IN SB 171
enactedFamily and children matters.
Indiana · 2026 Regular Session (2nd Regular Session, 124th General Assembly) · upper
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Quick answers
Did IN SB 171 pass?
Yes. IN SB 171 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-03-05): Signed by the Governor
What is IN SB 171 about?
Requires the local office of the department of child services to provide notice of an adoption petition to the court in which a CHINS proceeding is open or pending. Provides that the consent to adoption may be executed or acknowledged at any time after the birth of the child in the presence of an attorney, in person, or by video conferencing. Provides that a court may grant postadoption contact privileges if the child is at least 12 months of age. (Current law requires the child to be at least two years of age.) Provides certain exceptions to confidentiality requirements. Requires the department of child services (department) to consider certain factors when evaluating an out-of-home placement for a child in a child in need of services (CHINS) case. Provides that a placement with whom a child has resided with for at least 12 months, consecutively or nonconsecutively, is presumed to be an individual who has a significant relationship with the child. Requires a court to write a formal order in certain circumstances and include specific information in the order. Provides that the objectives of the dispositional decree are not considered met solely because a court is prohibited from changing a child's placement under IC 31-34-23-6(g) and prohibits the court from considering certain information when deciding whether the objectives of the dispositional decree are met. Requires any party seeking a change in placement for certain children to file a motion with the court, provide notice to all persons affected, and inform all persons affected of the right to file a written objection within 15 days. (Current law only allows the department to file the motion for a change of placement.) Allows a court to rule on a party's motion for the change in placement without delay if exigent circumstances are alleged in the party's motion. Provides that, with certain exceptions, if a child is the subject of an adoption petition, the adoption petitioner is the child's current placement, and the adoption petitioner has been the child's placement for at least 12 months, the court shall not change the child's placement until the adoption petition has been ruled on. Provides that if the party seeking a change of placement is a parent, guardian ad litem, or a court appointed special advocate, the party must provide notice to the department of child services, and the department shall then provide notice of the motion to the child's out-of-home placement.
Who sponsors IN SB 171?
Julie McGuire, Liz Brown, Greg Walker and 1 others are the primary sponsors of IN SB 171, joined by 5 cosponsors.
Description
Requires the local office of the department of child services to provide notice of an adoption petition to the court in which a CHINS proceeding is open or pending. Provides that the consent to adoption may be executed or acknowledged at any time after the birth of the child in the presence of an attorney, in person, or by video conferencing. Provides that a court may grant postadoption contact privileges if the child is at least 12 months of age. (Current law requires the child to be at least two years of age.) Provides certain exceptions to confidentiality requirements. Requires the department of child services (department) to consider certain factors when evaluating an out-of-home placement for a child in a child in need of services (CHINS) case. Provides that a placement with whom a child has resided with for at least 12 months, consecutively or nonconsecutively, is presumed to be an individual who has a significant relationship with the child. Requires a court to write a formal order in certain circumstances and include specific information in the order. Provides that the objectives of the dispositional decree are not considered met solely because a court is prohibited from changing a child's placement under IC 31-34-23-6(g) and prohibits the court from considering certain information when deciding whether the objectives of the dispositional decree are met. Requires any party seeking a change in placement for certain children to file a motion with the court, provide notice to all persons affected, and inform all persons affected of the right to file a written objection within 15 days. (Current law only allows the department to file the motion for a change of placement.) Allows a court to rule on a party's motion for the change in placement without delay if exigent circumstances are alleged in the party's motion. Provides that, with certain exceptions, if a child is the subject of an adoption petition, the adoption petitioner is the child's current placement, and the adoption petitioner has been the child's placement for at least 12 months, the court shall not change the child's placement until the adoption petition has been ruled on. Provides that if the party seeking a change of placement is a parent, guardian ad litem, or a court appointed special advocate, the party must provide notice to the department of child services, and the department shall then provide notice of the motion to the child's out-of-home placement.
