Bill > HB1503

This bill creates the Indiana Adoption Services Authority (IASA), a new state instrumentality designed to support adoption efforts through multiple innovative mechanisms. The authority will establish a Zero Cost Adoption Fund to provide financial assistance for foster care, adoption, and post-adoption services, including contributing $10,000 to a 529 college savings plan for each adopted child and negotiating reduced college tuition for Indiana adoptees. The bill includes a tax credit of 50% for contributions to this fund, with a total annual tax credit cap of $18.5 million. The authority will be governed by a nine-member board consisting of four ex officio state officials and five gubernatorial appointees with expertise in adoption, foster care, social services, business, or finance. The fund will support community-based intervention methods to prevent children from entering foster care, promote adoption, provide post-adoption assistance like counseling, and make education more affordable for adopted children. A separate general operating fund will cover the authority's administrative expenses, and the entire initiative is designed to supplement existing adoption assistance programs rather than replace them. The bill also includes an initial appropriation of $25 million for the fund, effective from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2027.

Education

https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2025/bills/house/1503/details