# Indiana SB 289: Unlawful discrimination. Indiana SB 289, Unlawful discrimination., is a First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025) Senate bill sponsored by Gary Byrne (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-06 (Public Law 196); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB289-2025 - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Indiana SB 289 - State: Indiana - Session: First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025) - Title: Unlawful discrimination. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-13 - Last action: 2025-05-06, Public Law 196 - Sponsor: Gary Byrne (Republican) - Cosponsors: 9 - Subjects: judiciary, the house - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 5 (209 yes, 121 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 8 ## Summary Repeals provisions concerning university diversity committees. Prohibits unlawful discrimination in education, public employment, and licensure. Allows participation in public contracts by a minority business enterprise, women's business enterprise, and veteran business enterprise, as currently authorized by law. Permits scholarships based on a personal characteristic of the recipient if the scholarship is not funded by state funds or resources, and permits the renewal of specified state funded minority teaching scholarships for those recipients who were initially awarded the scholarship before July 1, 2025. Changes the criteria for certain state funded teaching scholarships from minority status to residence in an underserved county and an agreement to teach in an underserved county. Prohibits requiring as a condition of licensure that a person affirm that a person with a certain personal characteristic: (1) is inherently superior or inferior to a person with a different personal characteristic; (2) should be blamed for actions committed in the past; or (3) has a moral character that is determined by a personal characteristic of the person. Prohibits a public employer from requiring training asserting that, or implementing the theory that, a person with a certain personal characteristic: (1) is inherently superior or inferior to a person with a different personal characteristic; (2) should be blamed for actions committed in the past; or (3) has a moral character that is determined by a personal characteristic of the person. Permits a person injured by a violation to bring a civil action for actual damages, court costs, and injunctive relief. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - License applicants gain discrimination and statement protections: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, licensing decisions cannot depend on race, religion, color, sex, national origin, or ancestry. Covered licenses include permits, certifications, registrations, franchises, approvals, charters, and similar legal authorizations. Applicants seeking a new license or renewal cann… - People harmed by discrimination can sue: benefit, medium. People injured by violations of the new discrimination article can bring a civil lawsuit for damages and court orders. Winning plaintiffs may receive actual damages, court costs, and reasonable lawyer fees. Courts may also declare their rights or order violations to stop. The law sets no fixed dama… - Public workers gain job discrimination protections: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, Indiana public employers cannot base job decisions on race, religion, color, sex, national origin, or ancestry. This covers state agencies, public schools, and public colleges, including hiring, firing, promotion, demotion, rewards, and penalties. Exceptions allow genuine oc… - Students gain public school discrimination protections: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, public schools and colleges cannot base education decisions on race, religion, color, sex, national origin, or ancestry. This covers enrollment, admission, aid, and other educational opportunities. Exceptions cover postsecondary grants, scholarships, and fee waivers funded w… - Workers and students gain training protections: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, subject to a statutory exception, licensing authorities and public employers cannot require training asserting specified claims. The claims link race, religion, color, sex, national origin, or ancestry to inherent superiority, inferiority, blame, or moral character. Covered… - Teacher scholarships expand with county limits: mixed, high. Beginning July 1, 2025, the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship is no longer limited to minority applicants. Applicants must graduate from a qualifying high school in Allen, Marion, Lake, St. Joseph, or Vanderburgh County. They must enroll at an approved accredited college, show school an… - Two teacher scholarships expand with county limits: mixed, high. Beginning July 1, 2025, the Crawford and Earline S. Rogers teacher scholarships are no longer limited to minority students. Both target Allen, Marion, Lake, St. Joseph, and Vanderburgh counties. Crawford applicants must live there, study full time at an eligible institution, and take coursework lea… - Teacher scholarship repayment shrinks with service: mixed, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, Next Generation Hoosier Educators recipients must repay scholarships if they miss the five-consecutive-year teaching requirement. Repayment falls by 20% for each consecutive qualifying teaching year. Recipients can switch public or eligible schools, but every school must be… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Gary Byrne (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Blake