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SB71 • 2026

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

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

Children Parental Rights
Enacted

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide specific details on the operation of the task force or the exact changes that will be made.

Indiana Probate Code Changes

This law establishes a task force to review and update guardianship laws, allows debt repayment or property delivery without court orders for minors up to $25,000, and clarifies how certain trusts and powers of attorney work.

What This Bill Does

  • Establishes the guardianship code revision task force to study and suggest changes to current guardianship laws.
  • Allows someone who owes money or has property belonging to a minor to pay off debts or return items without going to court if it's less than $25,000.
  • Gives courts more power to manage minors' property when issuing protective orders.
  • Permits people taking care of minors to ask the court for permission to settle claims on behalf of the minor.
  • Clarifies how certain trusts and powers of attorney work.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Minors and their guardians or caretakers
  • Courts dealing with probate matters involving minors
  • People who manage trusts or have power of attorney

Terms To Know

Guardianship code revision task force
A group that will study and suggest changes to the laws about guardianship.
Custodian under Indiana Uniform Transfers to Minors Act
Someone who manages property for a minor according to specific state rules.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The exact details of how the task force will operate are not provided.
  • It is unclear what changes might come from studying guardianship laws.

Amendments

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

SB0071.03.ENGS.AMH01

Committee Engrossed Senate Bill (H) • Representative Alex Zimmerman

Filed

Plain English: The amendment creates a new committee to study the Indiana Probate Code.

  • Adds language to create a probate code study committee.
  • The specific duties and composition of the committee are not detailed in this amendment text.
SB0071.02.COMS.AMS001

Filed Senate Bill (S) • Senator Cyndi Carrasco

Passed

Plain English: This amendment changes the Indiana Code concerning probate, but does not provide specific details about what exactly is being amended.

  • The amendment modifies the Indiana Code regarding probate, though it does not specify which sections or how they are changed.
  • The official text of the amendment does not include specifics on which parts of the Indiana Code concerning probate are being altered or what changes are proposed.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Signed by the Governor

  2. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Public Law 105

  3. 2026-02-27 Senate

    CCR # 1 filed in the Senate

  4. 2026-02-27 House

    CCR # 1 filed in the House

  5. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate; Roll Call 315: yeas 49, nays 0

  6. 2026-02-27 House

    Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House; Roll Call 411: yeas 93, nays 2

  7. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Signed by the President Pro Tempore

  8. 2026-02-27 House

    Signed by the Speaker

  9. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Signed by the President of the Senate

  10. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Motion to dissent filed

  11. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Senate dissented from House amendments

  12. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Senate advisors appointed: Taylor G, Koch

  13. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Senate conferees appointed: Carrasco, Randolph Lonnie M

  14. 2026-02-25 House

    House advisors appointed: Prescott, Davis, Garcia Wilburn

  15. 2026-02-25 House

    House conferees appointed: Jeter, Burton

  16. 2026-02-17 House

    Returned to the Senate with amendments

  17. 2026-02-16 House

    Third reading: passed; Roll Call 249: yeas 89, nays 0

  18. 2026-02-12 House

    Second reading: ordered engrossed

  19. 2026-02-09 House

    Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

  20. 2026-01-20 House

    First reading: referred to Committee on Judiciary

  21. 2026-01-13 Senate

    Referred to the House

  22. 2026-01-12 Senate

    Third reading: passed; Roll Call 17: yeas 48, nays 0

  23. 2026-01-12 Senate

    House sponsor: Representative Jeter

  24. 2026-01-08 Senate

    Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed

  25. 2026-01-08 Senate

    Amendment #1 (Carrasco) prevailed; voice vote

  26. 2026-01-08 Senate

    Senator Randolph added as coauthor

  27. 2025-12-10 Senate

    Committee report: do pass, adopted

  28. 2025-12-08 Senate

    Authored by Senator Carrasco

  29. 2025-12-08 Senate

    First reading: referred to Committee on Judiciary

  30. 2025-12-08 Senate

    Senator Koch added as second author

Official Summary Text

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

Current Bill Text

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

Various probate matters.

Establishes the guardianship code revision task force (task force) to study a recodification of the current guardianship code with any necessary changes. Allows a person indebted to a minor or having possession of property belonging to a minor to pay the debt or deliver the property without a court order in an amount up to $25,000 and to pay the debt or deliver the property to a custodian under the Indiana Uniform Transfers to Minors Act. Specifies that a court may do the following when issuing a protective order: (1) authorize delivery of property to a custodian under the Indiana Uniform Transfers to Minors Act; and (2) order a trustee, custodian, or other person to file periodic reports concerning certain property transactions of a minor. Allows a person having the care and custody of a minor with whom the minor resides to petition a court to compromise a claim on behalf of the minor. Requires a court to hold a hearing on certain petitions concerning a proposal to compromise a claim on behalf of a minor and allows a court to appoint a guardian ad litem, an attorney, or other representative to represent the best interest of the minor in the proceeding. Provides that, under the Indiana Uniform Transfers to Minors Act, a trustee or administrator of certain plans may transfer funds due under a plan to the custodian of a minor who is designated as a beneficiary. Allows a custodian to transfer part or all of the minor's custodial property out of the custodial form under the Indiana Uniform Transfers to Minors Act to certain types of trusts or accounts without a court order. Provides that when a power of appointment in a trust (earlier power) is exercised to create another power of appointment (subsequent power) or another nonvested property interest, then the subsequent power or nonvested property interest created through the exercise of the earlier power is considered to have been created at the time of the creation of the earlier power, unless: (1) the instrument creating the earlier power; or (2) the instrument exercising the earlier power; explicitly provides that the subsequent power or nonvested property interest is considered to have been created at the time of the irrevocable exercise of the earlier power. Specifies that language conferring general authority in a power of attorney with respect to personal or family maintenance authorizes an attorney in fact to take certain actions on behalf of the principal for the benefit of the principal and the principal's spouse, children, and other persons customarily supported by the principal. Removes the authorization to employ or contract with servants or companions from the description of health care powers. Provides that the application is only to a lifetime or inter vivos transfer of property to a trust or similar arrangement under which the spouse of the transferor is granted an earlier power that can be exercised during the spouse's lifetime or upon the spouse's death to create a subsequent limited power of appointment or another nonvested property interest. Provides that the exercise of the earlier power or another nonvested property interest is considered to have been created at the time of the creation of the earlier power by the transferor. Specifies that certain written agreements executed between an owner of residential real property and a family member, attorney in fact, health care representative, or guardian that provide for an ownership interest in the residential real property are not prohibited residential real estate service agreements.