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2026: Proposed Legislation, So Far

11 January 2026

The 2026 Indiana General Assembly is in session, and as always they're busy proposing all sorts of things - something like 700 bills so far.

Here are some bills that have an environmental angle, and that caught my eye. No doubt more are on the way, as are changes to these.

Senate Bills

SB 17: Air Quality
Authorizes a town, city, or county to establish or designate an agency to act for the town, city, or county as a local air pollution control agency (agency). Requires the commissioner of the department of environmental management (department) to enter into a contract with the agency of a town, city, or county if the agency is willing to enter into the contract. Provides that a contract between the department and the agency of a town, city, or county must: (1) require the department to advise, consult, cooperate with, and provide technical assistance to the agency; (2) authorize the agency to undertake air pollution control activities on behalf of the department or initiate enforcement of ordinances of the town, city, or county; and (3) provide for the payment of fair monetary compensation for the air pollution control activities performed by the agency. Provides that: (1) the compensation paid to an agency under a contract must be at least sufficient to cover the agency's staffing and operating costs; and (2) the rate of compensation must be adjusted each year according to changes in the Consumer Price Index.

SB 164: Study of community or urban microfarming
Requires the department of agriculture (department) to conduct a formal study in collaboration with certain persons to evaluate the feasibility of establishing community or urban microfarm zones statewide. Requires the department to submit a report to the general assembly containing certain findings and recommendations not later than July 1, 2027.

SB 174: Various health matters
Prohibits a person from adding a chemical to a public water supply in certain circumstances. Defines "medical intervention" and provides that a person may not require an individual to accept, undergo, or engage in a medical intervention in or on the individual's body as a condition of employment, entrance, admission, compensation, benefits, or participation. Provides that a person may not take a punitive measure against an individual because the individual refused to accept, undergo, or engage in a medical intervention in or on the individual's body. Allows an individual who suffers bodily injury as a result of a violation of these provisions to file an action. Provides that a person who knowingly or intentionally causes bodily injury to another person by violating these provisions commits battery, a class B misdemeanor, enhanced to a level 5 felony if the offense constitutes a violation of the right to bodily integrity. Allows an individual to sell certain meat products from the individual's primary residence. Establishes various requirements for an individual to sell certain meat products from the individual's primary residence. Exempts a stand or another retail building used only for the sale of certain food products or meat products from the definition of a Class 1 structure. Provides that a student enrolled in a health profession education program may not be required to receive an immunization as a condition of: (1) participating in; or (2) obtaining; clinical training or clinical experience required by the program if receiving the immunization is against the student's conscience. Amends the information that the statewide child fatality review committee and statewide maternal mortality review committee must include in each committee's annual report. Provides that a physician may not be required to receive an immunization if receiving the immunization is against the physician's conscience. Provides that a health care provider, health care entity, and a health carrier may not be required to provide or refer an individual for a health care service that violates the conscience of the health care provider, health care entity, or health carrier. Establishes an exception for a health carrier. Specifies that a health care provider, health care entity, or a health carrier may not be subject to discrimination and certain other acts and liability for declining to provide the health care service. Establishes a civil action for a violation of these provisions. Provides that a person who prevails in a civil action is entitled to certain relief. Requires a licensed child care center, school, and person that operates a before or after school program to report the ingredients of each food product provided to a child or student. Requires the division of family resources and the department of education to publish the information on each agency's website. Allows a school corporation to contract with a health care provider, health system, or community partner to establish a school based health center (center). Sets forth requirements to establish a center. Provides that, notwithstanding state or federal law, a school may not conduct a physical or mental assessment or treatment of a student unless the physical or mental assessment or treatment is related to an illness or accident that occurred during school hours or on or near school property. Repeals certain superseded laws, including provisions concerning immunizations, communicable diseases, potentially disease transmitting offenses, quarantine, medical testing, disqualification for unemployment benefits, and COVID-19 immunization requirements. Makes conforming amendments.

