STATEHOUSE (Dec. 27, 2023) — State Rep. Denny Zent (R-Angola) today announced he will not seek re-election next year after a decade of serving in the Indiana General Assembly. He said he will complete his current term as state representative for House District 51, which includes all of LaGrange County and a portion of Steuben County.
Zent currently serves on the House Public Health Committee, and the House Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee.
"I want to thank the constituents of House District 51 for allowing me to represent them at the Statehouse," Zent said. "It has been an honor to serve for over a decade in the General Assembly. During my time in the legislature, we've made great strides in helping our veterans, recognizing the crucial roles of caregivers and addressing various health care matters impacting Hoosiers. I look forward to working hard during my last session and finishing up my term."
Zent, a veteran of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, was responsible for several key pieces of legislation advocating for Hoosier veterans and their families. In 2019, Zent authored legislation to help military families who locate to Indiana and have children with disabilities in need of medical care. His legislation granted priority access to children of veterans and active members to obtain a Family Supports Waiver, a Medicaid waiver that allows for them to sign up and receive services at home or in their community more quickly. That same year he authored legislation to ensure that the Office of Judicial Administration can work with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to identify veterans in the court system, and connect them with services like housing, physical and mental health care, and employment.
In 2015, Zent authored a law extending protections provided by the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to members of the Indiana National Guard. The extended protections allow for service members to temporarily postpone civilian obligations such as debt collections and lease terminations, while they are deployed or serving on active duty. He also cosponsored a law providing a voluntary veterans' preference policy for hiring, promoting, or retaining a veteran in private employment. Zent said this move incentivizes hiring veterans in civil service roles following their military service.
To prevent illegal drug users and dealers from turning to veterinarians for prescription painkillers, Zent authored a law that limits opioid prescriptions for animals to seven days and allows veterinarians to access Indiana’s opioid prescription tracking database.
Zent, a retired endodontist, also worked to expand Hoosier's access to dental health care in rural and underserved areas. Thanks to his legislation, collaborative agreements can be established between a dentist and a dental hygienist, allowing dental hygienists to perform basic oral care procedures, like annual cleanings.
In 2015, he authored the Caregiver Advise, Record and Enable Act, which was created to better support Hoosier family caregivers. This law requires hospitals to provide the option to record the name of a family caregiver when a loved one is admitted into a hospital, notify the patient's family if they are ready to be discharged or moved to another facility, and provide medical instructions to care for the patient at home.
"Denny brings a wealth of experience to the Statehouse that we often rely on, whether it's in the health care field or veteran affairs," said House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers). "He's a tremendous servant leader who puts the needs of his district first and always looks for commonsense solutions. We're going to miss his presence at the Statehouse, but I wish him and his family the very best moving forward."
Zent and his wife, Wendy, live in Angola and have two adult children and seven grandchildren.
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State Rep. Denny Zent (R-Angola) represents House District 51,
which includes all of LaGrange County and a portion of Steuben County.
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PHOTO CAPTION: Former Gov. Mike Pence (seated, left) ceremonially signs legislation authored by State Rep. Denny Zent (R-Angola) (seated, right) into law supporting Hoosier Tuesday, July 28, 2015, at the Fort Wayne Air National Guard Base. The law extended protections provided by the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to members of the Indiana National Guard, allowing them to temporarily postpone various civilian obligations, such as debt collections and lease terminations, while they are deployed or are serving on active duty orders.
