# Indiana HB 1004: Various education matters. Indiana HB 1004, Various education matters., is a Second Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2026) House bill sponsored by Robert Behning (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-03-04 (Public Law 74); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1004-2026 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Indiana HB 1004 - State: Indiana - Session: Second Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2026) - Title: Various education matters. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-08 - Last action: 2026-03-04, Public Law 74 - Sponsor: Robert Behning (Republican) - Cosponsors: 5 - Subjects: education, the senate, education and career development, appropriations - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 4 (196 yes, 132 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 98 ## Summary Makes changes to various education provisions concerning the following: (1) Certain school corporation accounting requirements. (2) The "nonpublic school" definition. (3) Recodification and state board of education (state board) transition provisions. (4) The state board's duties. (5) Powers of the governing bodies of school corporations. (6) Public-private agreements by charter schools for the construction or renovation of schools. (7) Adoption of certain rules by the state board. (8) Provisions that apply to a qualified district or qualified high school. (9) Department of education's (department) duties regarding initiatives for teacher recruitment and retention of certain educators. (10) Internet use policy. (11) Graduation plan requirements. (12) Instruction on alcoholic beverages, tobacco, prescription drugs, and controlled substances. (13) Recognition program criteria application. (14) Reporting on certain student expenditure information. (15) Excused absences. (16) Automated external defibrillator (AED) requirements. (17) Grant awards from the Indiana secured school fund. (18) Joint meetings of governing bodies of school corporations. (19) The borrowing of money by school corporations for certain hardware. Relocates a provision regarding certain possession and storage of a firearm educational materials from the department to the department of homeland security. Allows use of temporary teacher contracts for teachers who have been issued an emergency permit. Removes or repeals various education and higher education provisions concerning the following: (1) Expired and expiring provisions. (2) Duties, discretionary actions, and restrictions regarding the department. (3) Posting of certain information by schools. (4) Discretionary display of certain words by qualified districts. (5) Academic receivership. (6) Staff performance evaluations regarding Indianapolis Public Schools. (7) Certain powers of governing bodies of school corporations. (8) Certain student teaching agreement requirements with postsecondary educational institutions. (9) Certain discretionary authority of school corporations regarding joining regional school study councils, distributing payroll based on contractual and compensation plans, and establishing and using funds for nursery schools. (10) Spending restrictions for remediation programs. (11) Certain website posting requirements for school corporations and charter schools. (12) Reporting regarding students who meet certain requirements during their expected graduation year. (13) Discretion regarding certain feasibility studies. (14) Certain rights and privileges of teachers employed in a joint program or special education cooperatives or with regard to certain interlocal cooperation agreements. (15) Joint investment funds. (16) Application of certain laws to joint programs. (17) Establishment of certain students as transfer students. (18) Discretion regarding employee health coverage for certain individuals. (19) Notification to the secretary of education by a superintendent regarding a conviction or certain final actions. (20) References to an online platform for training. (21) Reports regarding adjunct teachers. (22) Teacher contract requirements regarding the number of work hours per day. (23) Voiding of contracts with teachers if certain conditions apply. (24) Regular teacher's contract requirement for principals, assistant principals, and directors of special education. (25) The provision of certain individual test scores regarding examinations required for teacher licensure. (26) The definition of "secondary school" regarding the federal teacher loan forgiveness program. (27) The definition of "deficit financing" with regard to the Gary Community School Corporation and the Muncie Community school corporation. (28) Allowing instruction on bullying prevention and child abuse by certain individuals. (29) Timing of statewide assessment requirements for state accredited nonpublic schools and eligible schools. (30) Requirement that the department make available certain diagnostic tools. (31) Discretionary portfolio programs by governing bodies of school corporations. (32) Allowing expulsion if a student's legal settlement is not in an attendance area. (33) Report requirement by the education commission of the states. (34) Duty of a school corporation to preserve instructional programs. (35) The primary care physician loan forgiveness program. (36) Required payments by postsecondary credit bearing proprietary educational institutions regarding cost of performing team onsite investigations. (37) Indiana excellence in teaching endowment. (38) Listing of funds established outside certain education provisions. Repeals and relocates education provisions regarding programs administered by the state with the following changes: (1) Removes or repeals the following: (A) Dissemination of certain information regarding the teacher referral system. (B) Expired provisions. (C) Certain uses of the Senator David C. Ford educational technology fund. (D) The technology plan grant program and requirements. (E) School social worker qualification requirements. (F) An annual report regarding system of teacher and student advancement grants. (G) The Indiana education residency pilot program. (H) A biannual progress report regarding the next level computer science program and fund. (I) A noncompliance and transfer of responsibility provision regarding the next level computer science program and fund. (2) Amends certain requirements regarding the process for evaluating curricular materials. Makes conforming changes. