# Indiana SB 463: Child care matters.

Indiana SB 463, Child care matters., is a First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025) Senate bill sponsored by Ed Charbonneau (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-01 (Signed by the Governor) (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB463-2025
- As of: 2026-10-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Indiana SB 463
- State: Indiana
- Session: First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025)
- Title: Child care matters.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-01-13
- Last action: 2025-05-01, Signed by the Governor
- Sponsor: Ed Charbonneau (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 10
- Subjects: health and provider services, appropriations, the house, family
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 3 (173 yes, 11 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

Extends the availability of the employer child care expenditure tax credit through July 1, 2027. Provides that under specified circumstances, an individual who: (1) is at least 15 years of age; and (2) is a student at a school corporation that operates a child care program; may volunteer as a caregiver for the child care program before completing the statutory requirements for individuals to act as a volunteer caregiver at a child care program. Adds two representatives of out-of-school-time programs to the membership of the early learning advisory committee. Provides for purposes of regulation of licensed child care centers that the office of the secretary of family and social services (office) shall: (1) ensure that: (A) Indiana's staff to child ratio for a specified age range is not more stringent than the average of the staff to child ratios permitted for that age range under the laws of Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio; and (B) Indiana's maximum group size for a specified age range is not more stringent than the average of the maximum group sizes permitted for that age range under the laws of Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio; and (2) annually publish on the office's website the: (A) staff to child ratio; and (B) maximum group size; that a licensed child care center is required to maintain for the specified age ranges. Provides exceptions to the bill's group size provisions for: (1) an indoor or outdoor area of a child care center that provides at least 75 square feet of space per child; and (2) a child care center's cafeteria. Provides that if the office has received at least five applications from child care providers wishing to participate in the micro center pilot program (pilot program) but has selected less than five applicants for participation in the pilot program, the office shall select additional applicants for participation in the pilot program such that at least five child care providers are participating in the pilot program.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Child Care Providers Gain Pilot Access: benefit, low. The law required at least five licensed providers in the child care pilot by July 1, 2025. This applied if at least five had applied but fewer than five were selected, subject to the pilot’s requirements. It also required an outside review of child care rules by May 1, 2024. Recommendations had to…
- Child Care Centers Get Looser Staffing Limits: mixed, low. Indiana’s child care staffing and group limits cannot be stricter than averages drawn from Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio. The averages use each state’s lowest allowed staff-to-child ratios and largest allowed groups, separately for nine age ranges. The state must post standards by December…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Ed Charbonneau (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Carey Hamilton (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Dale DeVon (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: J.D. Ford (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Julie Olthoff (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Kyle Pierce (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Lonnie Randolph (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Mark Spencer (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Rodney Pol (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Ron Alting (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Shelli Yoder (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-17 | Senate | Senate concurred with House amendments | pass | 35 | 6 |   |
| 2025-04-09 | House | Third reading: passed | pass | 94 | 0 |   |
| 2025-02-20 | Senate | Third reading: passed | pass | 44 | 5 |   |

## Actions (32)

- 2025-05-01: Signed by the Governor (Senate)
- 2025-05-01: Public Law 140 (Senate)
- 2025-04-23: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate)
- 2025-04-22: Signed by the President Pro Tempore (Senate)
- 2025-04-22: Signed by the Speaker (House)
- 2025-04-17: Senate concurred with House amendments; Roll Call 473: yeas 35, nays 6 (Senate)
- 2025-04-10: Returned to the Senate with amendments (House)
- 2025-04-10: Motion to concur filed (Senate)
- 2025-04-09: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 412: yeas 94, nays 0 (House)
- 2025-04-08: Amendment #6 (Goss-Reaves) prevailed; voice vote (House)
- 2025-04-08: Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed (House)
- 2025-04-03: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (House)
- 2025-03-27: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (House)
- 2025-03-27: Recommitted to Committee on Ways and Means pursuant to House Rule 126.3 (House)
- 2025-03-24: Representative Pierce K added as cosponsor (House)
- 2025-03-13: Representative Hamilton added as cosponsor (House)
- 2025-03-13: Representative Olthoff added as cosponsor (House)
- 2025-03-03: First reading: referred to Committee on Family, Children and Human Affairs (House)
- 2025-02-21: Referred to the House (Senate)
- 2025-02-20: House sponsor: Representative DeVon (Senate)
- 2025-02-20: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 198: yeas 44, nays 5 (Senate)
- 2025-02-17: Amendment #1 (Garten) prevailed; voice vote (Senate)
- 2025-02-17: Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed (Senate)
- 2025-02-13: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (Senate)
- 2025-02-13: Senator Randolph added as coauthor (Senate)
- 2025-02-03: Senator Ford J.D. added as coauthor (Senate)
- 2025-01-30: Senators Spencer and Pol added as coauthors (Senate)
- 2025-01-30: Senator Yoder added as third author (Senate)
- 2025-01-30: Senator Alting added as second author (Senate)
- 2025-01-29: Committee report: do pass adopted; reassigned to Committee on Appropriations (Senate)
- 2025-01-13: First reading: referred to Committee on Health and Provider Services (Senate)
- 2025-01-13: Authored by Senator Charbonneau (Senate)

## Bill text

- Engrossed Senate Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0463/versions/SB0463.04.ENGS?format=pdf)
- Engrossed Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0463/versions/SB0463.07.ENGH?format=pdf)
- Enrolled Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0463/versions/SB0463.08.ENRH?format=pdf)
- Introduced Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0463/versions/SB0463.01.INTR?format=pdf)
- Senate Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0463/versions/SB0463.05.COMH?format=pdf), [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0463/versions/SB0463.06.COMH?format=pdf)
- Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0463/versions/SB0463.02.COMS?format=pdf), [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0463/versions/SB0463.03.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/SB0463/versions/SB0463.04.ENGS?format=pdf)
- [Engrossed Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0463/versions/SB0463.07.ENGH?format=pdf)
- [Enrolled Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0463/versions/SB0463.08.ENRH?format=pdf)
- [Introduced Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0463/versions/SB0463.01.INTR?format=pdf)
- [Senate Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0463/versions/SB0463.05.COMH?format=pdf)
- [Senate Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0463/versions/SB0463.06.COMH?format=pdf)
- [Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0463/versions/SB0463.02.COMS?format=pdf)
- [Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0463/versions/SB0463.03.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-SB463-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).