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SB162 • 2026

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning labor and safety.

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning labor and safety.

Labor
Enacted

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

The exact details of how direct deposit disbursements will be made are not specified in the bill.

Changes to Labor and Safety Laws in Indiana

This law modifies definitions related to employment terms, eligibility determinations, and direct deposit disbursements by the Department of Workforce Development.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes vacation pay and sick pay from the list of things that can be deducted from an employee’s income.
  • Changes what 'suitable work' means when people apply for extended unemployment benefits.
  • Updates how religious, charitable, or educational organizations are treated under employment laws.
  • Gives the Department of Workforce Development permission to send out payments directly to bank accounts in some cases.
  • Makes it easier to prove that a decision about eligibility was properly sent to someone.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Employees and employers in Indiana
  • People who apply for unemployment benefits

Terms To Know

deductible income
Money that can be taken out of an employee’s pay.
suitable work
Work that is considered acceptable for someone who is looking for a job and receiving unemployment benefits.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify all the details about how direct deposit disbursements will be made.
  • Some parts of the law remove old rules, but do not provide new information on what replaces them.

Amendments

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

SB0162.03.ENGS.AMH02

Committee Engrossed Senate Bill (H) • Representative Heath VanNatter

Filed

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to the Indiana Code that requires financial institutions to approve certain labor and safety measures.

  • Adds a new requirement for financial institutions to approve specific labor and safety measures.
  • The exact details of what labor and safety measures need approval from financial institutions are not specified in the amendment text, making it unclear how this will be implemented.
  • It is unclear which section of the Indiana Code this new requirement would be added to or how existing laws might interact with this change.
SB0162.01.INTR.AMS01

Committee Introduced Senate Bill (S) • Senator Linda Rogers

Filed

Plain English: The amendment adds new rules for financial institutions in Indiana.

  • Adds a new section to the Indiana Code that requires financial institutions to follow certain safety and labor standards.
  • The exact details of the safety and labor standards are not provided, so it's unclear what specific requirements will be imposed on financial institutions.
  • It is unknown how this amendment would affect existing regulations for financial institutions in Indiana.
SB0162.04.COMH.AMH03

Committee Senate Bill (H) • Representative Jeffrey Thompson

Filed

Plain English: The amendment does not provide specific changes to the bill and is titled 'Conflict Resolution'.

  • The official text of the amendment does not specify any concrete changes or details about what 'Conflict Resolution' entails.
SB0162.02.COMS.AMS001

Filed Senate Bill (S) • Senator Linda Rogers

Passed

Plain English: This amendment changes the Indiana Code to add new requirements for workplace safety training.

  • Adds a new section to the Indiana Code that requires employers to provide regular safety training to their employees.
  • The official text does not specify details about what kind of safety training is required or how often it must be provided, which limits our ability to explain these specifics.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Signed by the Governor

  2. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Public Law 113

  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. 2026-02-25 House

    Returned to the Senate with amendments

  7. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Motion to concur filed

  8. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Senate concurred with House amendments; Roll Call 294: yeas 48, nays 0

  9. 2026-02-24 House

    Third reading: passed; Roll Call 343: yeas 97, nays 0

  10. 2026-02-23 House

    Second reading: ordered engrossed

  11. 2026-02-18 House

    Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

  12. 2026-02-12 House

    Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

  13. 2026-02-12 House

    Representative Cash added as cosponsor

  14. 2026-02-12 House

    Recommitted to Committee on Ways and Means pursuant to House Rule 126.3

  15. 2026-01-28 House

    First reading: referred to Committee on Employment, Labor and Pensions

  16. 2026-01-22 Senate

    Referred to the House

  17. 2026-01-20 Senate

    Third reading: passed; Roll Call 38: yeas 46, nays 0

  18. 2026-01-20 Senate

    House sponsor: Representative Teshka

  19. 2026-01-20 Senate

    Cosponsors: Representatives VanNatter, Garcia Wilburn

  20. 2026-01-20 Senate

    Senator Pol added as coauthor

  21. 2026-01-15 Senate

    Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed

  22. 2026-01-15 Senate

    Amendment #1 (Rogers) prevailed; voice vote

  23. 2026-01-15 Senate

    Senator Randolph added as coauthor

  24. 2026-01-08 Senate

    Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

  25. 2026-01-08 Senate

    Senator Niezgodski added as coauthor

  26. 2026-01-05 Senate

    Authored by Senator Rogers

  27. 2026-01-05 Senate

    First reading: referred to Committee on Pensions and Labor

  28. 2026-01-05 Senate

    Senator Doriot added as second author

Official Summary Text

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning labor and safety.
Department of workforce development.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning labor and safety.

Department of workforce development.

Removes vacation pay and sick pay from the definition of "deductible income". Amends the definition of "suitable work" to apply solely to extended benefit claims. Amends the definition of "employment" with respect to certain religious, charitable, or educational organizations. Provides that the department of workforce development may make certain direct deposit disbursements under limited circumstances. Provides that the date a determination of eligibility is sent is prima facie evidence of proper service. Codifies certain administrative rules with respect to benefit payments, the filing of claims, and notice. Removes outdated or expired provisions. Removes references to dependents' allowances for purposes of calculating extended benefits. Provides that an individual who files a disaster unemployment assistance claim may be eligible for additional benefits under certain circumstances. Makes conforming changes.