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Safety limits on restraining school students: benefit, high. Indiana school corporations and state-accredited nonpublic schools must have restraint and seclusion plans meeting the state model's minimum standards. The law retains the July 1, 2014, plan deadline, and the education department can require schools to submit plans. The state commission must adopt… - More expelled students can seek enrollment: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2026, students expelled under section 17 can seek another school during their disciplinary separation. This expands access to another school corporation or charter school; placement is not guaranteed. Parents must disclose the expulsion, separation, or withdrawal to avoid discipli… - Students gain pilot transportation services: benefit, medium. A transportation pilot serves students at participating school corporations, charter schools, and nonpublic schools in approved geographic areas. It covers the 2026–2027, 2027–2028, and 2028–2029 school years; nonpublic schools must have at least one employee. Participants must form independent sev… - Teachers get career-connected learning grant options: benefit, medium. Education department grants can cover approved teacher course costs and a department-set stipend when funds are available. Courses must connect classroom teaching with workplace practices and postsecondary research, while strengthening teachers' subject knowledge and its practical use. Courses must… - Top teachers get protected service leave: benefit, medium. An Indiana Teacher of the Year invited to serve at an Indiana postsecondary institution or education department gets one year's professional leave. The teacher keeps employment benefits other than salary from the regular employer. The host institution or department pays the salary and reimburses th… - Career students control employer information sharing: benefit, low. An emancipated student or a student's parent may voluntarily authorize sharing career-course enrollment details with employers recruiting those skills. Schools must offer a release form at enrollment that follows federal student privacy law. Schools must send released information to the workforce d… - Eligible veterans can receive school diplomas: benefit, low. Veterans can apply through Indiana Veterans' Affairs for diplomas after leaving an Indiana high school for qualifying wartime service. They must have been in good standing, missed graduation because of that service, and received a qualifying discharge. Covered service periods are April 6, 1917–Nove… - Faster educator licensing for military spouses: benefit, low. The State Board of Education must adopt rules to speed educator license or certificate processing for eligible military spouses. The applicant's spouse must serve on active duty and be assigned to a duty station in Indiana. The rule covers issuance, renewal, and reinstatement. The law sets no speci… - Parents gain student internet controls: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, school corporations and charter schools must prepare parent-control policies and implement them by January 1, 2027. Parents can strengthen filters, block content, and limit device time outside school, virtual instruction, and remote learning. Schools must tell parents about… - Qualified schools must follow advanced-math rules: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, districts and high schools with qualified status must follow middle-school advanced-math automatic enrollment rules. The provision does not give a new student eligibility formula. - Student workers gain insurance purchasing support: benefit, low. The education department must maintain an agreement to provide or help employers obtain insurance for students employed in work-based learning. Coverage includes employer liability and workers' compensation and must be approved by the insurance department. Employers may buy coverage and must pay it… - Teacher courses can earn renewal credit: benefit, low. Successfully completing an approved teacher course or program may count toward professional growth points for license renewal. This applies to practitioner and accomplished practitioner licenses. The Indiana Department of Education decides whether completion counts; credit is not automatic. - Teachers and school leaders gain contract flexibility: benefit, low. A teacher's new school contract is no longer void solely because an earlier public-school teaching contract still binds the teacher. This includes signing during the school year or fewer than 14 days before reporting for work. Beginning July 1, 2026, principals and assistant principals may agree wi… - Teachers get recruitment and job tools: benefit, low. Indiana must maintain an online referral system listing public-school teaching jobs and information about teaching job seekers. School corporations, teachers, prospective teachers, and state educational institutions must have access. Recruitment grants support teacher training and recruitment in cr… - Teachers retain access to detailed scores: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, scorers must give detailed results to people who fail all or part of a teacher licensing exam. Results must include scores for each tested area. The law repeals a separate provision requiring the same disclosure while also stating this requirement. These provisions do not