# Indiana HB 1637: School and public safety matters.

Indiana HB 1637, School and public safety matters., is a First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025) House bill sponsored by Steve Bartels (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-06 (Signed by the Governor); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1637-2025
- 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 1637
- State: Indiana
- Session: First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025)
- Title: School and public safety matters.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-01-21
- Last action: 2025-05-06, Signed by the Governor
- Sponsor: Steve Bartels (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 6
- Subjects: veterans affairs and public safety, the senate, homeland security and transportation, appropriations
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 4 (285 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 38

## Summary

Expands the eligibility requirements for admission to the Indiana Veterans' Home. Provides that the department of natural resources shall provide staff support for the Indiana semiquincentennial commission (commission). (Current law provides that the Indiana department of veterans' affairs provides staff support for the commission.) Adds a definition of an "eligible person" for purposes of administering grants for veteran services (GVS). Provides that a qualified entity may receive a GVS to provide certain services to support an eligible person. Makes changes to the qualifications to receive a veteran's burial allowance. Establishes the Medal of Honor license plate. Restores a provision of current law concerning certain disability ratings, as determined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and educational cost exemptions. Updates references throughout the Indiana Code relating to the armed forces of the United States or uniformed services to include the United States Space Force. Changes references relating to military discharges. Makes technical changes to various references relating to the components of the armed forces of the United States. Provides that Hamilton County is not subject to the political party membership requirements for a board of aviation commissioners or an airport authority. Establishes the office of school safety within the department of homeland security (department) for the purpose of coordinating and administering school security and safety resources. Changes the composition of the secured school safety board. Requires a school corporation or charter school to comply with certain safety related requests by the office of school safety. Authorizes the department to issue enforcement orders in accordance with rules adopted by the board of firefighting personnel standards and education. Removes emergency medical services enforcement authority from the state fire marshal's management authority. Provides that the department, a fire department, an airport fire department, or a volunteer fire department may open burn for fire training purposes if certain conditions are met. Makes various changes to provisions relating to the department's enforcement authority pertaining to the administrative adjudication of building fire and safety laws. Amends the definition of "law enforcement officer" to include the state fire marshal and the executive director or fire investigator of the department. Provides that the fire prevention and building safety commission, with certain exceptions, may not adopt a final rule for more than three building codes during any 12 month period. Defines "correctional services provider" and adds correctional services providers to the definition of "covered person" for purposes of restricting access to a covered person's address on a public property data base website. Provides that a school resource officer who has completed Tier I or Tier II basic training has statewide jurisdiction. Provides that a school resource officer may pursue a person who flees from a school resource officer after the school resource officer has, by visible or audible means, including the operation of the school resource officer's siren or emergency lights, identified themself and ordered the person to stop. Increases the penalty for criminal recklessness from a Class B to a Class A misdemeanor. Specifies that the immunities and limitations on liability that apply to a law enforcement officer (and the officer's employing agency) acting within the officer's jurisdictional area also apply to an officer (and employing agency) acting outside the jurisdictional area under certain circumstances. Makes pointing a firearm by a passenger in a vehicle whose driver is committing criminal recklessness a Level 6 felony under certain circumstances. Adds a hospital police department to the definition of police departments required to provide police officers with certain rights. Repeals the provision establishing the department of education's division of school building physical security and safety. Makes conforming amendments.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Space Force members gain state tax deductions: benefit, high. Beginning July 1, 2025, Indiana’s military tax deductions include qualifying Space Force pay and retirement or survivor benefits. The active- or reserve-service pay deduction covers up to $5,000 each tax year. Retirement and survivor benefits included in adjusted gross income are fully deductible f…
- More veterans qualify for state programs: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, Indiana's veteran definition covers residents with qualifying active, reserve, or Indiana National Guard service. Required military job training and discharge standards still apply, along with each program's separate eligibility rules. The qualified-service-member definition…
- Service grants reach veterans and caregivers: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, Indiana Veterans' Affairs can award grants to qualified groups providing services to veterans and eligible people. Eligible people include armed forces and National Guard members, plus Indiana-resident dependents and primary caregivers of veterans. Veterans no longer need an…
- More educators qualify for military credit: benefit, medium. Certain educator retirement-credit paths replace the honorable-discharge requirement with a standard excluding the law's listed discharge conditions. These paths cover retirement rules applicable after June 30, 1980, May 1, 1989, or May 1, 1991. Members must still meet the applicable education, ret…