Doriot (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Chris Jeter (Republican), House - Cosponsor: James Tomes (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Michael Young (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Randy Maxwell (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Scott Alexander (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Shane Lindauer (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Tyler Johnson (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Wendy McNamara (Republican), House ## 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 | 64 | 26 | | | 2025-04-24 | Senate | Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate | pass | 34 | 16 | | | 2025-04-14 | House | Third reading: passed | pass | 67 | 27 | | | 2025-02-06 | Senate | Third reading: passed | pass | 34 | 13 | | | 2025-02-04 | Senate | Amendment #5 (Hunley) failed | fail | 10 | 39 | | ## Actions (45) - 2025-05-06: Public Law 196 (Senate) - 2025-05-06: Signed by the Governor (Senate) - 2025-04-29: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate) - 2025-04-25: Signed by the Speaker (House) - 2025-04-24: Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House; Roll Call 548: yeas 64, nays 26 (House) - 2025-04-24: Signed by the President Pro Tempore (Senate) - 2025-04-24: Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate; Roll Call 506: yeas 34, nays 16 (Senate) - 2025-04-23: Representative Steuerwald removed as advisor (House) - 2025-04-23: Senator Johnson T added as conferee (Senate) - 2025-04-23: Senator Johnson T removed as advisor (Senate) - 2025-04-23: CCR # 1 filed in the House (House) - 2025-04-23: CCR # 1 filed in the Senate (Senate) - 2025-04-23: Representative Steuerwald added as conferee (House) - 2025-04-23: Representative Garcia Wilburn removed as conferee (House) - 2025-04-23: Senator Pol removed as conferee (Senate) - 2025-04-17: House advisors appointed: McNamara, Steuerwald, DeLaney and Harris (House) - 2025-04-17: Senate conferees appointed: Byrne and Pol (Senate) - 2025-04-17: Motion to dissent filed (Senate) - 2025-04-17: Senate dissented from House amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-17: Senate advisors appointed: Yoder and Johnson T (Senate) - 2025-04-17: House conferees appointed: Jeter and Garcia Wilburn (House) - 2025-04-15: Returned to the Senate with amendments (House) - 2025-04-14: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 441: yeas 67, nays 27 (House) - 2025-04-10: Amendment #17 (Harris) prevailed; voice vote (House) - 2025-04-10: Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed (House) - 2025-04-07: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (House) - 2025-03-13: Representative Lindauer added as cosponsor (House) - 2025-03-03: First reading: referred to Committee on Judiciary (House) - 2025-02-07: Referred to the House (Senate) - 2025-02-06: Cosponsor: Representative McNamara (Senate) - 2025-02-06: House sponsor: Representative Jeter (Senate) - 2025-02-06: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 80: yeas 34, nays 13 (Senate) - 2025-02-04: Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed (Senate) - 2025-02-04: Amendment #3 (Hunley) failed; voice vote (Senate) - 2025-02-04: Amendment #4 (Hunley) failed; Division of the Senate: yeas 10, nays 38 (Senate) - 2025-02-04: Amendment #8 (Johnson T) prevailed; voice vote (Senate) - 2025-02-04: Amendment #5 (Hunley) failed; Roll Call 64: yeas 10, nays 39 (Senate) - 2025-02-03: Senator Maxwell added as coauthor (Senate) - 2025-01-28: Senator Alexander added as coauthor (Senate) - 2025-01-27: Senator Doriot added as coauthor (Senate) - 2025-01-23: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (Senate) - 2025-01-16: Senator Johnson T added as second author (Senate) - 2025-01-13: Authored by Senator Byrne (Senate) - 2025-01-13: Senators Tomes and Young M added as coauthors (Senate) - 2025-01-13: First reading: referred to Committee on Judiciary (Senate) ## Bill text - Engrossed Senate Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0289/versions/SB0289.03.ENGS?format=pdf) - Engrossed Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0289/versions/SB0289.05.ENGH?format=pdf) - Enrolled Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0289/versions/SB0289.06.ENRH?format=pdf) - Introduced Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0289/versions/SB0289.01.INTR?format=pdf) - Senate Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0289/versions/SB0289.04.COMH?format=pdf) - Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0289/versions/SB0289.02.COMS?format=pdf) ## Related bills - SB 324: Criminal procedures. (signed) - SB 231: Various corrections matters. (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 Senate Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0289/versions/SB0289.03.ENGS?format=pdf) - [Engrossed Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0289/versions/SB0289.05.ENGH?format=pdf) - [Enrolled Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0289/versions/SB0289.06.ENRH?format=pdf) - [Introduced Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0289/versions/SB0289.01.INTR?format=pdf) - [Senate Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0289/versions/SB0289.04.COMH?format=pdf) - [Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0289/versions/SB0289.02.COMS?format=pdf) ## Related - [SB 324: Criminal procedures.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB324-2025) - [SB 231: Various corrections matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB231-2025) - [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-SB289-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).