ch… - Veteran diploma applications stay fee-free: benefit, low. Indiana cannot charge fees to process applications or award diplomas through its eligible-veteran diploma program. This protection also covers applications submitted for deceased eligible veterans. No avoided fee amount is specified. - Sales-tax exemption for families buying computers: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the law updates which educational service centers qualify for the student computer sales-tax exemption. Qualified computer equipment sold by a school or qualifying center to an enrolled student's parent or guardian is exempt. This exemption does not cover all computer purcha… - Court appraisals for school property purchases: benefit, low. School trustees or a township trustee can ask the county circuit court to appoint real estate appraisers. Trustees must believe the property is needed to build a school or for another purpose connected with the property. The law does not set a purchase price or payment amount. - Career programs face regular state reviews: benefit, low. The State Board must establish statewide records and secondary-school data systems or policies for career and technical education. These must include program outcome reviews at least once a year. A financial audit system must operate at least every two years. The board must use workforce department… - Conviction checks protect students at school: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, school corporations, charter schools, and nonpublic schools cannot hire or retain people convicted of listed offenses. The restriction also covers contractors, unless the conviction is reversed, vacated, or set aside on appeal. For current or former teachers convicted of lic… - Elementary schools gain counseling grant options: benefit, low. A limited number of school corporations can receive grants for kindergarten-through-grade-6 intervention and career counseling by licensed counselors. Grants are capped at $15,000 per full-time counselor per academic year, or $7,500 per semester. Total caps follow average daily membership: $75,000… - More reading support for struggling students: benefit, low. Schools can seek science-of-reading grants when funds are available. Grants support elementary literacy coaches, staff training, tutoring, approved materials, and teacher literacy endorsements. Applications must include a coaching and training plan, evidence, and staffing information. Awards favor… - More testing flexibility for nonpublic schools: benefit, low. This provision no longer requires state-accredited nonpublic schools and eligible schools to give statewide tests alongside school corporations. These schools must still make test results available to the Indiana Department of Education. - Robotics grants support wider student participation: benefit, low. The education department must distribute robotics grants to maximize the number and geographic spread of eligible teams receiving money. Awards must emphasize increasing high school teams. Maximum grant amounts depend on programming level, competition level, and participant count. Awards are due by… - School security grants can prevent bullying: benefit, low. Indiana secured school fund matching grants may pay for bullying prevention programs. School corporations, charter schools, and accredited nonpublic schools are eligible recipients. This expands allowed grant uses but does not provide a new appropriation. - Schools can partner on early learning: benefit, low. School corporations may partner with private or nonprofit groups to provide early childhood education, preschool, or latch key programs. Contracted preschool providers must operate federally approved preschool programs. Preschool is voluntary and serves children age 3 or older who are not enrolled… - Schools can share nonhealth insurance risks: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, school corporations can agree to operate cooperative self-insurance programs with other school corporations. Programs can cover specified liability, accidents, losses, and risks tied to school property, contracts, and activities. They cannot provide health insurance. - Schools can share services through centers: benefit, low. The law establishes educational service centers where schools can voluntarily share programs and services they cannot provide alone. School corporations, charter schools, and qualifying nonpublic schools may participate. A nonpublic school must have at least one employee. The State Board plans the… - Schools can spend more on remediation: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, school corporations no longer face the annual remediation spending cap of 1% of state tuition support. Programs serving any group of K–12 students still need a written plan adopted at a public hearing before spending. Schools must promptly file the plan with the education de… - Schools can temporarily hire emergency-permit teachers: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, school corporations may hire teachers with emergency permits using temporary teacher contracts. The Indiana Department of Education must still issue the emergency permit. - Schools connect lessons with career paths: benefit, low. Indiana must provide school career-fair grants from the Connecting Students With Careers Fund. The education department must maintain an online resource linking classroom lessons with workplace innovations and college research. The state education board must also evaluate career and technical educa… - Schools gain facilities pilot options: benefit, low. Starting in the 2026–2027 school year, facilities pilot boards must follow their plans and recommend school property tax levies. Recommendations alone do not change tax bills. Boards may hire outside people or groups to create or carry out their plans. Participating schools may leave, subject to ex… - Schools gain per-student alternative education grants: benefit, low. Qualifying