summary
Introduced
01/08/2026
01/08/2026
In Committee
02/19/2026
02/19/2026
Crossed Over
01/29/2026
01/29/2026
Passed
03/04/2026
03/04/2026
Dead
Signed/Enacted/Adopted
03/04/2026
03/04/2026
Introduced Session
2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
Various education matters. Makes changes to various education provisions concerning the following: (1) Certain school corporation accounting requirements. (2) The "nonpublic school" definition. (3) Recodification and state board of education (state board) transition provisions. (4) The state board's duties. (5) Powers of the governing bodies of school corporations. (6) Public-private agreements by charter schools for the construction or renovation of schools. (7) Adoption of certain rules by the state board. (8) Provisions that apply to a qualified district or qualified high school. (9) Department of education's (department) duties regarding initiatives for teacher recruitment and retention of certain educators. (10) Internet use policy. (11) Graduation plan requirements. (12) Instruction on alcoholic beverages, tobacco, prescription drugs, and controlled substances. (13) Recognition program criteria application. (14) Reporting on certain student expenditure information. (15) Excused absences. (16) Automated external defibrillator (AED) requirements. (17) Grant awards from the Indiana secured school fund. (18) Joint meetings of governing bodies of school corporations. (19) The borrowing of money by school corporations for certain hardware. Relocates a provision regarding certain possession and storage of a firearm educational materials from the department to the department of homeland security. Allows use of temporary teacher contracts for teachers who have been issued an emergency permit. Removes or repeals various education and higher education provisions concerning the following: (1) Expired and expiring provisions. (2) Duties, discretionary actions, and restrictions regarding the department. (3) Posting of certain information by schools. (4) Discretionary display of certain words by qualified districts. (5) Academic receivership. (6) Staff performance evaluations regarding Indianapolis Public Schools. (7) Certain powers of governing bodies of school corporations. (8) Certain student teaching agreement requirements with postsecondary educational institutions. (9) Certain discretionary authority of school corporations regarding joining regional school study councils, distributing payroll based on contractual and compensation plans, and establishing and using funds for nursery schools. (10) Spending restrictions for remediation programs. (11) Certain website posting requirements for school corporations and charter schools. (12) Reporting regarding students who meet certain requirements during their expected graduation year. (13) Discretion regarding certain feasibility studies. (14) Certain rights and privileges of teachers employed in a joint program or special education cooperatives or with regard to certain interlocal cooperation agreements. (15) Joint investment funds. (16) Application of certain laws to joint programs. (17) Establishment of certain students as transfer students. (18) Discretion regarding employee health coverage for certain individuals. (19) Notification to the secretary of education by a superintendent regarding a conviction or certain final actions. (20) References to an online platform for training. (21) Reports regarding adjunct teachers. (22) Teacher contract requirements regarding the number of work hours per day. (23) Voiding of contracts with teachers if certain conditions apply. (24) Regular teacher's contract requirement for principals, assistant principals, and directors of special education. (25) The provision of certain individual test scores regarding examinations required for teacher licensure. (26) The definition of "secondary school" regarding the federal teacher loan forgiveness program. (27) The definition of "deficit financing" with regard to the Gary Community School Corporation and the Muncie Community school corporation. (28) Allowing instruction on bullying prevention and child abuse by certain individuals. (29) Timing of statewide assessment requirements for state accredited nonpublic schools and eligible schools. (30) Requirement that the department make available certain diagnostic tools. (31) Discretionary portfolio programs by governing bodies of school corporations. (32) Allowing expulsion if a student's legal settlement is not in an attendance area. (33) Report requirement by the education commission of the states. (34) Duty of a school corporation to preserve instructional programs. (35) The primary care physician loan forgiveness program. (36) Required payments by postsecondary credit bearing proprietary educational institutions regarding cost of performing team onsite investigations. (37) Indiana excellence in teaching endowment. (38) Listing of funds established outside certain education provisions. Repeals and relocates education provisions regarding programs administered by the state with the following changes: (1) Removes or repeals the following: (A) Dissemination of certain information regarding the teacher referral system. (B) Expired provisions. (C) Certain uses of the Senator David C. Ford educational technology fund. (D) The technology plan grant program and requirements. (E) School social worker qualification requirements. (F) An annual report regarding system of teacher and student advancement grants. (G) The Indiana education residency pilot program. (H) A biannual progress report regarding the next level computer science program and fund. (I) A noncompliance and transfer of responsibility provision regarding the next level computer science program and fund. (2) Amends certain requirements regarding the process for evaluating curricular materials. Makes conforming changes.
AI Summary
This bill makes numerous changes to various education-related provisions in Indiana law. Key changes include updating references to repealed or recodified sections, particularly those related to educational service centers (now found in IC 20-20.5), and clarifying accounting requirements for larger school corporations. It also modifies definitions, duties of the State Board of Education, and powers of school corporation governing bodies. The bill addresses public-private agreements for charter schools, rule adoption processes, and specific provisions for qualified districts or high schools. Additionally, it details the Department of Education's responsibilities regarding teacher recruitment and retention initiatives, internet use policies, graduation plan requirements, and instruction on substances. The bill also relocates firearm possession and storage educational materials from the Department of Education to the Department of Homeland Security and allows temporary teacher contracts for those with emergency permits. Several provisions are removed or repealed, including expired laws, certain departmental duties, posting requirements for schools, discretionary displays by qualified districts, academic receivership, staff performance evaluations for Indianapolis Public Schools, student teaching agreements, and various spending and reporting restrictions. The bill also repeals provisions related to teacher contracts, licensure test scores, definitions for teacher loan forgiveness and deficit financing, bullying prevention instruction, statewide assessments for nonpublic schools, diagnostic tools, portfolio programs, expulsions based on legal settlement, reports from the Education Commission of the States, instructional program preservation, primary care physician loan forgiveness, proprietary educational institution payments, and the Indiana Excellence in Teaching Endowment.
Committee Categories
Budget and Finance, Education
Sponsors (6)
Bob Behning (R)*,
Tyler Johnson (R),
Julie McGuire (R),
Jeff Raatz (R),
Linda Rogers (R),
Hunter Smith (R),
Last Action
Signed by the Governor (on 03/04/2026)
Official Document
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