IN HB 1257

enacted

Child services matters.

Indiana · 2026 Regular Session (2nd Regular Session, 124th General Assembly) · lower

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Quick answers

Did IN HB 1257 pass?

Yes. IN HB 1257 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-03-04): Public Law 84

What is IN HB 1257 about?

Adds four members to the statewide child fatality review committee, one of whom is appointed by each of the following: (1) The speaker of the house of representatives. (2) The president pro tempore of the senate. (3) The minority leader of the house of representatives. (4) The minority leader of the senate. Provides that a court may grant postadoption contact privileges to the birth parent of a child if the child is at least one year of age (rather than two years of age, under current law). Adds information that must be included in the annual report of the department of child services (department) concerning child fatalities or near fatalities in Indiana that are the result of child abuse or neglect. Requires the department to promptly disclose to the public certain information regarding child fatalities or near fatalities. Allows the department, upon request, to provide additional information regarding cases of child fatalities or near fatalities subject to certain requirements. Provides that the obligation of the department to conduct a detailed assessment of a report of known or suspected child abuse or neglect does not apply if the report is screened out and referred to a law enforcement agency. Provides that the department: (1) shall disclose information regarding reported child abuse or neglect to a member of the United States Congress representing Indiana or a member of the Indiana general assembly (state legislator) upon request of the state legislator; (2) may release information to the news media to confirm, clarify, correct, or supplement information concerning reported child abuse or neglect that has been made public by a source other than the department; and (3) shall, upon request by the news media, report to the news media specified information regarding the death of a child whose death is suspected to be the result of child abuse or neglect. Provides that if the information disclosed or released by the department includes a record that is redacted to exclude specified information, the record is not confidential. Provides that the department may provide unredacted reports or material to: (1) a service provider that requires access to the unredacted reports or material to assess whether the service provider's services are suitable for the child; and (2) the attorney general or a prosecutor for purposes of a criminal investigation by the attorney general or prosecutor. Provides that the statutory limit on the department's provision of services to a parent, guardian, or custodian of a child who is the subject of a petition alleging the child to be a child in need of services (CHINS) applies: (1) regardless of whether the child has been removed from the home of the parent, guardian, or custodian; (2) regardless of whether the services are provided at the direction of a court or at the direction of the department; and (3) beginning on the date on which the CHINS petition is filed. Makes technical and conforming changes.

Who sponsors IN HB 1257?

Julie McGuire, Tyler Johnson, Stacey Donato are the primary sponsors of IN HB 1257, joined by 8 cosponsors.

Description

Introduced: —
Latest action: 2026-03-04 — Public Law 84
Bill type: bill
Last updated: —

Subjects

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

2026-03-04
Public Law 84
became-law
2026-03-04
Signed by the Governor
executive-signature
2026-02-27
Signed by the President of the Senate
passage
2026-02-27
Signed by the President Pro Tempore
passage
2026-02-26
Signed by the Speaker
passage
2026-02-26
House concurred with Senate amendments; Roll Call 390: yeas 84, nays 0
2026-02-25
Motion to concur filed
filing
2026-02-24
Third reading: passed; Roll Call 243: yeas 48, nays 0
passage,reading-3,reading-3
2026-02-24
Returned to the House with amendments
receipt
2026-02-16
Second reading: ordered engrossed
reading-2
2026-02-16
Senators Ford J.D., Qaddoura, Rogers added as cosponsors
2026-02-10
Senators Schmitt, Walker G added as cosponsors
2026-02-09
Committee report: amend do pass, adopted
committee-passage
2026-02-02
First reading: referred to Committee on Family and Children Services
reading-1,referral-committee
2026-01-29
Referred to the Senate
referral
2026-01-28
Third reading: passed; Roll Call 132: yeas 93, nays 0
passage,reading-3,reading-3
2026-01-28
Senate sponsors: Senators Donato, Johnson T
2026-01-27
Second reading: ordered engrossed
reading-2
2026-01-22
Representative DeVon removed as coauthor
2026-01-22
Representative Goss-Reaves added as coauthor
2026-01-22
Committee report: amend do pass, adopted
committee-passage
2026-01-13
Representative Morris added as coauthor
2026-01-12
Representative Jackson C added as coauthor
2026-01-05
Coauthored by Representative DeVon
2026-01-05
First reading: referred to Committee on Family, Children and Human Affairs
reading-1,referral-committee
2026-01-05
Authored by Representative McGuire

Versions

Introduced House Bill (H)Compare
House Bill (S)Compare
House Bill (H)Compare
Enrolled House Bill (H)Compare
(document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