school corporations can receive up to $750 per full-time-equivalent alternative education student each school year. They must spend at least one-third of the state grant amount per student on alternative education. Awards use reported enrollment and attendance from July 1 through June 30… - Schools gain technology and training grants: benefit, low. The law establishes the Senator David C. Ford educational technology fund for school technology, teacher training, and digital-learning programs. School corporations must apply, and technology spending requires the governor's and budget agency's approval. Grants go into school corporations' educati… - Schools get annual approved materials lists: benefit, low. By July 1, 2027, and every July 1 afterward, the education department must publish an online approved curricular-materials list. It covers science, technology, engineering, math, and English/language arts. Reviews must consider required assessments and data, hands-on learning, Indiana academic stan… - Schools get computer science teaching support: benefit, low. The law creates the Next Level computer science grant program and fund for teacher training and lasting school curricula. State-accredited schools, eligible colleges, and qualified training organizations can apply under education department guidelines. The secretary of education must also maintain… - Schools get dual language startup grants: benefit, low. School corporations and charter schools can apply for up to $50,000 to start dual language programs. Programs must begin in kindergarten or grade 1. At least 50% of instruction must be in English and 50% in another state-approved language. Applicants must also meet education department requirements… - Schools get equal recognition eligibility rules: benefit, low. The education department cannot set different recognition-program eligibility rules for public schools and state-accredited nonpublic or other eligible schools. The schools being compared must serve the same grade levels. Equal rules do not guarantee participation or recognition. - Schools get teacher and literacy grants: benefit, low. Indiana offers grants for qualifying teacher-performance and literacy-coaching models at school corporations and charter schools. Awards can go to no more than 30 recipients each school year, spanning urban, suburban, and rural areas. Each award lasts three consecutive school years and cannot excee… - Schools link families to state dashboards: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, each Indiana school must clearly post a website link to its state school dashboard page. Schools no longer must copy the same data in a similar format onto their own websites. Families can still reach the dashboard through the required link. - Schools retain digital sexual-content risk lessons: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, school corporations may offer lessons on risks from creating or sharing sexual content through digital media. This includes phones, social networking websites, and computer networks. The law repeals a separate authorization while also providing this permission. Schools are n… - Schools revise coach and visitor screening: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, notice and school-reporting rules for specified accredited coaches reference conviction subsection (b) instead of (c). This includes covered teacher-coaches and accredited nonteaching or volunteer coaches; the supplied text does not show whether coverage grows or shrinks. Pu… - Schools test shared facilities management: benefit, low. A shared facilities pilot runs in the 2026–2027, 2027–2028, and 2028–2029 school years, with at most three approved applications. Schools must apply in partnerships and describe the area covered. Participants must form independent seven-member boards by October 31, 2025, with governing-body represe… - State disability schools gain rental options: benefit, low. School corporations can rent school property to the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. They can also rent to the Indiana School for the Deaf, or both schools. This authority expires June 30, 2030. The law does not set rent amounts or require a lease. - Transportation boards advise on school taxes: benefit, low. Beginning with the 2026–2027 school year, local transportation boards must carry out their pilot plans. They must also make recommendations about property tax levies approved by participating school corporations' governing bodies. This requirement does not set a levy amount or change household taxe… - Education service centers gain funding options: benefit, low. Educational service centers may use donated, federal, and other local money to start or operate their services. They may administer programs and funds from those sources and use eligible federal matching funds. Activities paid for with federal money must follow federal requirements. - School accounting and deficit rules change: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, school corporations above 15,000 students in the latest fall count gain an accounting option. They can use the specified modified-accrual method under generally accepted accounting principles without another required accounting form; bond rules and examiner waiver powers rem… - School boards gain spending approval options: benefit, low. School boards can approve prior actions by members, officers, or employees when they could have approved them in advance. They can pay related expenses or compensation only when the law permits. Beginning July 1, 2026, the gift-income rule applies to school corporations generally, not only common s… - Schools gain technology financing options: benefit, low. School corporations may borrow to buy student-issued hardware, including laptops that may be needed to access lessons. Loan notes must mature in installments within four years and be paid from the education fund. Beginning July 1, 2026, the state board