Indiana legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Indiana HB1044: Insurance coverage for public safety employees.
Status: Signed into law, February 26, 2026
Provides that a public safety employee who: (1) becomes disabled on or after January 1, 2020; (2) receives a Class 1 or a Class 2 impairment benefit; and (3) is eligible for group health insurance coverage for the public safety employee and the public safety employee's spouse or dependents; must pay no more than the amount that the public safety employee would have been required to pay if still serving as a current active public safety employee employed by the local unit public employer. Specifies that the public safety employee must file a written request for insurance coverage with the employer before June 1, 2026, or within 90 days after the public safety employee begins receiving disability benefits, whichever is later. Specifies that if a public safety agency closes, merges, or otherwise ceases to exist, the local unit public employer that caused the public safety agency to cease to exist, shall continue to provide certain insurance coverage. Provides that a surviving spouse or dependent of a public safety employee who dies in the line of duty must pay the same amount that the public safety employee would have been required to pay if still serving as a current active public safety employee employed by the local unit public employer for coverage selected by the surviving spouse or dependent under the group health insurance program.
What the bill says
An act to amend the Indiana Code concerning state and local administration.
From the enrolled text:
AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning state and local administration. SECTION 1. IC 5-10-8-2.2, AS AMENDED BY P.L.111-2019, SECTION 1, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE UPON PASSAGE]: Sec. 2.2. (a) As used in this section, "dependent" means a natural child, stepchild, or adopted child of a public safety employee (2) is at least eighteen (18) years of age and has a physical or mental disability (using disability guidelines established by the Social Security Administration); or (3) is at least eighteen (18) and less than twenty-three (23) years of age and is enrolled in and regularly attending a secondary school or is a full-time student at an accredited college or university. (b) As used in this section, "public safety employee" means a full-time firefighter, police officer, county police officer, or sheriff. (c) This section applies only to local unit public employers and their public safety employees. (d) A local unit public employer may provide programs of group health insurance for its active and retired public safety employees through one (1) of the following methods: (1) By purchasing policies of group insurance. HEA 1044 -- Concur (2) By establishing self-insurance programs. (3) If the local unit public employer is a school corporation, by electing to provide the coverage through a state employee health plan under section 6.7 of …
Sponsors
- Jim Pressel (R, HD-020) · primary sponsor
- Ethan Lawson (R, HD-053)
- Lori Goss-Reaves (R, HD-031)
- Michelle Davis (R, HD-058)
Latest actions
- : Public Law 38
- : Signed by the Governor
- : Signed by the President of the Senate
- : Signed by the President Pro Tempore
- : Signed by the Speaker
- : House concurred with Senate amendments; Roll Call 295: yeas 93, nays 0
- : Motion to concur filed
- : Returned to the House with amendments
- : Third reading: passed; Roll Call 176: yeas 45, nays 0
- : Amendment #1 (Walker K) prevailed; voice vote
Votes
- HB1044.04.ENGS.CON01 (February 19, 2026): 93 yea, 0 nay, passed
- HB1044.03.COMS (February 17, 2026): 45 yea, 0 nay, passed
- HB1044.02.COMH (January 20, 2026): 92 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: INSURANCE; Health Insurance, LAW ENFORCEMENT; Generally
Common questions
- What is HB1044?
- HB1044 is a bill in the Indiana Legislature (2026 Regular Session): Insurance coverage for public safety employees.
- What does HB1044 do?
- In its own words: An act to amend the Indiana Code concerning state and local administration.
- What is the status of HB1044?
- Signed into law as of February 26, 2026. Latest action: Public Law 38 (February 26, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB1044?
- Jim Pressel (R, HD-020), with 3 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HB1044?
- On the Indiana Legislature website: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2026/bills/house/1044
Source: official Indiana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.