026-01-22 Senate

    Cosponsor: Representative Prescott

  26. 2026-01-22 Senate

    Senator Schmitt added as coauthor

  27. 2026-01-20 Senate

    Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed

  28. 2026-01-20 Senate

    Amendment #1 (Freeman) prevailed; voice vote

  29. 2026-01-20 Senate

    Senator Rogers added as coauthor

  30. 2026-01-13 Senate

    Committee report: do pass, adopted

  31. 2026-01-12 Senate

    Senator Freeman added as second author

  32. 2026-01-12 Senate

    Senator Bohacek added as third author

  33. 2026-01-12 Senate

    Senators Koch, Deery added as coauthors

  34. 2026-01-05 Senate

    Authored by Senator Alexander

  35. 2026-01-05 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.
Tobacco, e-liquid, and vapor devices.

Current Bill Text

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

Tobacco, e-liquid, and vapor devices.

Increases the penalty for a person who: (1) makes a delivery sale of an e-liquid to an individual less than 21 years of age; (2) sells or distributes a tobacco product to a person less than 21 years of age; and (3) purchases a tobacco product for a person less than 21 years of age; from a Class C infraction to a Class B infraction. Makes it a Class B infraction for a person to make a delivery sale of a vapor device to an individual less than 21 years of age. Makes it a Class B infraction for a person to: (1) sell or distribute a vapor device to a person less than 21 years of age; and (2) purchase a vapor device for a person less than 21 years of age. Makes it a Class C infraction for a person less than 21 years of age to purchase, accept, or possess a vapor device. Prohibits a person from advertising an e-liquid or a vapor product, by any medium, within 1,000 feet of school property.