SB 224: Department of natural resources
Defines various terms. Amends the following definitions: (1) Fund. (2) Wildlife. Removes the following definitions: (1) Harvest season. (2) License. (3) Selling season. Makes various changes to natural resources commission procedures. Makes various changes to the department of natural resources (department) powers and duties. Removes coordination between the Indiana natural resources foundation and the President Benjamin Harrison conservation trust program. Reduces the Benjamin Harrison conservation trust project commission from 20 members to 17 members and amends who is appointed to the commission. Removes the hometown Indiana grant program. Amends various boating and wakeboard regulations. Raises the financial threshold for certain actions in a boating accident from $750 to $2,000. Raises the financial threshold for certain actions in an off-road vehicle accident from $750 to $2,500. Requires the state land office to approve the legal description of a utility easement. Requires a person to file a utility easement with the state land office after the easement is recorded in the county. Provides that the department shall charge a fee for a utility easement and put fees in the President Benjamin Harrison conservation trust fund. Creates an exception for a fee for a utility easement. Provides expiration terms for an archeology plan or development plan authorized by the division of historic preservation and archeology. Creates additional requirements for development plans. Repeals the program that helps landowners with problems created by localized deer populations. Repeals the game bird habitat restoration fund. Removes the department's ability to adopt rules to establish and operate a lottery system to allow an individual to purchase a license to take more than one antlered deer within a one year period. Repeals the requirement that the department deposit $20 dollars from the cost of every nonresident license to hunt deer into the fish and wildlife fund. Removes the penalty for a person who acts as a hunting guide without a guide license. Amends the permit to possess live minnows and live crayfish. Replaces "wildlife" with "wild animal" throughout IC 14-22-34. Establishes the forestry equipment and maintenance fund. Permits the department to immediately remove certain low head dams to provide emergency protection to life or property. Makes various changes to ginseng licensing provisions. Adds improving water quality to the list of purposes for which a conservancy district may be established. Allows the division of water to perform certain functions on behalf of the natural resources commission. Requires the natural resources commission to coordinate with the department for purposes of a reporting requirement regarding conservancy districts. Requires the proceeds from royalties or other compensation paid for minerals taken from beneath the navigable waters of the Wabash River to be deposited into the Wabash River heritage corridor fund and the oil and gas fund in certain amounts. Allows the department to use a timber licensee's bond to recover the costs of damage associated with the issued license or ensure performance of the contract. Requires a person who violates the timber sales provisions to repay the cost of damages not covered by the bond paid by the person, and prohibits a person who does not repay the cost of damages in full from purchasing timber from the department for at least one year. Allows an applicant for a water well drillers license to request informal review by the department for the applicant's failed exam. Provides that, before a continuing education program is presented, either a sponsor of a continuing education program or a licensee who plans to attend a continuing education program may request informal review of a decision regarding water well drilling contractors that was made by the department. Provides that the director may do the following: (1) Seize and confiscate the wild animal in the name of the state of Indiana. (2) Sell or dispose of the wild animal. (3) Deposit proceeds, if any, into the fish and wildlife fund. Establishes that a person may not chemically, mechanically, physically, or biologically control aquatic vegetation in the public: (1) waters containing state owned fish; (2) waters of the state; or (3) boundary water of the state. Removes fee scheme used to increase upland game bird population. Removes game bird and exotic mammal regulations. Makes conforming changes.

SB 237: PFAS Chemicals
Defines "decision", "PFAS chemicals", and "state prioritized PFAS chemicals". Prohibits the department of environmental management (department) from basing a decision primarily on federal risk values that have not been promulgated through federal rulemaking. Instructs the department to avoid the use of federal risk values that are at or below background concentrations in air, water, soil, or sediment. Provides that the department shall focus on state prioritized PFAS chemicals when PFAS chemicals are relevant to carrying out the department's duties.

