All Roll Calls
Yes: 268 • No: 14
IndianaSB 256Second Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2026)SenateWALLET
Foreign agent registration, foreign terrorist organizations, and foreign adversaries.
Sponsored By: Chris Garten (Republican)
Signed by Governor
Summary
Provides that contracts entered into, amended, or renewed by a qualified entity for the provision of a technological product or service must contain a provision requiring the contractor to confirm that the contractor and any subcontractors working under the contract for the contractor are not prohibited persons. Requires certain persons acting on behalf of a hostile foreign country to register with the attorney general. Establishes a procedure to deny state benefits to persons who aid a foreign terrorist organization. Requires a state educational institution to meet certain requirements regarding the admission and enrollment of a foreign student into qualifying programs at state educational institutions. Requires an approved postsecondary educational institution to provide to the commission for higher education the number of foreign students currently enrolled in a qualifying program and the number of foreign students enrolled in a qualifying program for each academic year for the preceding 10 years. Prohibits certain individuals and business entities from acquiring real property located in Indiana. Provides that an agreement or cooperative agreement between a unit and a prohibited person is contrary to public policy and is void and unenforceable. Repeals existing statutes regarding foreign ownership of agricultural land.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
12 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 9 costs, 1 mixed.
Prohibited landowners risk forced sales and penalties
Beginning July 1, 2026, prohibited owners holding property on that date cannot act as foreign-adversary agents. For these existing owners, forced divestiture requires clear and convincing evidence of agency; owners then must show ownership poses no specified risk. The owner’s burden is to show this is more likely than not, and courts must issue written findings before ordering divestiture. For covered land violations, the attorney general must pursue receivership and sale when received information leads to a belief that a violation occurred. Starting receivership makes the prohibited person personally liable for 10% of the property’s market value; the owner receives no sale proceeds. Sale proceeds pay lienholders by priority and costs, including attorney and expert fees; the balance goes to the state general fund.
Some visa holders keep homebuying access
Beginning July 1, 2026, a limited exception lets otherwise prohibited individuals with valid, unexpired nonimmigrant visas buy Indiana property. The visa must remain valid for more than 12 months after purchase. The property must be zoned for single-family residential use and cover no more than one-half acre. The buyer must also have been determined not to be an agent of a foreign adversary.
Foreign students face funding and disclosure limits
Covered foreign students admitted after a security review must attest before enrollment that they have not accepted foreign-adversary funding. They must also promise not to accept such direct or indirect support in the future. State colleges must immediately unenroll students when they learn the students accepted that support. Foreign students in covered programs must immediately report specified changes involving family, foreign-government, or military ties. They must also immediately report any contact with an agent of a foreign adversary.
Some foreign students face admission checks
Beginning August 15, 2026, Indiana state colleges must review covered foreign students for foreign influence and research security before admission. Covered students are foreign-adversary citizens who are not U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, or people granted U.S. asylum. Covered fields include chemical, electrical, industrial, and mechanical engineering; artificial intelligence; computer science; microbiology; and virology. Reviews examine affiliations, outside funding, agreements, family and political ties, and work or service history; schools must reject agents and students withholding required information. The higher education commissioner can add fields, with at least six months’ notice to affected schools before the next academic term. Schools must report foreign-student enrollment counts and a ten-year enrollment history by November 1, 2026; some reporting requirements expire July 1, 2027.
Property lenders and third parties gain protections
Beginning July 1, 2026, non-prohibited people and businesses face no civil or criminal liability for failing to check another party’s status. Forced divestiture generally preserves genuine mortgages, liens, and other property interests. However, interests created after an effective notice of the pending property case become void when a court orders a sale. Lienholders can bid at the receivership sale using the debt owed to them, up to that amount.
Designated terrorist affiliates lose state benefits
Beginning July 1, 2026, the governor’s designation of a foreign terrorist organization affiliate triggers bans on state support. Designated people and entities cannot receive state funding, employment, tax benefits, other state benefits or privileges, or state contracts. State-funded universities, community colleges, school districts, and other recipients cannot knowingly give them financial benefits. These include grants, contracts, loans, tax credits, and tax exemptions. The designation process includes attorney general investigation, notice, and an opportunity to respond.
Foreign political agents must register and pay
Beginning January 1, 2027, covered foreign agents doing political work in Indiana must register with the attorney general. Coverage requires acting for a covered foreign principal, receiving its direct or indirect financing, and doing political work on its behalf. Agents must file before starting or within 30 calendar days, and report material changes within 90 calendar days. Filings disclose identity, business activities, the foreign principal, and their relationship. The initial filing costs $500, each supplemental filing costs $100, and the attorney general can set additional fees.
