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SB256 • 2026

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning state offices and administration.

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning state offices and administration.

Education Technology
Enacted

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific details on enforcement mechanisms or consequences of non-compliance with reporting requirements for colleges.

Indiana Law on Foreign Agents, Terrorists, and Real Property

This law changes Indiana's rules about contracts with technology companies, requires registration for people working for hostile countries, denies state benefits to those who help terrorist groups, sets requirements for foreign students at educational institutions, and stops certain individuals from buying real estate in Indiana.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires technology contract agreements to include a clause that the company and its subcontractors are not prohibited persons.
  • Needs people working on behalf of hostile countries to register with the state's attorney general.
  • Doesn't allow state benefits for those who help foreign terrorist organizations.
  • Sets rules for admitting foreign students into Indiana educational programs.
  • Requires colleges in Indiana to report how many foreign students are enrolled each year.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Technology companies and their subcontractors
  • People working on behalf of hostile countries
  • Individuals who help terrorist groups
  • Foreign students applying to Indiana educational institutions

Terms To Know

Prohibited persons
Individuals or entities banned by law from certain activities.
Hostile foreign country
A nation that is considered an enemy of Indiana.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify all the details about how to enforce these rules.
  • It doesn't explain what happens if a college fails to report on foreign student numbers as required.

Amendments

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

SB0256.03.ENGS.AMH02

Committee Engrossed Senate Bill (H) • Representative Chris Jeter

Filed

Plain English: The amendment adds a new definition for 'covered foreign principal' in Indiana's state laws.

  • Adds a new section to the Indiana Code that defines what a 'covered foreign principal' is.
  • The exact details of how this new term will be used or enforced are not provided in the amendment text.
SB0256.03.ENGS.AMH01

Committee Engrossed Senate Bill (H) • Representative Andrew Ireland

Filed

Plain English: The amendment removes provisions related to voiding certain agreements from the bill.

  • Removes language that would have made specific agreements invalid or unenforceable.
  • The exact nature and context of which agreements were intended to be voided is not provided in the amendment text.
SB0256.04.COMH.AMH001

Filed Senate Bill (H) • Representative Chris Judy

Passed

Plain English: This amendment changes the Indiana Code to add a new requirement for state offices and administration.

  • Adds a new provision in the Indiana Code concerning state offices and administration, though the specific details of what this new provision entails are not provided in the given text.
  • The official amendment text does not provide enough information to specify exactly how the Indiana Code will be amended or what the new requirement for state offices and administration is.
SB0256.04.COMH.AMH002

Filed Senate Bill (H) • Representative Matt Commons

Passed

Plain English: This amendment does not provide specific changes to the bill and is marked as 'second', indicating it might be procedural or a placeholder.

  • The official text of the amendment does not specify any concrete changes, making it unclear what effect this amendment would have.
SB0256.02.COMS.AMS001

Filed Senate Bill (S) • Senator Chris Garten

Passed

Plain English: This amendment changes the Indiana Code to add new requirements for state offices and administration.

  • Adds new provisions to the Indiana Code regarding state offices and administration, though specific details are not provided in the given text.
  • The official amendment text does not provide enough information to specify exactly what changes will be made to the Indiana Code.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Signed by the Governor

  2. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Public Law 131

  3. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Senator Alting added as coauthor

  4. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Senator Taylor G removed as conferee

  5. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Senator Baldwin removed as advisor

  6. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Senator Baldwin added as conferee

  7. 2026-02-27 Senate

    CCR # 1 filed in the Senate

  8. 2026-02-27 House

    CCR # 1 filed in the House

  9. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate; Roll Call 316: yeas 49, nays 0

  10. 2026-02-27 House

    Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House; Roll Call 412: yeas 82, nays 13

  11. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Signed by the President of the Senate

  12. 2026-02-27 House

    Signed by the Speaker

  13. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Signed by the President Pro Tempore

  14. 2026-02-26 House

    Representative Garcia Wilburn removed as conferee

  15. 2026-02-26 House

    Representative Judy added as conferee

  16. 2026-02-26 House

    Representative Judy removed as advisor

  17. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Senator Brown L added as coauthor

  18. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Senate advisors appointed: Randolph Lonnie M, Baldwin, Koch

  19. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Senate conferees appointed: Garten, Taylor G

  20. 2026-02-24 Senate

    Senator Maxwell added as coauthor

  21. 2026-02-24 Senate

    Motion to dissent filed

  22. 2026-02-24 Senate

    Senate dissented from House amendments

  23. 2026-02-24 House

    House advisors appointed: Judy, Jeter, Ireland, Burton

  24. 2026-02-24 House

    House conferees appointed: Commons, Garcia Wilburn

  25. 2026-02-20 House

    Returned to the Senate with amendments

  26. 2026-02-19 House

    Third reading: passed; Roll Call 292: yeas 93, nays 1

  27. 2026-02-18 House

    Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed

  28. 2026-02-18 House

    Amendment #1 (Judy) prevailed; voice vote

  29. 2026-02-18 House

    Amendment #2 (Commons) prevailed; voice vote

  30. 2026-02-18 House

    Representative Ireland added as cosponsor

  31. 2026-02-16 House

    Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

  32. 2026-01-28 House

    First reading: referred to Committee on Judiciary

  33. 2026-01-27 Senate

    Referred to the House

  34. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Third reading: passed; Roll Call 82: yeas 44, nays 0

  35. 2026-01-26 Senate

    House sponsor: Representative Commons

  36. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Cosponsors: Representatives Judy, Jeter

  37. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Senator Doriot added as coauthor

  38. 2026-01-22 Senate

    Senator Byrne added as coauthor

  39. 2026-01-22 Senate

    Senator Schmitt added as coauthor

  40. 2026-01-20 Senate

    Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed

  41. 2026-01-20 Senate

    Amendment #1 (Garten) prevailed; voice vote

  42. 2026-01-15 Senate

    Committee report: do pass, adopted

  43. 2026-01-08 Senate

    Authored by Senators Garten, Koch, Freeman

  44. 2026-01-08 Senate

    Coauthored by Senators Busch, Baldwin

  45. 2026-01-08 Senate

    First reading: referred to Committee on Judiciary

Official Summary Text

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning state offices and administration.
Foreign agent registration, foreign terrorist organizations, and foreign adversaries.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning state offices and administration.

Foreign agent registration, foreign terrorist organizations, and foreign adversaries.

Provides that contracts entered into, amended, or renewed by a qualified entity for the provision of a technological product or service must contain a provision requiring the contractor to confirm that the contractor and any subcontractors working under the contract for the contractor are not prohibited persons. Requires certain persons acting on behalf of a hostile foreign country to register with the attorney general. Establishes a procedure to deny state benefits to persons who aid a foreign terrorist organization. Requires a state educational institution to meet certain requirements regarding the admission and enrollment of a foreign student into qualifying programs at state educational institutions. Requires an approved postsecondary educational institution to provide to the commission for higher education the number of foreign students currently enrolled in a qualifying program and the number of foreign students enrolled in a qualifying program for each academic year for the preceding 10 years. Prohibits certain individuals and business entities from acquiring real property located in Indiana. Provides that an agreement or cooperative agreement between a unit and a prohibited person is contrary to public policy and is void and unenforceable. Repeals existing statutes regarding foreign ownership of agricultural land.