- Introduced
- —
- Latest action
- 2026-03-05 — Signed by the Governor
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Julie McGuiresponsor
- Liz Brownauthor
- Greg Walkerauthor
- Tyler Johnsonauthor
- J.D. Fordcoauthor
- Stacey Donatocoauthor
- Lori Goss-Reavescosponsor
- Lonnie Randolphcoauthor
- Robert Morriscosponsor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
Newest first
2026-03-05
Signed by the Governor
executive-signature
2026-03-05
Public Law 116
became-law
2026-02-27
Signed by the President Pro Tempore
passage
2026-02-27
Signed by the Speaker
passage
2026-02-27
Signed by the President of the Senate
passage
2026-02-25
Senate concurred with House amendments; Roll Call 279: yeas 46, nays 0
2026-02-23
Motion to concur filed
filing
2026-02-20
Returned to the Senate with amendments
receipt
2026-02-19
Representative Morris added as cosponsor
2026-02-19
Representative Goss-Reaves added as cosponsor
2026-02-19
Third reading: passed; Roll Call 290: yeas 94, nays 0
passage,reading-3,reading-3
2026-02-18
Second reading: ordered engrossed
reading-2
2026-02-16
Committee report: amend do pass, adopted
committee-passage
2026-01-28
First reading: referred to Committee on Judiciary
reading-1,referral-committee
2026-01-23
Referred to the House
referral
2026-01-22
Third reading: passed; Roll Call 54: yeas 43, nays 0
passage,reading-3,reading-3
2026-01-22
House sponsor: Representative McGuire
2026-01-20
Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed
reading-2
2026-01-20
Amendment #1 (Johnson T) prevailed; voice vote
amendment-passage
2026-01-20
Senator Randolph added as coauthor
2026-01-13
Senator Brown L added as third author
2026-01-13
Senator Walker G added as second author
2026-01-13
Senators Ford J.D., Donato added as coauthors
2026-01-12
Committee report: amend do pass, adopted
committee-passage
2026-01-05
Authored by Senator Johnson T
2026-01-05
First reading: referred to Committee on Family and Children Services
reading-1,referral-committee
Versions
Documents
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
Votes
SB 171 - Johnson T - 3rd Reading
2026-01-22 · pass · 43-0
Member-level votes (49)
- Alexander: yes
- Clark: yes
- Goode: yes
- Qaddoura: yes
- Alting: yes
- Crider: yes
- Holdman: yes
- Raatz: yes
- Baldwin: yes
- Deery: yes
- Hunley: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Bohacek: yes
- Dernulc: yes
- Jackson, L: yes
- Schmitt: yes
- Bray: yes
- Donato: yes
- Johnson: yes
- Spencer: yes
- Brown: yes
- Doriot: yes
- Koch: yes
- Tomes: yes
- Buchanan: yes
- Ford J.D.: yes
- Leising: yes
- Walker G: yes
- Buck: yes
- Freeman: yes
- Maxwell: yes
- Walker K: yes
- Byrne: yes
- Garten: yes
- Niemeyer: yes
- Yoder: yes
- Carrasco: yes
- Gaskill: yes
- Niezgodski: yes
- Young: yes
- Charbonneau: yes
- Glick: yes
- Pol: yes
- Becker: excused
- Mishler: excused
- Bassler: not voting
- Busch: not voting
- Randolph: not voting
- Taylor: not voting
SB 171 - McGuire - 3rd Reading
2026-02-19 · pass · 94-0
Member-level votes (100)
- Abbott: yes
- Engleman: yes
- Lauer: yes
- Pierce, M: yes
- Andrade: yes
- Errington: yes
- Lawson: yes
- Porter: yes
- Aylesworth: yes
- Garcia Wilburn: yes
- Ledbetter: yes
- Prescott: yes
- Baird: yes
- Genda: yes
- Lehman: yes
- Pressel: yes
- Barrett: yes
- GiaQuinta: yes
- Lindauer: yes
- Pryor: yes
- Bartels: yes
- Gore: yes
- Lopez: yes
- Rowray: yes
- Bartlett: yes
- Goss-Reaves: yes
- Lucas: yes
- Shackleford: yes
- Bascom: yes
- Greene: yes
- Manning: yes
- Shonkwiler: yes
- Bauer: yes
- Haggard: yes
- May: yes
- Slager: yes
- Behning: yes
- Hall: yes
- Mayfield: yes
- Smaltz: yes
- Borders: yes
- Hamilton: yes
- McGuire: yes
- Smith, H: yes
- Burton: yes
- Harris: yes
- McNamara: yes
- Smith, V: yes
- Campbell: yes
- Hatcher: yes
- Meltzer: yes
- Snow: yes
- Carbaugh: yes
- Heaton: yes
- Miller, K: yes
- Steuerwald: yes
- Cash: yes
- Heine: yes
- Morris: yes
- Summers: yes
- Clere: yes
- Hostettler: yes
- Moseley: yes
- Sweet: yes
- Commons: yes
- Ireland: yes
- Novak: yes
- Teshka: yes
- Criswell: yes
- Isa: yes
- O'Brien: yes
- Thompson: yes
- Culp: yes
- Jackson, C: yes
- Olthoff: yes
- VanNatter: yes
- Dant Chesser: yes
- Johnson, B: yes
- Pack: yes
- Wesco: yes
- Davis: yes
- Jordan: yes
- Patterson: yes
- Yocum: yes
- DeLaney: yes
- Judy: yes
- Payne: yes
- Zimmerman: yes
- DeVon: yes
- King: yes
- Pfaff: yes
- Dvorak: yes
- Klinker: yes
- Pierce, K: yes
- Jeter: excused
- Miller, D: excused
- Moed: excused
- Soliday: excused
- Karickhoff: not voting
- Mr. Speaker: not voting
SB 171 - Johnson T
2026-02-25 · pass · 46-0
Member-level votes (50)
- Alexander: yes
- Carrasco: yes
- Goode: yes
- Randolph: yes
- Alting: yes
- Charbonneau: yes
- Holdman: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Baldwin: yes
- Clark: yes
- Hunley: yes
- Schmitt: yes
- Bassler: yes
- Crider: yes
- Jackson, L: yes
- Spencer: yes
- Becker: yes
- Deery: yes
- Johnson: yes
- Taylor: yes
- Bohacek: yes
- Dernulc: yes
- Koch: yes
- Tomes: yes
- Bray: yes
- Donato: yes
- Leising: yes
- Walker G: yes
- Brown: yes
- Ford J.D.: yes
- Maxwell: yes
- Walker K: yes
- Buchanan: yes
- Freeman: yes
- McKinley: yes
- Yoder: yes
- Buck: yes
- Garten: yes
- Niemeyer: yes
- Young: yes
- Busch: yes
- Gaskill: yes
- Niezgodski: yes
- Byrne: yes
- Glick: yes
- Qaddoura: yes
- Pol: excused
- Doriot: not voting
- Mishler: not voting
- Raatz: not voting
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T05:22:09.317128Z
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