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SB246 • 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 Privacy
Enacted

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

The exact details of which other persons besides child victims and witnesses are included in the redaction requirements remain unspecified.

Redacting Names in Court Records

This law requires the names and certain personal information of child victims, witnesses, and other specific individuals to be hidden using anonymous labels like 'Child Witness No. 1' in criminal case records.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the names and specified other information of child victims, child witnesses, and certain other persons to be redacted in criminal actions.
  • Uses an anonymous designator such as 'Child Witness No. 1' when redacting a name.
  • Prohibits redaction that uses initials or describes people based on their family roles.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People involved in criminal cases, especially child victims and witnesses.

Terms To Know

Redaction
The process of removing or hiding parts of a document to protect privacy or confidentiality.
Anonymous Designator
A code name used instead of someone's real name, like 'Child Witness No. 1'.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify which other persons besides child victims and witnesses are included in the redaction requirements.

Amendments

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

SB0246.02.COMS.AMH01

Committee Senate Bill (H) • Representative Garrett Bascom

Filed

Plain English: This amendment changes the Indiana Code to require that certain affidavits must be notarized.

  • Adds a requirement for specific affidavits to be notarized.
  • The exact types of affidavits affected are not specified in the provided text, so it's unclear which affidavits this amendment applies to.
SB0246.03.COMH.AMH001

Filed Senate Bill (H) • Representative Garrett Bascom

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 concrete information on what changes it intends to make.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Signed by the Governor

  2. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Public Law 129

  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 286: yeas 47, nays 0

  7. 2026-02-23 Senate

    Motion to concur filed

  8. 2026-02-18 House

    Returned to the Senate with amendments

  9. 2026-02-17 House

    Third reading: passed; Roll Call 269: yeas 88, nays 0

  10. 2026-02-16 House

    Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed

  11. 2026-02-16 House

    Amendment #1 (Bascom) prevailed; voice vote

  12. 2026-02-09 House

    Representative Isa added as cosponsor

  13. 2026-02-05 House

    Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

  14. 2026-01-29 House

    Representatives Ireland, Zimmerman added as cosponsors

  15. 2026-01-28 House

    First reading: referred to Committee on Courts and Criminal Code

  16. 2026-01-22 Senate

    Senator Baldwin added as coauthor

  17. 2026-01-22 Senate

    Referred to the House

  18. 2026-01-20 Senate

    Third reading: passed; Roll Call 39: yeas 46, nays 0

  19. 2026-01-20 Senate

    House sponsor: Representative Bascom

  20. 2026-01-15 Senate

    Second reading: ordered engrossed

  21. 2026-01-15 Senate

    Senators Pol, Koch, Clark, Glick added as coauthors

  22. 2026-01-14 Senate

    Senator Carrasco added as second author

  23. 2026-01-13 Senate

    Committee report: do pass, adopted

  24. 2026-01-08 Senate

    Authored by Senator Freeman

  25. 2026-01-08 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.
Redaction of court records.

Current Bill Text

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

Redaction of court records.

Requires the names and specified other information of child victims, child witnesses, and certain other persons to be redacted in criminal actions. Requires the use of an anonymous designator such as "Child Witness No. 1" when redacting a name, and prohibits redaction that uses the person's initials or that describes the person in terms of a family relationship.