The Indiana Senate and House Republicans released their priorities for the 2026 legislative session this week focused on cutting government bureaucracy and some costs for Hoosiers.
Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, announced Wednesday it will focus on government reform, public safety and fiscal discipline.
Rodric Bray, Senate president pro tem, takes questions after a bill to redistrict the state’s congressional map was defeated, Dec. 11, 2025, in Indianapolis. (Michael Conroy/AP)
Senate Bill 1, authored by State Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown, was filed to prevent fraud and contain state spending on welfare programs because “Americans are outraged by the billions of dollars of welfare fraud in our nation — and the Minnesota scandal is Exhibit A,” according to a press release.
Minnesota has been under the spotlight for years for Medicaid fraud, including a massive $300 million pandemic fraud case involving the nonprofit Feeding Our Future. Prosecutors said it was the country’s largest COVID-19-related fraud scam and that defendants exploited a state-run, federally funded program intended to provide food for children.
In 2022, during President Joe Biden’s administration, 47 people were charged. The number of defendants has grown to 78 throughout the ongoing investigation. So far, 57 people have been convicted, either because they pleaded guilty or lost at trial.
The 24-page bill will end the state’s participation in the use of expanded categorical eligibility within the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, set gross income standards and countable resources for SNAP eligibility, and establish immigration eligibility requirements for SNAP.
Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, speaks in the House chamber at the Statehouse in Indianapolis, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
If a SNAP applicant’s immigration status can’t be verified, the applicant’s information will be “immediately referred to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for investigation and potential deportation proceedings,” Garten said in a release.
“Our public safety net exists to support our most vulnerable citizens — not those who have broken our laws to enter the country. If you are here illegally, you are disqualified from receiving Hoosier tax dollars, and we will report you to federal authorities. It is that simple,” Garten said.
Undocumented immigrants are already ineligible for SNAP. The only non-citizens who may qualify are lawful permanent residents, or Green card holders; asylees; and other legal residents under temporary protected status, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.
Senate Bill 1 will end “broad-based categorical eligibility,” a loophole that allows some recipients to automatically qualify for SNAP, Garten said.
“For too long, loopholes like broad-based categorical eligibility have allowed the welfare state to expand unchecked, diverting resources away from the truly needy,” Garten said. “By enforcing real asset limits and verifying every claim, we are protecting the taxpayer’s wallet and ensuring that our safety net remains sustainable for the Hoosiers who genuinely depend on it.”
Senate Bill 1 also establishes the timeframe for Medicaid eligibility re-determinations, and requires the Secretary of Family and Social Services to transmit certain information to the federal government to prevent multiple state Medicaid enrollment.
The bill further sets income requirements for Medicaid, and modifies immigration status requirements for Medicaid, including presumptive eligibility by increasing to 80 hours of work or volunteering per month; the Healthy Indiana Plan; and requires the office to verify compliance of the requirements and report information to the federal government.
Under HIP, the bill modifies work and exemption requirements and requires the conditions to be met in the three preceding months before an individual applies. The bill directs the Secretary of Family and Social Services to verify compliance with the work requirements on an ongoing basis and at least quarterly.
Senate Bill 1 removes the 12-month eligibility period for HIP and requires semiannual renewal, and it sets an additional copayment for the use of an emergency room for nonemergency services and other services under HIP.
“Indiana led the charge on work requirements, and Washington followed our lead,” Garten stated. “With Senate Bill 1, we are doubling down. We are aligning Indiana statutes with the robust integrity measures in the federal ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ to ensure our state remains a fortress of fiscal responsibility.”
Senate Joint Resolution 1, authored by State Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, would amend the Indiana Constitution to allow judges to deny bail if a suspect clearly poses a substantial risk to any other person or the community. If the resolution passes, the issue would be made a ballot question for voters to decide.
Finally, Senate Republicans plan to conclude the 2026 session “ahead of time and under budget,” while focusing on “fiscal discipline in the face of increased pressure from Democrats to prematurely spend taxpayer money,” according to a press release.
House Republicans announced the chamber’s priorities Thursday which focus on lowering costs for families and reducing government bureaucracy.
House Bill 1001, authored by State Rep. Doug Miller, R-Elkhart, addresses housing matters, with the goal of expanding Indiana’s housing supply and driving down costs of home ownership, according to a press release.
House Bill 1001 states that single-family dwellings and townhouses in residential areas, an accessory dwelling unit within a single family home and affordable housing on property purchased by a religious institution before Jan. 1, 2025 in a residential or commercial zone are permitted uses that are approved without a hearing.
The bill restricts a unit’s ability to impose and increase fees related to building approval and permits, among other design-element limitations.
House Bill 1002, authored by State Rep. Alaina Shonkwiler, R-Noblesville, will prioritize energy affordability by adding performance-based accountability to ensure utilities are reducing costs and increasing reliability, according to a press release.
House Bill 1003, authored by State Rep. Steve Bartels, R-Eckerty, will combine, eliminate, or streamline dozens of redundant or inactive boards and commissions, according to a press release.
House Bill 1004, authored by State Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis, will eliminate unnecessary regulations in education, which will free up resources and give K-12 schools more flexibility to focus on students.
“House Republicans are focused on making sure Indiana remains a low-cost-of-living state and supporting Hoosier families,” said House Speaker Todd Huson, R-Fishers, said in a release. “The best way to reduce cost burdens on Hoosiers is to roll back regulation and bureaucracy, unleash the economy and expand opportunity.”
The Associated Press contributed.