Foreign-agent filing violations bring civil penalties
For violations after December 31, 2026, foreign agents and foreign-supported political groups face civil penalties for covered filing failures. These include missing filings, materially incorrect statements made without reasonable care, and failing to correct or report after an attorney general request. The attorney general can seek a penalty up to $500, or up to $10,000 per intentional or repeat violation. The attorney general can also seek court orders and lawsuit costs; collected penalties go to the state general fund.
Foreign-backed political groups face yearly filings
For political activity after December 31, 2026, covered foreign-supported political groups must file annually before February 1. Coverage includes groups receiving money or other value from a covered foreign principal or agent within the previous three calendar years. Support from genuine arm’s-length business deals and support below 10% of annual revenue are excluded. Filings disclose organizational ties, foreign support, and the previous year’s political spending; material changes must be reported within 90 calendar days. Beginning January 1, 2027, the initial filing costs $500.
Local governments lose foreign-linked agreement options
Beginning July 1, 2026, Indiana local governments cannot enter sister-city or other cooperative agreements with prohibited persons. Any such agreement is void and cannot be enforced.
Foreign-linked technology vendors face contract bans
Beginning July 1, 2026, Indiana state and local governments cannot buy covered technology from prohibited foreign-adversary-linked vendors. Covered technology includes information systems, surveillance, lidar, and artificial intelligence, but not drones. Foreign adversaries include China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and other countries listed federally or designated by the governor. New contracts after June 30, 2026, must affirm that contractors and subcontractors are not prohibited persons; breaking this promise is a material breach. Existing contracts need this clause when amended or renewed after June 30, 2027.
Foreign-linked buyers face new land limits
Beginning July 1, 2026, Indiana replaces its prior foreign-business agricultural-land law with broader restrictions for prohibited foreign-adversary-linked persons and businesses. The law bars covered acquisitions of property, mineral rights, water or river-related rights, and new leases. Covered ties include citizenship, residence, business location, or control linked to a foreign adversary, subject to specified exemptions. Business control includes at least 51% beneficial ownership, officer or director roles, or power over management or policies. The law preserves an acquisition exception for property used only for residential purposes and permits residential leases lasting 24 months or less.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Chris Garten
Republican • Senate
Cosponsors
Aaron Freeman
Republican • Senate
Andrew Ireland
Republican • House
Blake Doriot
Republican • Senate
Chris Jeter
Republican • House
Chris Judy
Republican • House
Daryl Schmitt
Republican • Senate
Eric Koch
Republican • Senate
Gary Byrne
Republican • Senate
Justin Busch
Republican • Senate
Liz Brown
Republican • Senate
Matt Commons
Republican • House
Randy Maxwell
Republican • Senate
Ron Alting
Republican • Senate
Scott Baldwin
Republican • Senate
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 2/27/2026
Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House
Yes: 82 • No: 13
Senate vote • 2/27/2026
Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate
Yes: 49 • No: 0
House vote • 2/19/2026
Third reading: passed
Yes: 93 • No: 1
Senate vote • 1/26/2026
Third reading: passed
Yes: 44 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Public Law 131
3/5/2026SenateSigned by the Governor
3/5/2026SenateCCR # 1 filed in the House
2/27/2026HouseCCR # 1 filed in the Senate
2/27/2026SenateRules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House; Roll Call 412: yeas 82, nays 13
2/27/2026HouseRules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate; Roll Call 316: yeas 49, nays 0
2/27/2026SenateSigned by the Speaker
2/27/2026HouseSenator Baldwin added as conferee
2/27/2026SenateSenator Taylor G removed as conferee
2/27/2026SenateSenator Baldwin removed as advisor
2/27/2026SenateSenator Alting added as coauthor
2/27/2026SenateSigned by the President Pro Tempore
2/27/2026SenateSigned by the President of the Senate
2/27/2026SenateRepresentative Judy removed as advisor
2/26/2026HouseRepresentative Garcia Wilburn removed as conferee
2/26/2026HouseRepresentative Judy added as conferee
2/26/2026HouseSenate advisors appointed: Randolph Lonnie M, Baldwin, Koch
2/25/2026SenateSenate conferees appointed: Garten, Taylor G
2/25/2026SenateSenator Brown L added as coauthor
2/25/2026SenateSenate dissented from House amendments
2/24/2026SenateMotion to dissent filed
2/24/2026SenateHouse advisors appointed: Judy, Jeter, Ireland, Burton
2/24/2026HouseHouse conferees appointed: Commons, Garcia Wilburn
2/24/2026HouseSenator Maxwell added as coauthor
2/24/2026SenateReturned to the Senate with amendments
2/20/2026House
Bill Text
Engrossed Senate Bill (H)
Engrossed Senate Bill (S)
Enrolled Senate Bill (S)
Introduced Senate Bill (S)
Senate Bill (H)
Senate Bill (S)
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