# Indiana SB 171: Family and children matters. Indiana SB 171, Family and children matters., is a Second Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2026) Senate bill sponsored by Tyler Johnson (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-03-05 (Signed by the Governor) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB171-2026 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Indiana SB 171 - State: Indiana - Session: Second Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2026) - Title: Family and children matters. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-05 - Last action: 2026-03-05, Signed by the Governor - Sponsor: Tyler Johnson (Republican) - Cosponsors: 8 - Subjects: family and children services, the house, judiciary - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 3 (183 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 0 ## Summary Requires the local office of the department of child services to provide notice of an adoption petition to the court in which a CHINS proceeding is open or pending. Provides that the consent to adoption may be executed or acknowledged at any time after the birth of the child in the presence of an attorney, in person, or by video conferencing. Provides that a court may grant postadoption contact privileges if the child is at least 12 months of age. (Current law requires the child to be at least two years of age.) Provides certain exceptions to confidentiality requirements. Requires the department of child services (department) to consider certain factors when evaluating an out-of-home placement for a child in a child in need of services (CHINS) case. Provides that a placement with whom a child has resided with for at least 12 months, consecutively or nonconsecutively, is presumed to be an individual who has a significant relationship with the child. Requires a court to write a formal order in certain circumstances and include specific information in the order. Provides that the objectives of the dispositional decree are not considered met solely because a court is prohibited from changing a child's placement under IC 31-34-23-6(g) and prohibits the court from considering certain information when deciding whether the objectives of the dispositional decree are met. Requires any party seeking a change in placement for certain children to file a motion with the court, provide notice to all persons affected, and inform all persons affected of the right to file a written objection within 15 days. (Current law only allows the department to file the motion for a change of placement.) Allows a court to rule on a party's motion for the change in placement without delay if exigent circumstances are alleged in the party's motion. Provides that, with certain exceptions, if a child is the subject of an adoption petition, the adoption petitioner is the child's current placement, and the adoption petitioner has been the child's placement for at least 12 months, the court shall not change the child's placement until the adoption petition has been ruled on. Provides that if the party seeking a change of placement is a parent, guardian ad litem, or a court appointed special advocate, the party must provide notice to the department of child services, and the department shall then provide notice of the motion to the child's out-of-home placement. ## Bill overview No economic impacts identified for this bill. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Tyler Johnson (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Greg Walker (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: J.D. Ford (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Julie McGuire (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Liz Brown (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Lonnie Randolph (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Lori Goss-Reaves (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Robert Morris (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Stacey Donato (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-02-25 | Senate | Senate concurred with House amendments | pass | 46 | 0 | | | 2026-02-19 | House | Third reading: passed | pass | 94 | 0 | | | 2026-01-22 | Senate | Third reading: passed | pass | 43 | 0 | | ## Actions (26) - 2026-03-05: Signed by the Governor (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Public Law 116 (Senate) - 2026-02-27: Signed by the President Pro Tempore (Senate) - 2026-02-27: Signed by the Speaker (House) - 2026-02-27: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Senate concurred with House amendments; Roll Call 279: yeas 46, nays 0 (Senate) - 2026-02-23: Motion to concur filed (Senate) - 2026-02-20: Returned to the Senate with amendments (House) - 2026-02-19: Representative Morris added as cosponsor (House) - 2026-02-19: Representative Goss-Reaves added as cosponsor (House) - 2026-02-19: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 290: yeas 94, nays 0 (House) - 2026-02-18: Second reading: ordered engrossed (House) - 2026-02-16: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (House) - 2026-01-28: First reading: referred to Committee on Judiciary (House) - 2026-01-23: Referred to the House (Senate) - 2026-01-22: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 54: yeas 43, nays 0 (Senate) - 2026-01-22: House sponsor: Representative McGuire (Senate) - 2026-01-20: Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed (Senate) - 2026-01-20: Amendment #1 (Johnson T) prevailed; voice vote (Senate) - 2026-01-20: Senator Randolph added as coauthor (Senate) - 2026-01-13: Senator Brown L added as third author (Senate) - 2026-01-13: Senator Walker G added as second author (Senate) - 2026-01-13: Senators Ford J.D., Donato added as coauthors (Senate) - 2026-01-12: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (Senate) - 2026-01-05: Authored by Senator Johnson T (Senate) - 2026-01-05: First reading: referred to Committee on Family and Children Services (Senate) ## Bill text - Engrossed Senate Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0171/versions/SB0171.03.ENGS?format=pdf) - Enrolled Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0171/versions/SB0171.05.ENRH?format=pdf) - Introduced Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0171/versions/SB0171.01.INTR?format=pdf) - Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0171/versions/SB0171.02.COMS?format=pdf), [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0171/versions/SB0171.04.COMH?format=pdf) ## Related bills - SB 179: Indiana department of transportation. (signed) - SB 204: Various education matters. (signed) - SB 185: Alcohol and tobacco matters. (signed) - SB 80: Code publication. (signed) - HB 1424: Farm and homestead food sales. (signed) - HB 1406: Tax and fiscal matters. (signed) ## Sources - [Engrossed Senate Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0171/versions/SB0171.03.ENGS?format=pdf) - [Enrolled Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0171/versions/SB0171.05.ENRH?format=pdf) - [Introduced Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0171/versions/SB0171.01.INTR?format=pdf) - [Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0171/versions/SB0171.02.COMS?format=pdf) - [Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0171/versions/SB0171.04.COMH?format=pdf) ## Related - [SB 179: Indiana department of transportation.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB179-2026) - [SB 204: Various education matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB204-2026) - [SB 185: Alcohol and tobacco matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB185-2026) - [SB 80: Code publication.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB80-2026) - [HB 1424: Farm and homestead food sales.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1424-2026) - [HB 1406: Tax and fiscal matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1406-2026) - [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-SB171-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).