COLUMN: Legislative session halftime update

We are now in the final month of the legislative session, with meaningful progress already being made to help Hoosiers. During the first half of session, lawmakers in the Indiana House introduced 427 bills and passed 113 bills that are now with the Senate for consideration. 

Our House Republican priority bills all advanced though the House, several with bipartisan support:

• House Bill 1001 expands Indiana’s housing supply and drives down costs of home ownership by rolling back costly regulations that impede development
• House Bill 1002 prioritizes energy affordability by adding performance-based accountability to ensure utilities are hitting targets aimed at reducing costs and increasing reliability
• House Bill 1003 reduces government by combining, eliminating or streamlining dozens of redundant or inactive boards and commissions
• House Bill 1004 cuts red tape in education by eliminating unnecessary rules and regulations, freeing up resources and giving K-12 schools more flexibility to focus on educating our kids

Of all the bills that passed out of the House during the first half, 91% received bipartisan support and 49% received unanimous support. I worked on several resolutions and bills on behalf of our district that are moving forward.

This year, I authored House Bill 1131 which would update professional licensing requirements for estheticians and electrologists by modernizing definitions and training standards, including adding microneedling as a service. This bill supports these professionals in our community while ensuring training and public safety standards to protect consumers.

I also co-authored House Concurrent Resolution 4 that would honor the legendary Indiana University men’s basketball coach Bobby Knight by renaming a stretch of State Road 45 near Assembly Hall on IU’s Bloomington campus. The resolution passed the House and Senate unanimously and is now headed to the Governor's desk. Once the bill is signed into law, the Indiana Department of Transportation can move forward with the road renaming. To view my legislation, click here.

During the second half of session, House bills that passed our chamber move to the Senate for review while the House considers Senate bills that passed their chamber. The 2026 legislative session is expected to conclude Feb. 27. 

As your state representative, I want to make sure your voice is always heard. If you have questions, ideas or concerns, contact me by phone at 317-232-9850 or visit in.gov/h54.

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State Rep. Cory Criswell (R-Middletown) represents House District 54,
which includes portions of Hancock, Henry, Rush and Shelby counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.