# Indiana SB 523: School chaplains.

Indiana SB 523, School chaplains., is a First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025) Senate bill sponsored by Stacey Donato (Republican); status failed, last action 2025-03-03 (First reading: referred to Committee on Education) (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB523-2025
- 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 523
- State: Indiana
- Session: First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025)
- Title: School chaplains.
- Status: failed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-01-16
- Last action: 2025-03-03, First reading: referred to Committee on Education
- Sponsor: Stacey Donato (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 8
- Subjects: education and career development, the house, education
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 1 (32 yes, 16 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Allows a principal or superintendent of a public school, including a charter school, to employ, or approve as a volunteer, a school chaplain if certain requirements are met. Allows a school chaplain to provide: (1) secular advice, guidance, and support services; and (2) nonsecular advice, guidance, and support services if certain conditions are met. Provides that, with exceptions, communications made by a student to a school chaplain are privileged and confidential.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Stacey Donato (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Daryl Schmitt (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Doug Miller (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Gary Byrne (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Jake Teshka (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Jeff Raatz (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Julie McGuire (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Linda Rogers (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Michelle Davis (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-02-11 | Senate | Third reading: passed | pass | 32 | 16 |   |

## Actions (10)

- 2025-03-03: First reading: referred to Committee on Education (House)
- 2025-02-12: Referred to the House (Senate)
- 2025-02-11: Cosponsors: Representatives McGuire, Davis, Teshka (Senate)
- 2025-02-11: House sponsor: Representative Miller D (Senate)
- 2025-02-11: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 113: yeas 32, nays 16 (Senate)
- 2025-02-10: Second reading: ordered engrossed (Senate)
- 2025-02-06: Committee report: do pass, adopted (Senate)
- 2025-02-06: Senators Byrne, Rogers, Schmitt added as coauthors (Senate)
- 2025-01-16: First reading: referred to Committee on Education and Career Development (Senate)
- 2025-01-16: Authored by Senators Donato and Raatz (Senate)

## Bill text

- Introduced Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0523/versions/SB0523.01.INTR?format=pdf)
- Senate Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0523/versions/SB0523.02.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
- [Introduced Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0523/versions/SB0523.01.INTR?format=pdf)
- [Senate Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0523/versions/SB0523.02.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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB523-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).