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.

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SB271 • 2026

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning professions and occupations.

A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning professions and occupations.

Enacted

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Indiana Law on Valuable Metal Dealers

This act changes Indiana's laws about valuable metal dealers to include telecommunications network wire and sets rules for selling or buying this type of wire.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds telecommunications network wire to the list of items considered 'valuable metals' under Indiana law.
  • Moves existing criminal penalties related to valuable metals to a different part of the law called the criminal code.
  • Requires that people and valuable metal dealers follow certain rules when selling or buying telecommunications network wire.
  • Allows someone who loses money because of a violation by a valuable metal dealer to sue for damages.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Valuable metal dealers in Indiana
  • People who sell or buy telecommunications network wire

Terms To Know

Telecommunications network wire
Wires used to transmit information and data over a communication system.
Valuable metal dealer
A person or business that buys and sells valuable metals like gold, silver, copper, etc., according to Indiana law.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what the 'specified conditions' are for selling or buying telecommunications network wire.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect existing businesses that deal with valuable metals but do not currently handle telecommunications network wire.

Amendments

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

SB0271.01.INTR.AMS02

Committee Introduced Senate Bill (S) • Senator Eric Koch

Filed

Plain English: The amendment does not provide specific details about changes to the Indiana Code concerning professions and occupations.

  • The official text provided does not include any substantive content or proposed changes, making it impossible to summarize the amendment's effects.
SB0271.02.COMS.AMH03

Committee Senate Bill (H) • Representative Wendy McNamara

Filed

Plain English: This amendment adds a new section to the Indiana Code that relates to crimes.

  • Adds a new section to the Indiana Code concerning professions and occupations, specifically dealing with crimes.
  • The official text does not provide specific details about what kind of crime or profession this new section will address.
SB0271.02.COMS.AMH08

Committee Senate Bill (H) • Representative Wendy McNamara

Filed

Plain English: This amendment adds new rules about purchases for certain professions in Indiana.

  • Adds a new section to the Indiana Code that sets guidelines on how professionals can make purchases related to their work.
  • The official text does not provide specific details about what kind of purchases are regulated or which professions this applies to, making it hard to explain further changes.
  • It is unclear from the provided information what exact limits or requirements will be placed on these professionals' purchasing activities.
SB0271.03.COMH.AMH001

Filed Senate Bill (H) • Representative Alex Zimmerman

Passed

Plain English: This amendment does not provide specific details about changes to the Indiana Code concerning professions and occupations.

  • The official text of the amendment does not include any detailed information about what changes it would make to the bill.
SB0271.03.COMH.AMH002

Filed Senate Bill (H) • Representative Alex Zimmerman

Withdrawn

Plain English: This amendment, proposed by Representative Alex Zimmerman, was withdrawn and does not provide specific details about changes to the Indiana Code concerning professions and occupations.

  • The official text of the amendment is incomplete and does not specify any concrete changes or limits.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Signed by the Governor

  2. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Public Law 142

  3. 2026-03-03 House

    Signed by the Speaker

  4. 2026-02-27 Senate

    CCR # 1 filed in the Senate

  5. 2026-02-27 House

    CCR # 1 filed in the House

  6. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate; Roll Call 323: yeas 50, nays 0

  7. 2026-02-27 House

    Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House; Roll Call 418: yeas 94, nays 2

  8. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Signed by the President Pro Tempore

  9. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Signed by the President of the Senate

  10. 2026-02-25 House

    Returned to the Senate with amendments

  11. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Motion to dissent filed

  12. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Senate dissented from House amendments

  13. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Senate advisors appointed: Schmitt, Randolph Lonnie M

  14. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Senate conferees appointed: Koch, Taylor G

  15. 2026-02-25 House

    House advisors appointed: Soliday, Lindauer, Gore

  16. 2026-02-25 House

    House conferees appointed: McNamara, Pierce M

  17. 2026-02-25 House

    Representative Lindauer added as conferee

  18. 2026-02-25 House

    Representative Lindauer removed as advisor

  19. 2026-02-25 House

    Representative McNamara added as advisor

  20. 2026-02-25 House

    Representative McNamara removed as conferee

  21. 2026-02-24 House

    Third reading: passed; Roll Call 354: yeas 76, nays 21

  22. 2026-02-23 House

    Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed

  23. 2026-02-23 House

    Amendment #1 (Zimmerman) prevailed; voice vote

  24. 2026-02-23 House

    Amendment #2 (Zimmerman) motion withdrawn

  25. 2026-02-19 House

    Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

  26. 2026-01-28 House

    First reading: referred to Committee on Courts and Criminal Code

  27. 2026-01-23 Senate

    Referred to the House

  28. 2026-01-22 Senate

    Third reading: passed; Roll Call 62: yeas 44, nays 1

  29. 2026-01-22 Senate

    House sponsor: Representative McNamara

  30. 2026-01-22 Senate

    Cosponsor: Representative Soliday

  31. 2026-01-22 Senate

    Senator Schmitt added as coauthor

  32. 2026-01-15 Senate

    Second reading: ordered engrossed

  33. 2026-01-15 Senate

    Senator Freeman added as second author

  34. 2026-01-15 Senate

    Senator Pol added as third author

  35. 2026-01-13 Senate

    Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

  36. 2026-01-08 Senate

    Authored by Senator Koch

  37. 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 professions and occupations.
Telecommunications wire and valuable metal dealers.

Current Bill Text

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

Telecommunications wire and valuable metal dealers.

Adds telecommunications network wire to the definition of "valuable metal" for purposes of Indiana law governing valuable metal dealers. Moves existing criminal penalties concerning valuable metals to the criminal code. Provides that a person may not sell or attempt to sell, and a valuable metal dealer may not purchase or attempt to purchase, telecommunications network wire in any amount unless specified conditions are satisfied. Provides that a person who suffers a pecuniary loss as a result of a violation of Indiana law governing valuable metal dealers may bring a civil action for specified damages against the person who caused the loss.