# Indiana HB 1197: Election matters.

Indiana HB 1197, Election matters., is a First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025) House bill sponsored by Ethan Lawson (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-01 (Signed by the Governor) (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1197-2025
- As of: 2026-10-17
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Indiana HB 1197
- State: Indiana
- Session: First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025)
- Title: Election matters.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-01-08
- Last action: 2025-05-01, Signed by the Governor
- Sponsor: Ethan Lawson (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 5
- Subjects: elections and apportionment, the senate, elections
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 4 (250 yes, 25 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

Requires particular candidates for selection for an appointment pro tempore to an office to: (1) comply with qualification requirements imposed on candidates for election to the office; and (2) if the individual is a candidate for selection by a caucus, be affiliated with the political party holding the caucus. Allows an individual or entity with authority to select a candidate for an appointment pro tempore to remove a candidate from consideration if the candidate does not meet these requirements. Specifies additional grounds on which certain county officers or a township executive may be charged and deprived of office following a hearing. Provides that if an accused party does not appear before the court, the court may proceed to hear and determine the accusation in the accused party's absence. Includes a member of the county executive, if the county does not contain a consolidated city, in a provision concerning the initiation of an action for removal of a county officer. Exempts a member of the county executive from a requirement concerning physical presence in the county officer's office. Provides that a city-county legislative body may declare the seat of a member vacant by a two-thirds vote if the member fails to perform the duties of the member's office.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Stricter eligibility for temporary public appointments: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, candidates for covered temporary public appointments must meet the requirements for election to that office. Candidates seeking selection by a party caucus must also be affiliated with that party. The selecting authority can remove candidates who do not qualify. Qualificatio…
- County executives face new attendance rules: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, these rules apply to county executive members in counties without a consolidated city. Members can face removal for failing, refusing, or being unable to participate in four consecutive regular county executive meetings. The court removal process for county officers applies…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Ethan Lawson (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Carolyn Jackson (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Kyle Pierce (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Michael Crider (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Mike Gaskill (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Timothy Wesco (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-17 | House | House concurred with Senate amendments | pass | 88 | 0 |   |
| 2025-04-15 | Senate | Third reading: passed | pass | 49 | 0 |   |
| 2025-04-10 | Senate | Amendment #1 (Walker K) prevailed | pass | 28 | 17 |   |
| 2025-01-28 | House | Third reading: passed | pass | 85 | 8 |   |

## Actions (24)

- 2025-05-01: Signed by the Governor (House)
- 2025-05-01: Public Law 159 (House)
- 2025-04-23: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate)
- 2025-04-22: Signed by the President Pro Tempore (Senate)
- 2025-04-21: Signed by the Speaker (House)
- 2025-04-17: House concurred with Senate amendments; Roll Call 482: yeas 88, nays 0 (House)
- 2025-04-16: Returned to the House with amendments (Senate)
- 2025-04-16: Motion to concur filed (House)
- 2025-04-15: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 433: yeas 49, nays 0 (Senate)
- 2025-04-10: Amendment #1 (Walker K) prevailed; Roll Call 374: yeas 28, nays 17 (Senate)
- 2025-04-10: Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed (Senate)
- 2025-03-31: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (Senate)
- 2025-02-18: First reading: referred to Committee on Elections (Senate)
- 2025-01-29: Referred to the Senate (House)
- 2025-01-28: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 31: yeas 85, nays 8 (House)
- 2025-01-28: Cosponsor: Senator Crider (House)
- 2025-01-28: Senate sponsor: Senator Gaskill (House)
- 2025-01-27: Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed (House)
- 2025-01-27: Representative Jackson C added as coauthor (House)
- 2025-01-27: Amendment #2 (Lawson) prevailed; voice vote (House)
- 2025-01-21: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (House)
- 2025-01-08: Authored by Representative Lawson (House)
- 2025-01-08: First reading: referred to Committee on Elections and Apportionment (House)
- 2025-01-08: Coauthored by Representatives Wesco and Pierce K (House)

## Bill text

- Engrossed House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1197/versions/HB1197.05.ENGS?format=pdf)
- Engrossed House Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1197/versions/HB1197.03.ENGH?format=pdf)
- Enrolled House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1197/versions/HB1197.06.ENRS?format=pdf)
- House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1197/versions/HB1197.02.COMH?format=pdf)
- House Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1197/versions/HB1197.04.COMS?format=pdf)
- Introduced House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1197/versions/HB1197.01.INTR?format=pdf)

## Related bills

- SB 324: Criminal procedures. (signed)
- SB 231: Various corrections matters. (signed)
- SB 80: Code publication. (signed)
- SB 453: Various tax matters. (signed)
- SB 464: Financial institutions and consumer credit. (signed)
- SB 371: Workforce matters. (signed)

## Sources
- [Engrossed House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1197/versions/HB1197.05.ENGS?format=pdf)
- [Engrossed House Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1197/versions/HB1197.03.ENGH?format=pdf)
- [Enrolled House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1197/versions/HB1197.06.ENRS?format=pdf)
- [House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1197/versions/HB1197.02.COMH?format=pdf)
- [House Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1197/versions/HB1197.04.COMS?format=pdf)
- [Introduced House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1197/versions/HB1197.01.INTR?format=pdf)

## Related
- [SB 324: Criminal procedures.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB324-2025)
- [SB 231: Various corrections matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB231-2025)
- [SB 80: Code publication.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB80-2025)
- [SB 453: Various tax matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB453-2025)
- [SB 464: Financial institutions and consumer credit.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB464-2025)
- [SB 371: Workforce matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB371-2025)
- [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-HB1197-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).