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SB239 • 2026

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

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

Education
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Senator Linda Rogers
Last action
2026-03-12
Official status
Enrolled Senate Bill (S)
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about when the bill will take effect or the extent of business participation.

Indiana Education Changes

This law requires the Department of Education to compile and publish a list of businesses that offer incentives to high school students who earn an honors employment plus seal, allows existing public schools to become charter schools under certain conditions, permits multiple conversions within a single district if specific guidelines are followed, enables innovation network charter schools to work with more than one district, and sets requirements for their agreements.

What This Bill Does

  • The Department of Education must compile and publish a list of businesses that offer incentives to high school students who earn an honors employment plus seal on its website.
  • Existing public elementary or secondary schools can become charter schools if they meet certain conditions in addition to current rules.
  • School boards can convert more than one regular public school into charter schools at once if specific guidelines are followed.
  • Innovation network charter schools can enter agreements with multiple school districts and have requirements regarding their location, terms of agreement, and duties of the Department of Education.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Public elementary and secondary schools
  • School boards
  • Charter schools
  • High school students who earn an honors employment plus seal

Terms To Know

Honors Employment Plus Seal
A special recognition given to high school students by businesses.
Innovation Network Charter Schools
Charter schools that are part of a network with specific rules and agreements.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify when the changes will take effect.
  • It is unclear how many businesses will participate in offering incentives to students who earn the honors employment plus seal.

Amendments

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

SB0239.04.ENGS.AMH13

Committee Engrossed Senate Bill (H) • Representative Robert Behning

Filed

Plain English: This amendment does not provide specific changes to the bill and only states 'Education matters.'

  • The official text of the amendment does not include any concrete changes or details about how it would amend the Indiana Code concerning education.
SB0239.04.ENGS.AMH14

Committee Engrossed Senate Bill (H) • Representative Edward DeLaney

Filed

Plain English: The amendment proposes to change how certain school buildings are transferred or moved within Indiana.

  • Adds rules for transferring 'covered school buildings' which are likely specific types of schools in Indiana.
  • The exact definition and criteria for what makes a school building 'covered' is not provided, making it unclear which buildings this amendment would apply to.
  • Details about the process or requirements for transferring these buildings are not included in the given text.
SB0239.01.INTR.AMS01

Committee Introduced Senate Bill (S) • Senator Linda Rogers

Filed

Plain English: The amendment proposes to add a new section to the Indiana Code that would establish scholarship accounts for students.

  • Adds a new section to the Indiana Code to create scholarship accounts for eligible students.
  • The official text does not provide details on how these scholarship accounts will be funded, who qualifies as an eligible student, or what criteria are used to determine eligibility and distribution of funds.
SB0239.02.COMS.AMS03

Committee Senate Bill (S) • Senator Ryan Mishler

Filed

Plain English: This amendment makes various unspecified changes to the Indiana Code concerning education.

  • The exact nature of the changes is not specified in the provided text.
  • The official amendment text does not provide specific details about what changes are being made, making it impossible to describe the concrete effects.
SB0239.02.COMS.AMS06

Committee Senate Bill (S) • Senator Jeff Raatz

Filed

Plain English: This amendment makes various unspecified changes to the Indiana Code concerning education.

  • The exact nature of the changes is not specified in the provided text.
  • The official amendment text does not provide specific details about what changes are being made, making it impossible to describe the concrete effects.
SB0239.05.COMH.AMH001

Filed Senate Bill (H) • Representative Edward DeLaney

X

Plain English: This amendment does not provide specific changes to the bill and is marked as 'X', which typically means it has been withdrawn or needs further action.

  • The official text of the amendment is marked with an 'X', indicating that there are no concrete changes provided, and it may have been withdrawn or requires additional information.
SB0239.05.COMH.AMH002

Filed Senate Bill (H) • Representative Robert Behning

Passed

Plain English: This amendment changes the Indiana Code to require schools to provide information about mental health resources to students and parents.

  • Schools must give out information on where to find mental health help for students and their families.
  • The official text does not specify what kind of information or how it should be provided, so details about the implementation are unclear.
SB0239.03.COMS.AMS001

Filed Senate Bill (S) • Senator Fady Qaddoura

X

Plain English: This amendment proposes to add new requirements for schools in Indiana regarding the teaching of certain subjects.

  • Adds new rules about how schools must teach specific topics, including history and civics.
  • The exact details of what these new rules entail are not provided in the amendment text, making it hard to explain fully without additional information.
SB0239.03.COMS.AMS002

Filed Senate Bill (S) • Senator Fady Qaddoura

X

Plain English: This amendment proposes to add a new section to the Indiana Code that would require schools to provide information about mental health resources to students and parents.

