STATEHOUSE (April 8, 2026) – The governor recently ceremonially signed into law bills co-authored and supported by State Rep. Becky Cash (R-Zionsville) to bolster protections for young Hoosiers following the tragic death of an Indiana teenager.
Hailey Buzbee, a 17-year-old from Fishers, disappeared from her home earlier this year and was found dead in Ohio. Police believe a man from Ohio communicated with Buzbee for more than a year through digital gaming platforms before driving to Indiana to meet her. Buzbee's family, who advocated for the new laws, joined lawmakers and the governor for the ceremonial bill signings.
House Enrolled Act 1408, co-authored by Cash, creates a framework to protect minors on social media. It requires parental consent before children under 16 can open social media accounts and restricts addictive or harmful platform features including manipulative algorithms, compulsive engagement loops and unsafe online interactions. Under the law, violations are treated as deceptive acts, giving the state clear enforcement authority.
"While nothing can undo the heartbreak the Buzbee family has experienced, these measures are a meaningful step toward better protecting Indiana's children," Cash said. "By strengthening awareness tools and putting clearer safeguards in place online, we're working to intervene sooner and reduce the risk of tragedies like this in the future."
Cash said House Enrolled Act 1303 adds "high-risk missing persons" to the definition of "missing child" for Indiana's Silver Alert system, which will help raise awareness across the state to find youth believed to be in danger. It also establishes a dedicated section in Indiana Code for child sexual abuse material offenses and creates a new crime for distribution of CSAM.
To learn more about these and other new laws passed during the 2026 legislative session, visit iga.in.gov.
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State Rep. Becky Cash (R-Zionsville) represents House District 25,
which includes portions of Boone and Hendricks counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
PHOTO CAPTION: State Rep. Becky Cash (R-Zionsville) stands alongside Indiana legislators, Governor Braun and the family of Hailey Buzbee on April 1, 2026, as House Bill 1408 is signed into law.