- More veterans gain public job preferences: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, former active-duty members gain broader access to appointment or reemployment preferences in Indiana’s state classified service. Discharges or separations must not fall within the excluded conditions in IC 10-17-12-7.5(2). Veterans discharged because of line-of-duty wounds o…
- More veterans qualify for school diplomas: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, Indiana's veteran diploma program replaces its honorable-discharge requirement with the law's listed discharge exclusions. Applicants must have left an Indiana high school in good standing for service during a listed wartime period. They must lack a diploma because they left…
- Space Force children gain compact coverage: benefit, medium. The law adds the Space Force to the uniformed-services definition used by the compact covering military children. Children in Space Force families now fall within its service-related coverage.
- Space Force medics gain renewal access: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, Space Force service counts for the military renewal path for emergency medical and paramedic credentials. Applicants must enter service with a valid credential and leave within 48 months; Guard and reserve service are excluded. They must finish an approved refresher course w…
- Space Force students gain tuition protections: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, tuition protections cover Space Force students whose active duty interrupts a term at an Indiana state institution. Within four years after release, they can reenroll without extra tuition or receive a refund or tuition-and-fee credit for unfinished courses. A course already…
- Veteran hiring preferences cover more service: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, Space Force service counts under Indiana's veteran employment-preference chapter. Covered township fire and emergency-service jobs replace the honorable-discharge requirement with the law's listed discharge exclusions for war veterans. Covered police and fire department pref…
- Veteran job programs broaden eligibility: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, certain employment and training programs use a broader veteran definition for Indiana residents. It covers qualifying prior active-duty service and replaces the honorable-discharge standard with the law's listed discharge exclusions. However, veterans or spouses seeking prog…
- Veteran businesses gain status and fee relief: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, supplier-diversity veteran status includes current members and former active-duty, reserve, or National Guard members. Former members’ discharges must exclude conditions listed in IC 10-17-12-7.5(2); the same broader discharge standard applies to these license fee waivers. C…
- Detention health providers gain address privacy: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, address-confidentiality protections cover correctional health, mental health, and addiction service providers, including employees and contractors. They must serve people lawfully detained in state or local facilities. The law also covers anyone living in the same household…
- Medal of Honor plates unlock free parking: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, owners or lessees displaying Indiana Medal of Honor plates can park at meters without paying. They also avoid penalties for exceeding the meter's time limit. Authorized, posted parking bans under local ordinances or state transportation orders still apply.
- Military parents gain longer care arrangements: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, parents on qualifying active military duty, including Space Force duty, can delegate powers over a minor beyond 12 months. The delegation cannot extend past the active-duty term plus 30 days. The power of attorney must state the military-service requirement and estimated ser…
- Space Force notarizations gain state recognition: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, qualifying federal notarizations by active-duty Space Force commissioned officers are presumed valid in Indiana. The officer must hold the rank of second lieutenant or higher. These acts have the same effect as notarizations by Indiana notarial officers.
- Space Force members gain insurance rate protections: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, Indiana’s service-member insurance rules include active and reserve Space Force members. When issuing or renewing auto coverage, insurers cannot charge them above the applicable plan rate for a nonmilitary customer. Insurers also cannot charge above the applicable plan rate…
- Firefighters gain flexible training deadlines: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, Homeland Security takes over specified firefighter training duties, completion reports, instructor certification, and extension requests. Full-time firefighters hired after December 31, 2009, still must complete Firefighter I and II training in their first year. On a fire de…
- More applicants qualify for veteran-service jobs: benefit, low. County and city veterans service officers can qualify through six months of active service and a discharge outside the listed exclusions. An assistant with at least two years of experience can also qualify as an officer. Assistant positions also accept the specified service qualifications or a qual…
- Space Force training opens civilian careers: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, the covered professional licensing chapter counts active and reserve Space Force service as armed-forces service. Space Force surgical technology graduates can also practice in Indiana health care facilities without certification. They must complete 15 hours of surgical tech…
- Veterans gain barber and chiropractic licensing help: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, former service members gain broader access to barber licensing and chiropractic graduation-date protections. Barbers must have held a valid license when entering covered military service and present discharge papers dated within six months. The barber board can charge its es…
- Veterans gain broader home hiring preferences: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, Indiana Veterans' Home hiring preferences use the law's discharge exclusions instead of requiring an honorable discharge. Among capable and fit applicants, preference covers qualifying veterans and their spouse, widow, widower, mother, or child. The home superintendent appoi…