may also advance technology-program money to s… - Schools get more flexible contracting options: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, charter school boards can use public-private agreements to build or renovate school buildings. School corporations making joint purchases no longer must follow the former single-corporation procedures or county superintendent bid-submission steps. These changes expand contra… - Tighter attendance rules for cash assistance: cost, high. The law tightens school attendance rules for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). They cover recipients and dependent children subject to compulsory attendance who lack a high school diploma or equivalent certificate. More than three unexcused absences in a school year can lead to suspen… - State-property families lose special tuition benefit: cost, high. Beginning July 1, 2026, the law ends special transferred-student status and state-paid transfer tuition for qualifying state-property residents. The former benefit covered children meeting specified state-employee or state educational-institution employee residence conditions. Children in student h… - Literacy coaches face new endorsement requirement: cost, medium. Beginning July 1, 2027, literacy coaches covered by this rule must hold the required literacy endorsement. Their main responsibility must be providing literacy training and support to school administrators and teachers. - Students face broader pending-expulsion suspension rules: cost, medium. Beginning July 1, 2026, a superintendent or designee may extend suspension beyond the principal's 10-school-day period pending expulsion. This authority now includes cases under section 17 that were previously excluded. The official must find that continued suspension prevents or substantially redu… - Government COVID claims face liability limits: cost, low. The law limits COVID-related claims against government entities and employees acting within their jobs. It covers claims accruing during COVID emergencies declared after February 29, 2020, and before April 1, 2022. Liability remains for gross negligence, willful or wanton misconduct, or intentional… - School officials lose express health-coverage permission: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the law removes express permission to include school board members in school employee health coverage. The repeal also covers the board's attorney. It does not establish whether other authority allows coverage or require existing coverage to end. - Joint-program teachers lose specific job protections: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the law removes specific rights for teachers employed by joint school programs. This includes rights granted to teachers without prior service and rights preserved from service in a member school corporation. It also removes protections when jobs end because of service cuts,… - Legal protections for schools and staff: cost, low. The restraint and seclusion chapter does not itself create civil or criminal claims against the state or education department. The same rule covers school corporations, state-accredited nonpublic schools, the commission, and commission members. School corporation and state-accredited nonpublic scho… - Physician loan forgiveness program ends: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, Indiana repeals the statutory Primary Care Physician Loan Forgiveness Program. The supplied text does not give forgiveness amounts, replacement details, or treatment of existing awards. It therefore does not establish how much any physician's loan balance changes. - Schools gain flexibility charging damage fees: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, school corporations and charter-school organizers may charge reasonable fees for lost or significantly damaged curricular materials. The former requirement to follow State Board fee rules is removed. The law sets no fee amount, and collected money goes into the applicable sc… - Some teaching applicants lose experience credit: cost, low. The law removes an automatic experience credit toward an occupational specialist certificate for people holding licenses under IC 25-8-6. Previously, each year holding that license counted as one year of occupational experience. Applicants lose that specific credit, not necessarily all ways to show… - Student cadets lose protected activity absences: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the law removes required excused absences for secondary students in Indiana's Civil Air Patrol wing. The former rule covered international air cadet exchanges and specified emergency service operations. It required wing documentation and allowed no more than five days per sc… - Student portfolio program authority ends: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the law repeals specific authority for school governing bodies to establish student portfolio programs. That authority covered keeping student work at selected grade levels after a public hearing. The repeal removes the statutory basis for those programs. - Students lose court and legislature absence protections: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the law removes its express school-absence excuse for General Assembly pages and honorees. The former excuse required a certificate from the senate secretary or house chief clerk. It also removes the express requirement to excuse students subpoenaed to appear as witnesses in… - Students lose educational event absence protections: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the law removes its express authority to excuse qualifying educational activities outside class. That authority required educational criteria and the principal's written approval. Required excuses also end for educational State Fair participation by students or household mem… - Students lose listed state expulsion appeal: cost, low. The state education board's listed hearing powers no