SB 258: Nuclear Facility Permits
Makes the following changes to the Indiana Code chapter concerning the issuance of permits for nuclear powered generating facilities and nuclear fuel reprocessing plants (facilities) by the department of environmental management (department): (1) Repeals a provision that prohibits a person from constructing or operating, or increasing the capacity of, a facility without a permit from the department. (2) Repeals a provision authorizing the environmental rules board (board) to adopt rules establishing: (A) conditions for the issuance of a permit for; and (B) requirements for the operation of; a facility. (3) Requires a person proposing to construct a facility to file with the department (instead of the board, under current law) an environmental feasability report concurrently with the filing of documents (instead of the preliminary safety analysis, under current law) required to be filed with the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (instead of the United States Atomic Energy Commission, under current law). (4) Repeals a provision authorizing the commissioner of the department to conduct a public hearing on the environmental effects of the proposed operation of a facility. (5) Repeals a provision: (A) requiring the board to adopt rules and standards to protect Indiana citizens from radiation hazards; and (B) setting forth requirements for required permits with respect to radioactive discharge.

SB 277: IDEM Agency Bill
Amends, repeals, or adds certain terms. Makes certain changes concerning the purpose, structure, and powers of the department of environmental management or the environmental rules board. Makes certain changes to various boards or funds. Eliminates or amends rulemaking provisions. Makes certain changes to hearing and permitting processes. Changes or eliminates certain reporting requirements. Makes various changes to the water pollution statutes. Makes various changes to the solid waste and hazardous waste management statutes. Moves the Indiana recycling market development board to Title 13. Repeals or amends various sections regarding: (1) hazardous substances; (2) the voluntary remediation programs; (3) regional water districts; and (4) citizen lawsuits. Makes conforming and technical changes.

House Bills

HB 1110: PFAS chemicals
Requires the department of environmental management to adopt maximum contaminant levels for PFAS chemicals and effluent limitation standards for wastewater containing PFAS chemicals by July 1, 2027. Creates various compliance requirements for direct dischargers and indirect dischargers. Establishes various civil penalties. Establishes the PFAS chemical testing and remediation fund. Creates a PFAS chemical grant program.

HB 1124: Testing for lead in school buildings
Requires the person or entity having authority over a school building to: (1) test the drinking water in the school building by a specified time frame; and (2) follow certain guidelines in conducting the testing and remediation. Requires the Indiana department of health to impose a civil penalty on the superintendent of a school corporation or the equivalent for a charter school for failing to have the school building's drinking water tested within the specified time frame.

HB 1204: Natural resource entrance fees
Allows counties that meet certain criteria to adopt an ordinance to impose a surcharge of not more than $1 in addition to the fees charged by the department of natural resources (department) for entry into certain state parks and recreation areas. Provides that the surcharge may not be imposed on an annual state park pass holder. Requires the department to collect and to report and pay the surcharge to each county treasurer. Provides that the surcharge collected is to be used for certain purposes.

HB 1239: PFAS water safety standards
Requires the Indiana department of health (state department) to establish state maximum contaminant levels for PFAS in water provided by public water systems. Provides that maximum contaminant levels established by the state department: (1) must be protective of public health, including the health of vulnerable subpopulations; and (2) may not be less stringent than any maximum contaminant level or health advisory promulgated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

HB 1265: Natural resource entrance fees
Allows counties to adopt an ordinance to impose a surcharge of not more than $2 in addition to the fees charged by the department of natural resources (department) for entry into state parks and state recreation areas. Requires the department to collect the surcharge and to report and pay the surcharge to each county treasurer. Provides that the revenue collected is to be used for purposes related to first responders and infrastructure improvements. Provides that the surcharge may not be imposed on a person who holds an annual pass.

HB 1379: Ground water
Establishes the ground water and aquifer preservation task force to recommend water regulations to the legislative council. Creates a two year moratorium on the establishment of certain major ground water withdrawal facilities during the period beginning May 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2028. Provides an exception to the moratorium.

HB 1414: Forest management
Requires the department of natural resources (department) to establish recreational fees for the access and use of state forest land. Provides that the department shall ensure that at all times: (1) 10% of state forest land consists of forests that are 100 years or older; and (2) 10% of state forest land consists of forests that are 20 years or younger. Provides that money in the state forestry fund does not revert to the state general fund.

Plans for 2026

31 December 2025

Here are some things I'd like to do with EcoIndiana in the year ahead:

That's the list. I'll be surprised if I get to all of it, but will do my best.

Thank you for visiting ecoindiana.net. I hope you found it useful.
Mike Habeck