IndianaSB 162Second Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2026)SenateWALLET

Department of workforce development.

Sponsored By: Linda Rogers (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Summary

Removes vacation pay and sick pay from the definition of "deductible income". Amends the definition of "suitable work" to apply solely to extended benefit claims. Amends the definition of "employment" with respect to certain religious, charitable, or educational organizations. Provides that the department of workforce development may make certain direct deposit disbursements under limited circumstances. Provides that the date a determination of eligibility is sent is prima facie evidence of proper service. Codifies certain administrative rules with respect to benefit payments, the filing of claims, and notice. Removes outdated or expired provisions. Removes references to dependents' allowances for purposes of calculating extended benefits. Provides that an individual who files a disaster unemployment assistance claim may be eligible for additional benefits under certain circumstances. Makes conforming changes.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

9 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 4 costs, 1 mixed.

Broader unemployment coverage for nonprofit workers

Beginning July 1, 2026, certain religious, charitable, educational, and similar organizations can count workers outside Indiana toward unemployment coverage. The test requires four or more workers for part of a day in each of 20 different weeks. Those weeks must fall in the current or preceding calendar year. This applies to services excluded from federal unemployment coverage solely under the federal exemption for these organizations.

Extra unemployment weeks after major disasters

Beginning July 1, 2026, qualifying workers can receive 13 additional weeks of unemployment benefits after a major disaster. They must have established a federal disaster assistance claim or a state unemployment claim directly caused by the disaster. Regular and disaster benefits must be exhausted or no longer payable because the disaster assistance period expired. Their continued unemployment must result directly from the disaster.

Sick and vacation pay protect benefits

Beginning July 1, 2026, sick pay and vacation pay do not reduce weekly unemployment benefits. This lets claimants keep more benefits in weeks when they receive either type of pay.

Limits on workers’ unemployment benefit totals

Beginning July 1, 2026, extra payments needed to reach the minimum weekly benefit do not raise a claimant’s total benefit limit. Partial unemployment benefits equal the statutory minimum minus income counted against benefits. After specified penalty suspensions end, the claimant’s actual calculated weekly benefit applies instead of the minimum. Extended-benefit limits exclude dependents’ allowances from both the regular-benefit total and weekly amount used in the calculation.

Repeat claimants face work requirements

Workers who received unemployment benefits in the immediately preceding benefit year must pass a work-and-earnings test for a new year. Since the start of that prior year, they must have worked in covered employment during at least eight weeks. They must also have earned at least eight times their weekly benefit amount. The law removes the prior limit tying this test to benefit years established on or after July 1, 1995.

Tighter unemployment claim and banking rules

Beginning July 1, 2026, claimants must provide a Social Security number before the workforce agency determines their benefit amount. During the benefit period, they cannot cancel, withdraw, or change the filing date of valid initial, reopened, or additional claims. Exceptions cover agency staff errors and backdating combined-wage claims to the effective date of claims first filed in another state. Direct deposits must go to institutions with an Indiana branch, Treasurer-approved depositories, or institutions otherwise approved under state law.

Families can claim unpaid unemployment benefits

Beginning July 1, 2026, an estate’s executor or administrator can receive unemployment benefits owed to someone who died. Eligible next of kin can receive payment when no executor exists and no administrator has been or likely will be appointed. Applications must be written on the required form within six months after death. The workforce agency can extend that deadline for good cause.

Employers face unemployment penalties and reporting

Beginning July 1, 2026, late required unemployment reports or payments trigger a 2-percentage-point rate increase, subject to statutory exceptions. The deadline is 31 days after the rate computation date or 10 days after a later written delinquency notice. Rates cannot exceed 12%, and the agency can waive the increase for excusable cause. Employers must also report listed worker departures, including certain quits, discharges, physical conditions, and departures for other work or self-employment. Reports must cover specified vacation or standby pay, wages instead of notice, retirement pay, and other circumstances affecting eligibility.

Job standards shape extended unemployment eligibility

Beginning July 1, 2026, suitable-work rules apply to extended unemployment claims and depend on the agency’s job-prospect classification. Claimants with good job prospects face the referenced state-law standard; others must be physically and mentally able to perform the work. Exclusions protect against jobs paying no more than the claimant’s average weekly benefit plus available supplemental unemployment benefits. They also exclude jobs not offered in writing or listed with the agency, and jobs paying below the higher federal or state minimum wage. Work is also excluded when accepting it would not, under federal law, disqualify the claimant from unemployment benefits.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Linda Rogers

    Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

  • Becky Cash

    Republican • House

  • Blake Doriot

    Republican • Senate

  • David Niezgodski

    Democratic • Senate

  • Heath VanNatter

    Republican • House

  • Jake Teshka

    Republican • House

  • Lonnie Randolph

    Democratic • Senate

  • Rodney Pol

    Democratic • Senate

  • Victoria Garcia Wilburn

    Democratic • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 191 • No: 0

Senate vote • 2/25/2026

Senate concurred with House amendments

Yes: 48 • No: 0

House vote • 2/24/2026

Third reading: passed

Yes: 97 • No: 0

Senate vote • 1/20/2026

Third reading: passed

Yes: 46 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Signed by the Governor

    3/5/2026Senate
  2. Public Law 113

    3/5/2026Senate
  3. Signed by the President of the Senate

    2/27/2026Senate
  4. Signed by the Speaker

    2/27/2026House
  5. Signed by the President Pro Tempore

    2/27/2026Senate
  6. Senate concurred with House amendments; Roll Call 294: yeas 48, nays 0

    2/25/2026Senate
  7. Motion to concur filed

    2/25/2026Senate
  8. Returned to the Senate with amendments

    2/25/2026House
  9. Third reading: passed; Roll Call 343: yeas 97, nays 0

    2/24/2026House
  10. Second reading: ordered engrossed

    2/23/2026House
  11. Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

    2/18/2026House
  12. Recommitted to Committee on Ways and Means pursuant to House Rule 126.3

    2/12/2026House
  13. Representative Cash added as cosponsor

    2/12/2026House
  14. Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

    2/12/2026House
  15. First reading: referred to Committee on Employment, Labor and Pensions

    1/28/2026House
  16. Referred to the House

    1/22/2026Senate
  17. Cosponsors: Representatives VanNatter, Garcia Wilburn

    1/20/2026Senate
  18. House sponsor: Representative Teshka

    1/20/2026Senate
  19. Senator Pol added as coauthor

    1/20/2026Senate
  20. Third reading: passed; Roll Call 38: yeas 46, nays 0

    1/20/2026Senate
  21. Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed

    1/15/2026Senate
  22. Senator Randolph added as coauthor

    1/15/2026Senate
  23. Amendment #1 (Rogers) prevailed; voice vote

    1/15/2026Senate
  24. Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

    1/8/2026Senate
  25. Senator Niezgodski added as coauthor

    1/8/2026Senate

Bill Text

  • Engrossed Senate Bill (H)

  • Enrolled Senate Bill (S)

  • Introduced Senate Bill (S)

  • Senate Bill (H)

  • Senate Bill (S)

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