  • Adds a requirement for schools to give out information on mental health services available to students and their families.
  • The amendment does not specify what kind of mental health resources must be provided or how the information should be shared with students and parents.
SB0239.03.COMS.AMS003

Filed Senate Bill (S) • Senator Fady Qaddoura

X

Plain English: This amendment proposes to add new requirements for schools in Indiana regarding the teaching of certain subjects.

  • Adds new rules about how schools must teach specific topics, including history and civics.
  • Requires schools to include information on the U.S. Constitution and Indiana's state constitution in their curriculum.
  • The amendment does not specify all the details of what exactly needs to be taught or how it should be included in the current curriculum.
SB0239.03.COMS.AMS004

Filed Senate Bill (S) • Senator Linda Rogers

Passed

Plain English: This amendment changes the Indiana Code to require schools to provide information about mental health resources to students and parents.

  • Schools must give out information on where to find mental health help for students and their families.
  • The official text does not specify what kind of information or how it should be provided, so details about the implementation are unclear.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-12 Senate

    Signed by the Governor

  2. 2026-03-12 Senate

    Public Law 151

  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 Senate

    Senator Buchanan added as conferee

  7. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Senator Qaddoura removed as conferee

  8. 2026-02-27 House

    Representative Behning added as conferee

  9. 2026-02-27 House

    Representative Behning removed as advisor

  10. 2026-02-27 House

    Representative DeLaney removed as conferee

  11. 2026-02-27 Senate

    CCR # 1 filed in the Senate

  12. 2026-02-27 House

    CCR # 1 filed in the House

  13. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate; Roll Call 330: yeas 31, nays 16

  14. 2026-02-27 House

    Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House; Roll Call 431: yeas 65, nays 29

  15. 2026-02-25 House

    Returned to the Senate with amendments

  16. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Motion to dissent filed

  17. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Senate dissented from House amendments

  18. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Senate advisors appointed: Donato, Ford J.D., Raatz, Doriot

  19. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Senate conferees appointed: Rogers, Qaddoura

  20. 2026-02-25 House

    House advisors appointed: Behning, Payne, Klinker, Pfaff, Smith V

  21. 2026-02-25 House

    House conferees appointed: Teshka, DeLaney

  22. 2026-02-24 House

    Third reading: passed; Roll Call 350: yeas 66, nays 31

  23. 2026-02-23 House

    Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed

  24. 2026-02-23 House

    Amendment #1 (DeLaney) failed; Roll Call 321: yeas 43, nays 51

  25. 2026-02-23 House

    Amendment #2 (Behning) prevailed; voice vote

  26. 2026-02-18 House

    Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

  27. 2026-02-02 House

    First reading: referred to Committee on Education

  28. 2026-01-29 Senate

    Referred to the House

  29. 2026-01-28 Senate

    Third reading: passed; Roll Call 121: yeas 30, nays 18

  30. 2026-01-28 Senate

    House sponsor: Representative Teshka

  31. 2026-01-28 Senate

    Cosponsors: Representatives Behning, McGuire

  32. 2026-01-27 Senate

    Senator Raatz added as second author

  33. 2026-01-27 Senate

    Senator Donato added as third author

  34. 2026-01-27 Senate

    Senators Buchanan, Doriot added as coauthors

  35. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed

  36. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Amendment #1 (Qaddoura) failed; Roll Call 65: yeas 9, nays 35

  37. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Amendment #2 (Qaddoura) failed; voice vote

  38. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Amendment #3 (Qaddoura) failed; voice vote

  39. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Amendment #4 (Rogers) prevailed; voice vote

  40. 2026-01-22 Senate

    Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

  41. 2026-01-15 Senate

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

  42. 2026-01-08 Senate

    Authored by Senator Rogers

  43. 2026-01-08 Senate

    First reading: referred to Committee on Education and Career Development

Official Summary Text

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

Current Bill Text

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

Various education matters.

Requires the department of education (department) to: (1) compile a list of business and industry partners that provide guaranteed incentives to high school students who earn the honors employment plus seal; and (2) publish the list on the department's website. Provides that, in addition to conditions established in current law to convert an existing public elementary or secondary school, an existing public elementary or secondary school may be converted into a charter school if certain other conditions apply. Allows, if the conditions are met, the governing body of a school corporation to: (1) convert more than one existing public elementary or secondary school within the school corporation; and (2) operate two or more conversion charter schools under a single charter. Allows participating innovation network charter schools to enter into an agreement with more than one school corporation. Establishes the following for or with regard to participating innovation network charter schools that entered into an agreement with more than one school corporation: (1) Requirements regarding the location of a participating innovation network charter school. (2) Terms of a participating innovation network charter school agreement. (3) Duties of the department. Amends certain requirements and procedures that apply to the closure and transfer of covered school buildings. Provides that a lease or sale of a covered school building to a charter school or state educational institution includes certain assets. Requires parental notification if a school determines a student is at risk of not achieving grade level proficiency in mathematics.