# Indiana SB 495: Employment upon release from prison.

Indiana SB 495, Employment upon release from prison., is a First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025) Senate bill sponsored by Mark Spencer (Democratic); status failed, last action 2025-01-14 (Authored by Senator Spencer) (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB495-2025
- 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 495
- State: Indiana
- Session: First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025)
- Title: Employment upon release from prison.
- Status: failed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-01-14
- Last action: 2025-01-14, Authored by Senator Spencer
- Sponsor: Mark Spencer (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: corrections and criminal law
- Touches household money: no
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Provides that when an offender preparing for reentry intends to reside within Indiana, the department of correction (department) shall do the following: (1) Take certain actions in coordination with the bureau of motor vehicles to provide a state identification card if the offender does not have a current identification card or driver's license. (2) Provide the offender with particular documents to assist the offender in obtaining employment following the offender's release. Requires the department to: (1) assist certain offenders in preparing a resume and completing a practice job interview; and (2) administer a job skills assessment test for each offender for whom a jail has not completed a job skills assessment test. Requires the department to issue a certificate of employability to an offender preparing for reentry if the offender meets specified conditions. Makes it a Class B misdemeanor for a person who, knowing the statement or representation to be false, intentionally states or otherwise represents that the person has a valid certificate of employability issued by the department. Provides immunity in some instances to the department. Requires the department to submit an annual report to the governor and the general assembly.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Mark Spencer (Democratic), Senate

## Actions (2)

- 2025-01-14: Authored by Senator Spencer (Senate)
- 2025-01-14: First reading: referred to Committee on Corrections and Criminal Law (Senate)

## Bill text

- Introduced Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0495/versions/SB0495.01.INTR?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
- [Introduced Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0495/versions/SB0495.01.INTR?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-SB495-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).