longer include appeals of expulsion orders under IC 20-33-8-17. This narrows the stated route for board review of those orders. The supplied provision does not identify a replacement review process. - Teachers face limits on collective bargaining: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, school employers and employee representatives cannot bargain over teacher evaluation procedures or criteria. The restriction applies to contracts entered into after June 30, 2011, and bars including those subjects in agreements. Separately, robotics team mentors' and coaches… - Local project notices reach fewer organizations: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, local governments must still publish notices for controlled projects facing petition-and-remonstrance procedures. They must also mail notice to the circuit court clerk. They no longer must mail notice to the specified organizations, for initial projects or changed-scope proj… - Fewer mailed notices about local projects: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, local governments no longer must mail certain controlled-project notices to organizations that requested them annually. This covers notices of preliminary decision meetings and the preliminary decisions themselves. Publication and mailing to the circuit court clerk remain re… - Indiana ends school academic receivership: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, Indiana repeals its academic receivership framework for schools. This includes using student performance improvement levels to decide whether a school enters receivership. The repeal does not specify a replacement intervention. - New limits on school board actions: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, joint school board meetings must occur within at least one participating school corporation's boundaries. School boards also cannot use state funds to bring or join lawsuits against the state. They can still use those funds to challenge an adverse decision by a state agency,… - School grants exclude bleeding-control programs: cost, low. Indiana secured school fund matching grants can no longer pay for required Stop the Bleed programs or bleeding-control kits. This funding restriction applies to school corporations, charter schools, and accredited nonpublic schools. It does not itself remove the program requirement. - School-city staff face different evaluation rules: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, school-city staff evaluation plans must follow the state's general staff evaluation framework. The separate school-city evaluation chapter is repealed. The provision does not set new pay amounts or individual evaluation outcomes. - Schools drop specified employee offense reports: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, specified public and nonpublic school officials lose a state reporting requirement under this provision. It covered certain convictions of current or former licensed employees and final school actions concerning employees who committed listed offenses. Officials no longer mu… - Schools lose emergency learning law chapter: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the law repeals the chapter called Emergency Measures to Maintain Instruction and Learning Programs. The supplied text does not explain the measures or identify affected funding and services. It does not establish a specific household payment change. - Schools lose one nursery funding option: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, school corporations lose a specific authority to fund nursery schools run by incorporated associations. The repeal does not itself require those nursery schools to close or change what families pay. - Schools lose specific nursery program authority: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the law repeals specific authority for school corporations to establish and maintain nursery schools. It also repeals their related authority to apply for available state or federal nursery-school funds. The repeal does not automatically close existing programs or end other… - Schools lose stated weapon notice authority: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, superintendents lose this provision's express option to notify police about specified non-firearm deadly-weapon conduct. Immediate notice remains required for conduct involving a firearm or destructive device. This changes school officials' stated authority, not students' pe… - Student and parent support funding narrows: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, Indiana ends the statutory Student and Parent Support Services Grant Program. School corporations, charter schools, and accredited nonpublic schools also lose a permitted use of school security matching grants. Those grants can no longer pay for student and parent support se… - Student-teaching agreement framework is repealed: cost, low. The law repeals a framework for public schools and colleges to arrange teaching experience for future teachers. That framework covered agreement terms and supervision by certified school employees. The repeal does not state that all student-teaching placements or partnerships end. - Teacher recruitment and training supports shrink: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the education department no longer must run recruitment and retention initiatives for educators from underrepresented populations. The law also removes express permission for accredited schools or departments to enter the specified student-teaching agreements. The supplied t… - School publishers face price-sharing requirements: cost, low. Publishers seeking placement on Indiana's approved curricular materials list must provide an exact, written, standard statewide price for each material. They must also enter a data-sharing agreement with the education department. Without both, their materials cannot appear on the approved list. - Schools lose payroll and investment