- Fire departments gain permit-free training burns: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, Indiana Homeland Security and municipal, airport, and volunteer fire departments can conduct specified training burns without permits. Burns must follow statutory conditions and cannot be used for disposal. They must occur in the state’s mobile burn demonstration unit or qua…
- Fire investigators gain law enforcement status: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, the state fire marshal and Homeland Security fire investigators have law enforcement status while performing department duties. The Homeland Security executive director has that status while performing the director's duties. The law also adds these officials to the covered d…
- Schools gain extra safety grant access: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, eligible public, charter, and accredited nonpublic schools can apply for additional matching safety grants. Uses include specialized firearms instruction, related tuition, or counseling costs after a school shooting. These grants are exempt from the usual one-matching-grant-…
- Schools get safety guidance and broader oversight: benefit, low. Each school run by an Indiana school corporation or charter school must have a safe school committee to help plan safety. State guidelines cover threats, staff training, community and student input, armed intruder drills, and age-appropriate, trauma-informed bullying prevention and response. Charte…
- Project applicants get clearer plan review exemptions: benefit, low. The department must publish a list of projects eligible for design release without plan review by July 1, 2025. Applicants must submit complete applications, and the department must not select them for plan review. Being on the list does not guarantee release.
- Sellers cannot imply false military ownership: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, nongovernment sellers cannot use “Air Force” or “Space Force” in their business or trade names. The ban also covers descriptions of the seller or sales location. Sellers cannot use other wording likely to suggest U.S. government or military ownership, operation, or managemen…
- Covered professionals face broader discipline rules: cost, low. Licensing authorities can order covered licensees on probation to perform community restitution or unpaid service, or restrict their actions. Orders set conditions serving the public interest or the licensee's rehabilitation or treatment. Beginning July 1, 2025, disciplinary coverage also expands f…
- Local veterans officers must gain accreditation: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, service officers need Indiana Department of Veterans’ Affairs accreditation to serve veterans for a county or city. The requirement applies to officers providing services in that government role.
- Reckless conduct brings higher criminal penalties: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, criminal recklessness becomes a Class A rather than Class B misdemeanor unless a felony classification applies. This covers reckless, knowing, or intentional acts creating a substantial risk of bodily injury to another person. Shooting into an occupied vehicle, inhabited hom…
- Indiana limits building code updates: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, Indiana's building code commission generally cannot adopt final rules for more than three codes per 12 months. The law retains a statutory exception to that limit. It does not impose a direct household fee.
- Veterans Home broadens service, requires disability: mixed, high. Beginning July 1, 2025, admission under this Indiana Veterans’ Home rule requires a disability; destitution alone no longer qualifies. Covered service includes the Space Force and the NOAA and Public Health Service commissioned corps, plus spouses and surviving spouses. The service member’s dischar…
- Fire personnel face certification and possible fees: mixed, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, the education board has authority to create a department-run fire certification program. It can certify firefighting programs, instructors, and personnel and support research and curriculum work. Board rules can require personnel certification and continuing education; certi…
- Veterans can buy public pension credit: mixed, medium. Eligible active public retirement fund members can buy up to two years of military service credit. They need one year of fund credit, six months of active duty, and a discharge outside the law's listed exclusions. The price uses current salary, an age-based actuarial rate, years purchased, and accr…
- Child protections expand adult felony exposure: mixed, low. The law expands child-seduction offenses involving children under 18 and adult caregivers, child care workers, coaches, and professionals using undue influence. It also covers officers acting officially and workplace supervisors using their authority, when at least four years older than the child.…
- School officers gain powers, fleeing penalties expand: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, school resource officers completing Tier I or Tier II basic training have statewide jurisdiction. Officers can pursue someone who flees after they identify themselves by sight or sound and order a stop. The law also removes the exception shielding flight from school resource…
- School safety oversight moves to homeland security: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, the law ends the Department of Education's statutory school safety division. A new Office of School Safety in Homeland Security takes over school-safety duties. School corporation and charter school safety plans must be available for that office to inspect.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Steve Bartels (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Cory Criswell (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Fady Qaddoura (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Lonnie Randolph (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Matt Commons (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Michelle Davis (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Scott Baldwin (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-24 | House | Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House | pass | 93 | 0 |   |
| 2025-04-24 | Senate | Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate | pass | 50 | 0 |   |
| 2025-04-03 | Senate | Third reading: passed | pass | 48 | 0 |   |
| 2025-02-18 | House | Third reading: passed | pass | 94 | 0 |   |

