The House Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee heard HB 1363 on various public safety matters authored by Rep. Bartels. The bill in relevant part:
- Creates a process for certain sex offenders and sex or violent offenders to submit information to the department of correction (department) regarding offender status in other states or jurisdictions.
- Provides that the department’s wardship of a child ends when the department releases the child. If the department releases a child and no parent or guardian allows the child to live with them, the department must immediately notify the juvenile court that the child needs to be a ward of the department of child services.
- Makes it a Class B misdemeanor for a person to knowingly or intentionally possess an imitation firearm: (1) in or on school property; or (2) on a school bus.
The Committee amended the relevant parts of the bill by consent to:
- Clarify language concerning the department’s consideration of information concerning sex offenders and sex or violent offenders.
- Require that a person who is a sex offender or sex or violent offender to register for the period required by another jurisdiction or the period in Indiana, whichever is longer.
- Change the effective date to upon passage for the sex offender and sex or violent offender sections of the bill.
The Integrated Public Safety Commission, Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council, and Indiana School Resource Officer Association testified in support of the bill. The amended bill passed 11-0.
Read the bill at: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2026/bills/house/1363/