The House Family, Children and Human Affairs Committee heard HB 1092 on department of child services authored by Rep. DeVon. The bill:
- Requires that a sports wagering operator withhold winnings when a person who is delinquent in child support requests a withdrawal from the person’s mobile sports wagering account.
- Requires an order establishing paternity if certain conditions are met.
- Allows the state to approve additional payment facilities for purposes of accepting child support payments.
- Allows a juvenile court to assume jurisdiction over adoption proceedings in certain circumstances.
- Makes various changes to the adoption code to facilitate communication between a probate court and juvenile court when the subject of an adoption petition is also the subject of a pending child in need of services (CHINS) case.
- Provides that the department of child services (DCS) has the right to intervene as a party to an adoption proceeding under certain circumstances.
- Allows DCS to: (1) deny certain residential child care licenses if the applicant was previously licensed and had the earlier license revoked within one year of the current application; and (2) conduct background checks on certain volunteers at a licensed child caring institution.
- Requires a probate court to take certain actions if allegations in the petition for adoption or evidence produced at an adoption proceeding indicates that the child for whom the adoption decree is requested meets the definition of a child adjudicated or alleged to be a CHINS.
The Committee amended the bill by consent to:
- Delete the bill’s provision that a juvenile court has concurrent original jurisdiction over adoption proceedings for a child who: (1) is alleged to be or has been adjudicated a child in need of services (CHINS); and (2) is the subject of a pending CHINS proceeding.
- Delete the bill’s provision that if a child is the subject of: (1) an adoption proceeding in a probate court; and (2) a CHINS proceeding in a juvenile court; the parties to the proceedings may participate in communications between the courts or be given the opportunity to testify regarding jurisdiction.
- Require a petition for adoption to include the case number of a CHINS or delinquency proceeding regarding the child only if the case number is known to the petitioner.
- Add a provision requiring the clerk of a court in a proceeding regarding adoption of a child who is under the care and custody of DCS to forward a copy of the adoption petition to DCS.
- Modify the bill’s provisions regarding allocation of jurisdiction between a probate court in an adoption proceeding regarding a child and a juvenile court in a CHINS petition regarding the child.
- Provide that a DCS caseworker who wishes to interview a child at the child’s school must provide the caseworker’s department issued credential in order to interview the child alone.
The Indiana Department of Child Services, Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council, and Indiana Public Defender Council testified in support of the bill. Sports Betting Alliance testified but remained neutral. The amended bill passed 11-0.
Read the bill at: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2026/bills/house/1092/