# Indiana SB 271: Telecommunications wire and valuable metal dealers. Indiana SB 271, Telecommunications wire and valuable metal dealers., is a Second Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2026) Senate bill sponsored by Eric Koch (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-03-05 (Signed by the Governor) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB271-2026 - 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 271 - State: Indiana - Session: Second Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2026) - Title: Telecommunications wire and valuable metal dealers. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-08 - Last action: 2026-03-05, Signed by the Governor - Sponsor: Eric Koch (Republican) - Cosponsors: 5 - Subjects: corrections and criminal law, the house, courts and criminal code - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 4 (264 yes, 24 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary Adds telecommunications network wire to the definition of "valuable metal" for purposes of Indiana law governing valuable metal dealers. Moves existing criminal penalties concerning valuable metals to the criminal code. Provides that a person may not sell or attempt to sell, and a valuable metal dealer may not purchase or attempt to purchase, telecommunications network wire in any amount unless specified conditions are satisfied. Provides that a person who suffers a pecuniary loss as a result of a violation of Indiana law governing valuable metal dealers may bring a civil action for specified damages against the person who caused the loss. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - People losing money gain metal-law remedies: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2026, people who lose money because of valuable-metal rule violations can sue whoever caused the loss. A court may award up to three times the actual loss. Recovery can also include court costs, a reasonable lawyer’s fee, specified travel and time expenses, and other reasonable co… - Metal dealers face new felony penalties: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, a valuable-metal dealer’s failure to follow Indiana’s valuable-metal rules is a Class A infraction. A dealer commits a Level 6 felony by knowingly or intentionally breaking those rules and buying stolen valuable metal. The felony offense is called concealing a valuable metal… - More metal dealers and materials face rules: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, Indiana’s valuable-metal rules cover telecommunications network wire and small motor vehicle parts. Covered wire includes fiber and cables with six or more twisted pairs used for wireline or wireless service, with or without sheathing. Qualifying wire remains covered when it… - Wire sellers and dealers face restrictions: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, people cannot sell or attempt to sell any amount of telecommunications network wire without a listed exception. Valuable-metal dealers also cannot buy or attempt to buy it without an exception. Exceptions cover authorized workers or agents of telecommunications providers, br… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Eric Koch (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Aaron Freeman (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Daryl Schmitt (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Edmond Soliday (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Rodney Pol (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Wendy McNamara (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-02-27 | House | Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House | pass | 94 | 2 | | | 2026-02-27 | Senate | Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate | pass | 50 | 0 | | | 2026-02-24 | House | Third reading: passed | pass | 76 | 21 | | | 2026-01-22 | Senate | Third reading: passed | pass | 44 | 1 | | ## Actions (37) - 2026-03-05: Signed by the Governor (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Public Law 142 (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Signed by the Speaker (House) - 2026-02-27: Signed by the President Pro Tempore (Senate) - 2026-02-27: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate) - 2026-02-27: CCR # 1 filed in the Senate (Senate) - 2026-02-27: Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House; Roll Call 418: yeas 94, nays 2 (House) - 2026-02-27: Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate; Roll Call 323: yeas 50, nays 0 (Senate) - 2026-02-27: CCR # 1 filed in the House (House) - 2026-02-25: Motion to dissent filed (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Returned to the Senate with amendments (House) - 2026-02-25: Senate conferees appointed: Koch, Taylor G (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Representative McNamara added as advisor (House) - 2026-02-25: Representative Lindauer added as conferee (House) - 2026-02-25: Representative Lindauer removed as advisor (House) - 2026-02-25: Representative McNamara removed as conferee (House) - 2026-02-25: House advisors appointed: Soliday, Lindauer, Gore (House) - 2026-02-25: House conferees appointed: McNamara, Pierce M (House) - 2026-02-25: Senate dissented from House amendments (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Senate advisors appointed: Schmitt, Randolph Lonnie M (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 354: yeas 76, nays 21 (House) - 2026-02-23: Amendment #1 (Zimmerman) prevailed; voice vote (House) - 2026-02-23: Amendment #2 (Zimmerman) motion withdrawn (House) - 2026-02-23: Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed (House) - 2026-02-19: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (House) - 2026-01-28: First reading: referred to Committee on Courts and Criminal Code (House) - 2026-01-23: Referred to the House (Senate) - 2026-01-22: House sponsor: Representative McNamara (Senate) - 2026-01-22: Senator Schmitt added as coauthor (Senate) - 2026-01-22: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 62: yeas 44, nays 1 (Senate) - 2026-01-22: Cosponsor: Representative Soliday (Senate) - 2026-01-15: Senator Freeman added as second author (Senate) - 2026-01-15: Senator Pol added as third author (Senate) - 2026-01-15: Second reading: ordered engrossed (Senate) - 2026-01-13: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (Senate) - 2026-01-08: First reading: referred to Committee on Corrections and Criminal Law (Senate) - 2026-01-08: Authored by Senator Koch (Senate) ## Bill text - Engrossed Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0271/versions/SB0271.04.ENGH?format=pdf) - Enrolled Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0271/versions/SB0271.05.ENRH?format=pdf) - Introduced Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0271/versions/SB0271.01.INTR?format=pdf) - Senate Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0271/versions/SB0271.02.COMS?format=pdf), [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0271/versions/SB0271.03.COMH?format=pdf) ## Related bills - SB 239: Various education matters. (signed) - SB 204: Various education matters. (signed) - SB 179: Indiana department of transportation. (signed) - SB 185: Alcohol and tobacco matters. (signed) - SB 80: Code publication. (signed) - HB 1424: Farm and homestead food sales. (signed) ## Sources - [Engrossed Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0271/versions/SB0271.04.ENGH?format=pdf) - [Enrolled Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0271/versions/SB0271.05.ENRH?format=pdf) - [Introduced Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0271/versions/SB0271.01.INTR?format=pdf) - [Senate Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0271/versions/SB0271.02.COMS?format=pdf) - [Senate Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0271/versions/SB0271.03.COMH?format=pdf) ## Related - [SB 239: Various education matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB239-2026) - [SB 204: Various education matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB204-2026) - [SB 179: Indiana department of transportation.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB179-2026) - [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) - [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-SB271-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).