HB 1257 - McGuire - 3rd Reading
2026-01-28 · pass · 93-0
Member-level votes (100)
- Abbott: yes
- Garcia Wilburn: yes
- Lehman: yes
- Porter: yes
- Andrade: yes
- Genda: yes
- Lindauer: yes
- Prescott: yes
- Aylesworth: yes
- GiaQuinta: yes
- Lopez: yes
- Pryor: yes
- Baird: yes
- Gore: yes
- Lucas: yes
- Rowray: yes
- Barrett: yes
- Goss-Reaves: yes
- Manning: yes
- Shackleford: yes
- Bartels: yes
- Greene: yes
- May: yes
- Shonkwiler: yes
- Bartlett: yes
- Haggard: yes
- Mayfield: yes
- Slager: yes
- Bascom: yes
- Hamilton: yes
- McGuire: yes
- Smaltz: yes
- Borders: yes
- Harris: yes
- McNamara: yes
- Smith, H: yes
- Burton: yes
- Hatcher: yes
- Meltzer: yes
- Smith, V: yes
- Campbell: yes
- Heaton: yes
- Miller, D: yes
- Snow: yes
- Carbaugh: yes
- Hostettler: yes
- Miller, K: yes
- Soliday: yes
- Cash: yes
- Ireland: yes
- Moed: yes
- Steuerwald: yes
- Clere: yes
- Isa: yes
- Morris: yes
- Summers: yes
- Commons: yes
- Jackson, C: yes
- Moseley: yes
- Sweet: yes
- Criswell: yes
- Jeter: yes
- Novak: yes
- Teshka: yes
- Culp: yes
- Johnson, B: yes
- O'Brien: yes
- Thompson: yes
- Dant Chesser: yes
- Jordan: yes
- Olthoff: yes
- VanNatter: yes
- Davis: yes
- Judy: yes
- Pack: yes
- Wesco: yes
- DeLaney: yes
- King: yes
- Patterson: yes
- Yocum: yes
- DeVon: yes
- Klinker: yes
- Payne: yes
- Zimmerman: yes
- Dvorak: yes
- Lauer: yes
- Pfaff: yes
- Engleman: yes
- Lawson: yes
- Pierce, K: yes
- Errington: yes
- Ledbetter: yes
- Pierce, M: yes
- Bauer: excused
- Behning: excused
- Hall: excused
- Heine: excused
- Karickhoff: not voting
- Pressel: not voting
- Mr. Speaker: not voting
HB 1257 - Donato - 3rd Reading
2026-02-24 · pass · 48-0
Member-level votes (50)
- Alexander: yes
- Carrasco: yes
- Glick: yes
- Niezgodski: yes
- Alting: yes
- Charbonneau: yes
- Goode: yes
- Qaddoura: yes
- Baldwin: yes
- Clark: yes
- Holdman: yes
- Raatz: yes
- Bassler: yes
- Crider: yes
- Hunley: yes
- Randolph: yes
- Becker: yes
- Deery: yes
- Jackson, L: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Bohacek: yes
- Dernulc: yes
- Johnson: yes
- Schmitt: yes
- Bray: yes
- Donato: yes
- Koch: yes
- Spencer: yes
- Brown: yes
- Doriot: yes
- Leising: yes
- Taylor: yes
- Buchanan: yes
- Ford J.D.: yes
- Maxwell: yes
- Tomes: yes
- Buck: yes
- Freeman: yes
- McKinley: yes
- Walker G: yes
- Busch: yes
- Garten: yes
- Mishler: yes
- Walker K: yes
- Byrne: yes
- Gaskill: yes
- Niemeyer: yes
- Yoder: yes
- Pol: excused
- Young: excused
HB 1257 - McGuire
2026-02-26 · pass · 84-0
Member-level votes (100)
- Abbott: yes
- Errington: yes
- Lauer: yes
- Pierce, M: yes
- Andrade: yes
- Genda: yes
- Lawson: yes
- Porter: yes
- Aylesworth: yes
- Gore: yes
- Ledbetter: yes
- Prescott: yes
- Bartlett: yes
- Greene: yes
- Lindauer: yes
- Pressel: yes
- Bascom: yes
- Haggard: yes
- Lopez: yes
- Pryor: yes
- Bauer: yes
- Hall: yes
- Lucas: yes
- Rowray: yes
- Borders: yes
- Hamilton: yes
- May: yes
- Shackleford: yes
- Burton: yes
- Harris: yes
- Mayfield: yes
- Shonkwiler: yes
- Campbell: yes
- Hatcher: yes
- McGuire: yes
- Smaltz: yes
- Carbaugh: yes
- Heaton: yes
- McNamara: yes
- Smith, H: yes
- Cash: yes
- Heine: yes
- Meltzer: yes
- Smith, V: yes
- Clere: yes
- Ireland: yes
- Miller, D: yes
- Soliday: yes
- Commons: yes
- Isa: yes
- Morris: yes
- Steuerwald: yes
- Criswell: yes
- Jackson, C: yes
- Moseley: yes
- Summers: yes
- Culp: yes
- Jeter: yes
- Novak: yes
- Sweet: yes
- Dant Chesser: yes
- Johnson, B: yes
- O'Brien: yes
- Teshka: yes
- Davis: yes
- Jordan: yes
- Olthoff: yes
- Thompson: yes
- DeLaney: yes
- Judy: yes
- Patterson: yes
- VanNatter: yes
- DeVon: yes
- Karickhoff: yes
- Payne: yes
- Wesco: yes
- Dvorak: yes
- King: yes
- Pfaff: yes
- Yocum: yes
- Engleman: yes
- Klinker: yes
- Pierce, K: yes
- Zimmerman: yes
- Baird: excused
- Garcia Wilburn: excused
- Lehman: excused
- Pack: excused
- Barrett: excused
- GiaQuinta: excused
- Manning: excused
- Slager: excused
- Bartels: excused
- Goss-Reaves: excused
- Miller, K: excused
- Snow: excused
- Behning: excused
- Hostettler: excused
- Moed: excused
- Mr. Speaker: not voting

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/hb1257

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T05:22:09.317128Z

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