options: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, schools lose permission to distribute payroll from contract and compensation-plan commitments instead of advance-approved payroll estimates. The law also repeals the specified joint investment fund authority and its investment and accounting procedures. Participating school… - Schools lose regional study council authority: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, school corporations lose the repealed authority to join regional school study councils. They also lose that authority to pay council dues from the operations fund. This removes a specific collaboration and funding option. - Principals gain discretion over firearm expulsions: mixed, medium. Beginning July 1, 2026, principals join superintendents in having authority to change certain expulsion periods case by case. This applies to bringing or possessing a firearm or destructive device at school or on school property. A student's expulsion period can become shorter or longer; no particu… - Parents review graduation plans after development: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, students must make a graduation plan with a school counselor by the end of grade 8. They no longer must seek parent consultation before developing the plan. Schools must give parents a copy and a chance to discuss it when federal student privacy law allows access. - Schools test mastery learning with oversight: mixed, low. Selected school corporations and charter schools can use a state-run mastery-based education pilot. Applications must describe teaching, goals, measurable student outcomes, assessments, reporting, and partners; approval requires likely improvements through innovative approaches. Schools must post a… - Students face device limits with exceptions: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, school corporations and charter schools must ban student wireless-device use during lessons, with exceptions. They must also ban noneducational use of school-supplied devices throughout the school day. Teachers may allow educational use during lessons. Policies must allow em… - Teacher contracts can omit daily hours: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, teacher contracts with school corporations no longer have to state expected daily work hours. This gives contract writers more flexibility but removes a required written statement of teachers' expected hours. The law does not itself change actual work hours or pay. - Indiana removes one administrative rule: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, rule 512 IAC 4-1-3(b) is void and must be removed from state publications. The section directing its removal expires July 1, 2027. The supplied text does not identify the rule's subject, requirements, or practical effects. - Career education funding follows approval rules: mixed, low. At least 60% of available federal career education funds must support secondary programs under the long-range state plan. The General Assembly must also appropriate state funds every two years. Workforce officials must designate programs by December 1, submit labor-market and wage information for s… - Child abuse lessons gain broader standards: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, public and state-accredited nonpublic schools may use research-based or evidence-based child abuse lessons. The broader standard covers age-appropriate instruction on child abuse and child sexual abuse in kindergarten through grade 12. The education department must identify… - Pilot schools gain limited testing flexibility: mixed, low. School corporations and charter schools with approved flexibility plans may suspend specified education laws and rules. This includes statewide testing requirements. A school replacing statewide tests must give an assessment that allows comparison with statewide test results. This authority ends Ju… - Safety teaching materials for schools and families: mixed, low. Beginning January 1, 2027, the education department must provide firearm-safety materials to public, charter, and state-accredited nonpublic schools. Developed with State Police, the materials cover firearm and ammunition access, handling, and storage in homes with children. The department must pos… - School transportation pilots face participation cap: mixed, low. The education department may approve no more than three student transportation pilot applications. Schools may apply alone or with partners and must describe the area they plan to serve. The department sets application procedures and selection criteria. Local transportation boards may hire outside… - Schools teach substance risks with less support: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, school corporations must teach about alcohol, tobacco, nicotine products, prescription drugs, and controlled substances. Instruction must occur at least twice during kindergarten through grade 8 and once during grades 9 through 12. The state board must approve the curricula.… - Student robotics grants require local support: mixed, low. Indiana creates robotics grants for eligible kindergarten-through-grade-12 school and community teams, subject to legislative funding. Grants can cover stipends, fees, supplies, materials, transportation, and travel. Teams need an adult mentor and coach, a qualifying competition partner, a spending… - Schools owe public-improvement assessments without penalties: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, school corporations face municipal public-improvement assessments under the same rules as private property owners. School property can carry assessment liens when privately owned property would face them. However, school corporations cannot be charged penalties or attorney's… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Robert Behning (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Hunter Smith (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jeff Raatz (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Julie McGuire (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Linda Rogers (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Tyler Johnson (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-02-27 | House | House concurred with Senate amendments | pass | 66 | 29 | | | 2026-02-24 | Senate | Third reading: passed | pass | 28 | 20 | | | 2026-01-28 | House | Third reading: passed | pass | 67 | 26 | | | 2026-01-27 | House | Amendment #4 (DeLaney) failed | fail | 35 | 57 | | ## Actions (39) - 2026-03-04: Public Law 74 (House) - 2026-03-04: Signed by the Governor (House) - 2026-02-27: Motion to concur filed (House) - 2026-02-27: Signed by the President Pro Tempore (Senate) - 2026-02-27: Signed by the Speaker (House) - 2026-02-27: House concurred with Senate amendments; Roll Call 407: yeas 66, nays 29 (House) - 2026-02-27: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate) - 2026-02-25: House conferees appointed: Behning, Smith V (House) - 2026-02-25: Senate conferees appointed: Johnson T, Ford J.D. (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Senate advisors appointed: Raatz, Qaddoura, Rogers (Senate) - 2026-02-25: House advisors appointed: McGuire, Smith H, DeLaney, Klinker, Pfaff (House) - 2026-02-24: Returned to the House with amendments (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 225: yeas 28, nays 20 (Senate) - 2026-02-24: House dissented from Senate amendments (House) - 2026-02-24: Motion to dissent filed (House) - 2026-02-23: Amendment #3 (Johnson T) prevailed; voice vote (Senate) - 2026-02-23: Amendment #1 (Johnson T) prevailed; voice vote (Senate) - 2026-02-23: Amendment #7 (Yoder) failed; voice vote (Senate) - 2026-02-23: Amendment #10 (Tomes) failed; voice vote (Senate) - 2026-02-23: Amendment #11 (Deery) prevailed; voice vote (Senate) - 2026-02-23: Amendment #9 (Donato) prevailed; voice vote (Senate) - 2026-02-23: Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Committee report: do pass, adopted (Senate) - 2026-02-12: Committee report: amend do pass adopted; reassigned to Committee on Appropriations (Senate) - 2026-02-12: Senator Rogers added as third sponsor (Senate) - 2026-02-02: First reading: referred to Committee on Education and Career Development (Senate) - 2026-01-29: Referred to the Senate (House) - 2026-01-28: Senate sponsors: Senators Johnson T, Raatz (House) - 2026-01-28: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 148: yeas 67, nays 26 (House) - 2026-01-27: Amendment #2 (Cash) prevailed; voice vote (House) - 2026-01-27: Amendment #3 (Behning) prevailed; voice vote (House) - 2026-01-27: Amendment #4 (DeLaney) failed; Roll Call 100: yeas 35, nays 57 (House) - 2026-01-27: Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed (House) - 2026-01-27: Amendment #6 (DeLaney) prevailed; voice vote (House) - 2026-01-27: Amendment #5 (DeLaney) prevailed; voice vote (House) - 2026-01-22: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (House) - 2026-01-08: First reading: referred to Committee on Education (House) - 2026-01-08: Authored by Representative Behning (House) - 2026-01-08: Coauthored by Representatives McGuire, Smith H (House) ## Bill text - Engrossed House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1004/versions/HB1004.06.ENGS?format=pdf) - Engrossed House Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1004/versions/HB1004.03.ENGH?format=pdf) - Enrolled House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1004/versions/HB1004.07.ENRS?format=pdf) - House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1004/versions/HB1004.02.COMH?format=pdf) - House Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1004/versions/HB1004.04.COMS?format=pdf), [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1004/versions/HB1004.05.COMS?format=pdf) - Introduced House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1004/versions/HB1004.01.INTR?format=pdf) ## Related bills - HB 1266: Department of education and education matters. (signed) - HB 1277: Health and human services matters. (signed) - HB 1210: Department of local government finance. (signed) - HB 1249: Various criminal law matters. (signed) - HB 1200: Bureau of motor vehicles. (signed) - HB 1115: Homeowners association governance. (signed) ## Sources - [Engrossed House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1004/versions/HB1004.06.ENGS?format=pdf) - [Engrossed House Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1004/versions/HB1004.03.ENGH?format=pdf) - [Enrolled House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1004/versions/HB1004.07.ENRS?format=pdf) - [House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1004/versions/HB1004.02.COMH?format=pdf) - [House Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1004/versions/HB1004.04.COMS?format=pdf) - [House Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1004/versions/HB1004.05.COMS?format=pdf) - [Introduced House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/HB1004/versions/HB1004.01.INTR?format=pdf) ## Related - [HB 1266: Department of education and education matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1266-2026) - [HB 1277: Health and human services matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1277-2026) - [HB 1210: Department of local government finance.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1210-2026) - [HB 1249: Various criminal law matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1249-2026) - [HB 1200: Bureau of motor vehicles.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1200-2026) - [HB 1115: Homeowners association governance.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1115-2026) - [Indiana bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/indiana/bills) - [Indiana state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/indiana) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1004-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).