The Indiana General Assembly recently wrapped up the 2026 legislative session and we advanced several new laws focused on supporting families, strengthening education and protecting young Hoosiers.
The high cost and limited availability of child care remain a top concern for families across the state. House Enrolled Act 1177 expands the state's employer child care tax credit to include companies with up to 500 employees. Businesses can qualify if they operate a child care facility or contract with a provider, and the credit can help cover costs such as facility operations, staff training and wages, making care more accessible and affordable for working families trying to balance jobs and raising children.
In addition to supporting working families, we also took steps to improve our education system. House Enrolled Acts 1004 and 1325 both focus on strengthening Indiana's education system. HEA 1004 streamlines education laws by updating policies related to school governance, teacher employment and student provisions while removing outdated provisions. HEA 1325 requires state agencies to collaborate on reporting and recommendations related to residential placement, developmental preschool and special education data, helping ensure informed decisions that better support students and families. We also passed Senate Enrolled Act 78, which updates school policies on student wireless communication devices, providing guidance for schools and protecting them when enforcing policies in good faith.
Just as important, we continued efforts to protect children and bolster public safety. Protecting young Hoosiers remains a top priority and House Enrolled Act 1303 reinforces sex offender reporting requirements, expands missing person alerts and improves laws related to child sexual abuse material, building on previous efforts to protect vulnerable Hoosiers, such as my legislation last year, House Enrolled Act 1687, which enhances safeguards against registered sex offenders.
These new laws reflect our commitment to building a stronger foundation for Indiana by supporting families, protecting children and ensuring policies are effective and accountable.
I encourage you to reach out with any questions or concerns. Hearing from you helps ensure that we continue to make decisions that reflect our community. You can contact my office at in.gov/h52, by email at h52@iga.in.gov or by phone at 317-234-9450.
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State Rep. Ben Smaltz (R-Auburn) represents House District 52,
which includes all of DeKalb County, and portions of Noble and Steuben counties.
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