Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Many of the new laws the General Assembly passed during the 2026 legislative session go into effect July 1.
Of the laws passed in 2026, 90% received bipartisan support on Senate final passage and more than 50% received unanimous support on Senate final passage.
Here are some of the new laws Senate Republicans supported to help improve our state.
Fighting Waste, Fraud and Abuse
While states across the country continue to face billions of dollars of welfare fraud, Senate Republicans prioritize legislation to protect Indiana from fraud. Senate Enrolled Act 1 will ensure illegal immigrants cannot get benefits, reform SNAP eligibility to make the program more fiscally responsible, and update Indiana law to comply with new federal Medicaid reforms, including work requirements for able-bodied, working-age adults.
Public Safety
One new law requires criminal defendants to be present in the courtroom to hear a victim's impact statement unless the felon's presence poses a safety risk or disruption to the court. Senate Enrolled Act 9 was needed because criminal defendants shouldn’t be allowed to avoid hearing how their actions affected the victim of their crime.
To better protect Hoosiers, Senate Enrolled Act 76 backs up the federal government's work to stop illegal immigration in Indiana. This law requires Indiana units of government to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement and prohibits employers from knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.
To protect Indiana from hostile foreign countries like China and Russia, Senate Enrolled Act 256 prevents people from those countries from buying property in Indiana. The law also requires colleges to conduct background checks on applicants from foreign adversary countries before letting them enroll in sensitive programs like engineering and microbiology.
Finally, to increase public safety for Hoosiers, a new law requires Indiana's prisons to notify local police and prosecutors before a serious violent felon will be released.
HOA Reform
Homeowner’s Associations (HOAs) serve an important purpose in many places, but some checks and balances on their power are needed. To help prevent Hoosiers from paying unnecessary HOA fines, a new law prevents HOAs from assessing fines against members unless the association adopts a transparent schedule of fines and follows a specific notice procedure.
The HOA board is also now required to provide written notices and agendas to all HOA members at least four days prior to a board meeting.
Another new law adds that HOAs are banned from charging fees to members for requesting information about the annual HOA budget.
Common-Sense Changes
In addition to the many important laws listed above, the General Assembly also made some changes to make everyday life easier for Hoosiers.
To make it easier for small farm-based and home-based vendors to sell their products, a new law cuts red tape and prohibits local regulations that are not required under federal law. This allows small farms and vendors to sell meat products raised, processed and labeled on their property.
Another new law allows drivers to get their license at the age of 16, not 16 and 90 days.
Finally, county fairs can now decide whether to allow alcohol sales at their fair.
A full list of the laws passed during the 2026 legislative session can be found by visiting the iga.in.gov website or by clicking here.
