At a prior hearing, the Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee heard HB 1040 on battery against school and healthcare employees sponsored by Sen. Freeman and Sen. Carrasco and authored by Rep. McNamara. The bill increases the penalty for battery on certain health care employees and school employees. The bill specifies that the enhancement for battery committed against a department of child services (DCS) employee applies only to those DCS employees whose responsibilities include personally supervising a child or parent, personally providing services to a child or parent, or personally interviewing a child or parent as part of an investigation. The bill also requires the employer of a health care or school employee who is the victim of battery to report the incident to the department of labor.
The Indiana Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, American Organization for Nursing Leadership, Indiana State Medical Association, Indiana University Health, Beacon Health System, and the Indiana State Nurses Association previously testified in support of the bill. The Indiana Public Defender Council previously testified in opposition.
On February 10, 2026, the Committee heard the bill for amend and vote. The bill was amended by consent to replace the term “vulnerable worker” with health care employee or school employee. The bill was also amended by consent to change the reporting requirements. The amended bill passed 7-0.
Read the bill at: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2026/bills/house/1040