## Actions (45)

- 2025-05-06: Signed by the Governor (House)
- 2025-05-06: Public Law 238 (House)
- 2025-04-29: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate)
- 2025-04-28: Signed by the President Pro Tempore (Senate)
- 2025-04-25: Signed by the Speaker (House)
- 2025-04-24: Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate; Roll Call 529: yeas 50, nays 0 (Senate)
- 2025-04-24: Senator Maxwell removed as advisor (Senate)
- 2025-04-24: Senator Pol removed as conferee (Senate)
- 2025-04-24: Senator Maxwell added as conferee (Senate)
- 2025-04-24: CCR # 1 filed in the Senate (Senate)
- 2025-04-24: CCR # 1 filed in the House (House)
- 2025-04-24: Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House; Roll Call 568: yeas 93, nays 0 (House)
- 2025-04-23: Representative Commons added as conferee (House)
- 2025-04-23: Representative Commons removed as advisor (House)
- 2025-04-23: Representative Moseley removed as conferee (House)
- 2025-04-16: Senator Pol added as conferee (Senate)
- 2025-04-16: Senator Spencer removed as advisor (Senate)
- 2025-04-16: Senator Ford J.D. added as advisor (Senate)
- 2025-04-16: Senator Ford J.D. removed as conferee (Senate)
- 2025-04-15: House conferees appointed: Bartels and Moseley (House)
- 2025-04-15: House advisors appointed: Davis, Criswell, Commons, Gore and Klinker (House)
- 2025-04-14: Senate advisors appointed: Spencer and Maxwell (Senate)
- 2025-04-14: Motion to dissent filed (House)
- 2025-04-14: House dissented from Senate amendments (House)
- 2025-04-14: Senate conferees appointed: Baldwin and Ford J.D. (Senate)
- 2025-04-04: Returned to the House with amendments (Senate)
- 2025-04-03: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 336: yeas 48, nays 0 (Senate)
- 2025-04-01: Amendment #3 (Baldwin) prevailed; voice vote (Senate)
- 2025-04-01: Amendment #1 (Baldwin) prevailed; voice vote (Senate)
- 2025-04-01: Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed (Senate)
- 2025-03-20: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (Senate)
- 2025-03-20: Senator Qaddoura added as second sponsor (Senate)
- 2025-03-20: Senator Randolph added as cosponsor (Senate)
- 2025-03-11: Committee report: amend do pass adopted; reassigned to Committee on Appropriations (Senate)
- 2025-03-03: First reading: referred to Committee on Homeland Security and Transportation (Senate)
- 2025-02-19: Referred to the Senate (House)
- 2025-02-18: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 191: yeas 94, nays 0 (House)
- 2025-02-18: Senate sponsor: Senator Baldwin (House)
- 2025-02-17: Second reading: ordered engrossed (House)
- 2025-02-13: Committee report: do pass, adopted (House)
- 2025-02-06: Recommitted to Committee on Ways and Means pursuant to House Rule 126.3 (House)
- 2025-02-06: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (House)
- 2025-01-27: Representatives Davis, Commons, Criswell added as coauthors (House)
- 2025-01-21: Authored by Representative Bartels (House)
- 2025-01-21: First reading: referred to Committee on Veterans Affairs and Public Safety (House)

## Bill text

- Engrossed House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1637/versions/HB1637.06.ENGS?format=pdf)
- Enrolled House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1637/versions/HB1637.07.ENRS?format=pdf)
- House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1637/versions/HB1637.02.COMH?format=pdf)
- House Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1637/versions/HB1637.03.COMH?format=pdf), [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1637/versions/HB1637.04.COMS?format=pdf), [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1637/versions/HB1637.05.COMS?format=pdf)
- Introduced House Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1637/versions/HB1637.01.INTR?format=pdf)

## Related bills

- SB 231: Various corrections matters. (signed)
- SB 324: Criminal procedures. (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/HB1637/versions/HB1637.06.ENGS?format=pdf)
- [Enrolled House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1637/versions/HB1637.07.ENRS?format=pdf)
- [House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1637/versions/HB1637.02.COMH?format=pdf)
- [House Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1637/versions/HB1637.03.COMH?format=pdf)
- [House Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1637/versions/HB1637.04.COMS?format=pdf)
- [House Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1637/versions/HB1637.05.COMS?format=pdf)
- [Introduced House Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/HB1637/versions/HB1637.01.INTR?format=pdf)

## Related
- [SB 231: Various corrections matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB231-2025)
- [SB 324: Criminal procedures.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB324-2025)
- [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-HB1637-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).