KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

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

Back to Indiana

SB180 • 2026

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning health.

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning health.

Energy Healthcare Labor
Enacted

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details about new training hours for home health aides, nor does it specify how the state board of dentistry will use its authority to set additional requirements for repeated licensing test failures.

Health Care Changes

This act changes health care rules by eliminating training requirements for home health aides, amending educational and nitrous oxide administration requirements for dental hygienists, allowing the state board of dentistry to set additional requirements for repeated licensing test failures, updating respiratory care practitioner licensure, and providing medical benefits for first responders without needing a worker's compensation claim.

What This Bill Does

  • Eliminates the requirement that home health aide training must include at least 75 hours of total training with 16 hours in a classroom setting before practical supervised training.
  • Amends the educational requirements needed to become a dental hygienist and updates rules about how dental hygienists can use nitrous oxide (laughing gas).
  • Allows the state board of dentistry to establish additional requirements for an applicant who has failed the licensure examination at least three times.
  • Updates the rules for getting temporary permits and full licenses for respiratory care practitioners.
  • Provides that a current or former police officer or firefighter may recover medical benefits from their employer for employment-related injuries or illnesses without first filing a worker's compensation claim.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Home health aides who need training
  • Dental hygienists and those applying to become dental hygienists
  • Police officers and firefighters seeking medical benefits for work-related injuries or illnesses

Terms To Know

First responder
A person like a police officer or firefighter who helps in emergencies.
Worker's compensation claim
An official request for medical benefits from an employer after getting hurt at work.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact new training hours required for home health aides.
  • It is unclear how the state board of dentistry will use its new power to set extra rules for dental licensing test failures.

Amendments

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

SB0180.04.ENGS.AMH08

Committee Engrossed Senate Bill (H) • Representative Brad Barrett

Filed

Plain English: The amendment proposes to allow dental hygienists in Indiana more flexibility in their practice.

  • Allows dental hygienists to provide certain services without direct supervision by a dentist, under specific conditions.
  • The exact conditions and services are not detailed in the provided amendment text, so specifics about what changes will occur cannot be fully explained.
SB0180.01.INTR.AMS04

Committee Introduced Senate Bill (S) • Senator Liz Brown

Filed

Plain English: This amendment proposes changes to the Indiana Code related to health care, but does not specify what those changes are.

  • The amendment aims to modify parts of the Indiana Code concerning health, though it does not provide details on which specific sections or how they will be changed.
  • The official text provided does not give enough information about the exact nature and scope of the proposed changes to the Indiana Code.
SB0180.01.INTR.AMS06

Committee Introduced Senate Bill (S) • Senator Liz Brown

Filed

Plain English: The amendment adds new requirements for home health aides in Indiana.

  • Adds a requirement that home health aides must complete a training program approved by the state before they can work.
  • The specific details of the training program, such as its content and duration, are not provided in the amendment text.
SB0180.01.INTR.AMS05

Committee Introduced Senate Bill (S) • Senator Liz Brown

Filed

Plain English: This amendment adds new rules about respiratory therapy in Indiana.

  • Adds a new section to the Indiana Code that sets requirements for respiratory therapists and their practice.
  • The specific details of what these new requirements are are not provided, so we cannot explain them further.
SB0180.02.COMS.AMS07

Committee Senate Bill (S) • Senator Chris Garten

Filed

Plain English: This amendment adds new rules about neuroplastogen treatments in Indiana's health laws.

  • Adds a new section to the Indiana Code that talks about neuroplastogen treatments.
  • The text does not explain what specific rules or requirements are added for neuroplastogen treatments, so we don't know exactly how it will change current laws.
  • It is unclear from this amendment alone if there were existing rules about neuroplastogen treatments before.
SB0180.03.COMS.AMS001

Filed Senate Bill (S) • Senator Liz Brown

Passed

Plain English: This amendment changes the Indiana Code to add new requirements for health care providers regarding patient information.

  • Adds a requirement that health care providers must inform patients about their rights concerning medical records and confidentiality.
  • Requires health care providers to obtain written consent from patients before sharing certain types of sensitive health information.
  • The amendment text does not specify all the details of what constitutes 'sensitive health information'.
  • It is unclear how this amendment will be enforced or what penalties might apply for non-compliance.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Signed by the Governor

  2. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Public Law 118

  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 Senate

    Senate concurred with House amendments; Roll Call 280: yeas 47, nays 0

  7. 2026-02-17 House

    Returned to the Senate with amendments

  8. 2026-02-17 Senate

    Motion to concur filed

  9. 2026-02-16 House

    Third reading: passed; Roll Call 253: yeas 87, nays 4

  10. 2026-02-12 House

    Second reading: ordered engrossed

  11. 2026-02-10 House

    Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

  12. 2026-02-09 House

    Representative Patterson added as cosponsor

  13. 2026-01-29 House

    First reading: referred to Committee on Public Health

  14. 2026-01-28 Senate

    Referred to the House

  15. 2026-01-27 Senate

    Third reading: passed; Roll Call 100: yeas 45, nays 0

  16. 2026-01-27 Senate

    House sponsor: Representative Goss-Reaves

  17. 2026-01-27 Senate

    Cosponsor: Representative McGuire

  18. 2026-01-27 Senate

    Senator Randolph added as third author

  19. 2026-01-27 Senate

    Senator Jackson L added as coauthor

  20. 2026-01-27 Senate

    Senators Raatz, Becker added as coauthors

  21. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed

  22. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Amendment #1 (Brown L) prevailed; voice vote

  23. 2026-01-22 Senate

    Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

  24. 2026-01-22 Senate

    Senator Charbonneau added as second author

  25. 2026-01-15 Senate

    Committee report: amend do pass adopted; reassigned to Committee on Appropriations

  26. 2026-01-05 Senate

    Authored by Senator Brown L

  27. 2026-01-05 Senate

    First reading: referred to Committee on Health and Provider Services

Official Summary Text

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning health.
Various health care matters.

Current Bill Text

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

Various health care matters.

Eliminates a requirement that home health aide competency evaluation program training include at least 75 hours of training and 16 hours of classroom training before supervised practical training. Amends the educational requirements for dental hygienists. Amends the requirements for administration of nitrous oxide by a dental hygienist. Allows the state board of dentistry to establish additional requirements for an applicant who has failed the licensure examination at least three times. Amends the licensure and temporary permit requirements for respiratory care practitioners. Provides that a current or former police officer or firefighter (first responder) may recover medical benefits from the first responder's employer for an employment related injury or illness without first proceeding with a worker's compensation claim. Provides that if a first responder pursues a worker's compensation claim for medical benefits and the claim is withdrawn or denied, the first responder is not precluded from recovering medical benefits from the employer. Repeals the penalty in Title 16 concerning the crime of transferring contaminated semen. (Current statute contains a transferring of contaminated body fluids crime in Title 35 remains in law.)