On January 6, 2026, the Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee heard SB 144 on tobacco products and vapor products authored by Sen. Alexander. The bill increases the penalty for a person who: (1) makes a delivery sale of an e-liquid to an individual less than 21 years of age; (2) sells or distributes a tobacco product to a person less than 21 years of age; and (3) purchases a … [Read more...] about Tobacco products and vapor products
Criminal
Mask as an aggravating circumstance for sentencing
The Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee heard SB 160 on mask as an aggravating circumstance for sentencing authored by Sen. Deery. The bill makes wearing a mask during the commission of a criminal offense a sentencing aggravator. The Committee amended the bill by consent to eliminate the list of mask types and replace it with the definition of a mask. The … [Read more...] about Mask as an aggravating circumstance for sentencing
Redaction of children’s names in court records
The Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee heard SB 246 on the redaction of children’s names in court records authored by Sen. Freeman. The bill requires the names of child victims, child witnesses, and certain other persons to be redacted in criminal cases. The bill also requires the use of an anonymous designator such as "Child Witness No. 1" when redacting a name and p … [Read more...] about Redaction of children’s names in court records
Penalties for OWI convictions
The Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee heard SB 251 on the penalties for OWI convictions authored by Sen. Freeman and Sen. Carrasco. The bill does the following: The bill standardizes OWI penalties across the State and merges the different types of motor vehicle offenses into one section (air, land, and water) and requires a blood draw when a fatality or serious … [Read more...] about Penalties for OWI convictions
Criminal law matters
The Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee heard SB 252 on criminal law matters authored by Sen. Freeman and Sen. Carrasco. The bill does the following: The Committee amended the bill by consent to create the new offense of malicious littering as a class A misdemeanor. The Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council, Anti-Defamation League, and Indianapolis Jewish C … [Read more...] about Criminal law matters