Indiana HB 1266 — Department of education and education matters.

Indiana, 2026. HB 1266: Department of education and education matters.

Plural source record ↗

Official legislative source ↗

Official legislative source ↗

Latest action

March 12, 2026 — Signed by the Governor

Summary

Makes various changes to education provisions concerning the following: (1) Creating a teaching and learning framework for the implementation of mathematics academic standards. (2) Development of a data science math pathway. (3) Submission of a report to the general assembly concerning recommendations on strategies to support academically and fiscally underperforming schools, and interventions as necessary. (4) Evaluating, approving, and publishing high quality curricular materials time lines. (5) Local board membership for a local centralized school facilities board and local student transportation board. (6) Salary differentiation regarding teachers who possess a literacy endorsement. (7) Amounts expended in participating in an interlocal agreement included in determining amounts school corporations expend on full-time teacher salaries for purposes of teacher salary minimum funding requirements. (8) Summer school program and reimbursement administration. (9) Criteria required for eligibility of a waiver for conducting four day school weeks. (10) Oversight of career and technical education program designation. (11) Uses of teacher appreciation grants. (12) The calculation of operating referendum distributions and school safety referendum distributions to charter schools with regard to virtual instruction. (13) Petitions regarding reconsidering payments of choice scholarships. (14) Membership of the board for proprietary education. (15) The effective date regarding the changes to the definition of "eligible choice scholarship student". (16) Career specialist permit eligibility. Provides that an emergency permit may be renewed up to two times to an individual enrolled in an alternative teacher certification program if the program provides documentation verifying the individual's good standing in the program to the department of education. Creates a new qualification option for a transition to teaching program participant who seeks to obtain a license to teach in grades 5 through 12. Removes a provision that provides that the department may not release less than 10 items per subject matter level per grade level regarding the statewide summative assessment. Removes a requirement that for a parent or student to use a career scholarship account (CSA) annual grant amount for costs related to transportation a CSA participating entity must pay a matching amount for the transportation costs. Requires each state educational institution that offers a two year graduate degree program in mental or behavioral health to evaluate the graduate degree program to determine the feasibility of providing the program in a specifically structured manner to allow full-time students to complete the program within: (1) one year; or (2) five years if the program is combined with a baccalaureate degree program. Requires the Indiana department of education to elect to participate as a covered state in the federal tax credit scholarship program for elementary and secondary education under Section 25F of the Internal Revenue Code (enacted in Public Law 119-21, commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025). Makes conforming changes to the school scholarship tax credit in current law. Requires the governor and the department of workforce development, in consultation with the commission for higher education, to: (1) establish a process to identify eligible workforce training programs; (2) establish a process for institutions and programs to apply for recognition as an eligible workforce training program; (3) coordinate certain workforce training matters; and (4) require eligible workforce training programs to provide certain datasets to the department. Provides that the department of workforce development must maintain alignment with federal rules governing workforce Pell grants. Repeals certain provisions concerning postsecondary career and technical education.

Sponsors

• Robert Behning — primary sponsor
• Julie McGuire
• Sheila Klinker
• Jeff Raatz — primary sponsor
• Tyler Johnson — primary sponsor
• Lonnie Randolph

Bill text

Enrolled House Bill (H) Read version ↗

Engrossed House Bill (H) Read version ↗

House Bill (S) Read version ↗ Read version ↗ Read version ↗

House Bill (H) Read version ↗

Introduced House Bill (H) Read version ↗

Recorded votes

Legislative history

1. March 2, 2026Signed by the President of the Senate
2. March 12, 2026Signed by the Governor
3. March 3, 2026Signed by the Speaker
4. March 12, 2026Public Law 159
5. March 5, 2026Signed by the President Pro Tempore
6. February 27, 2026Representative Smith V removed as conferee
7. February 27, 2026Representative Greene added as conferee
8. February 27, 2026Senator Hunley removed as conferee
9. February 27, 2026Senator Goode added as conferee
10. February 27, 2026CCR # 1 filed in the House
11. February 27, 2026CCR # 1 filed in the Senate
12. February 27, 2026Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House; Roll Call 425: yeas 66, nays 30
13. February 27, 2026Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate; Roll Call 334: yeas 28, nays 19
14. February 25, 2026House conferees appointed: Behning, Smith V
15. February 25, 2026Senate conferees appointed: Raatz, Hunley
16. February 25, 2026Senate advisors appointed: Johnson T, Ford J.D.
17. February 25, 2026House advisors appointed: Payne, Cash, DeLaney, Klinker, Pfaff
18. February 24, 2026House dissented from Senate amendments
19. February 24, 2026Third reading: passed; Roll Call 246: yeas 47, nays 0
20. February 24, 2026Motion to dissent filed
21. February 24, 2026Returned to the House with amendments
22. February 23, 2026Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed
23. February 23, 2026Amendment #1 (Yoder) prevailed; voice vote
24. February 19, 2026Senator Randolph added as cosponsor
25. February 19, 2026Committee report: amend do pass, adopted
26. February 12, 2026Committee report: amend do pass adopted; reassigned to Committee on Appropriations
27. February 2, 2026First reading: referred to Committee on Education and Career Development
28. January 29, 2026Referred to the Senate
29. January 28, 2026Senate sponsors: Senators Raatz, Johnson T
30. January 28, 2026Third reading: passed; Roll Call 136: yeas 90, nays 1
31. January 27, 2026Second reading: ordered engrossed
32. January 27, 2026Amendment #1 (Burton) motion withdrawn
33. January 22, 2026Committee report: amend do pass, adopted
34. January 14, 2026Representative Klinker added as coauthor
35. January 8, 2026Committee report: amend do pass, adopted
36. January 8, 2026Recommitted to Committee on Ways and Means pursuant to House Rule 126.3
37. January 6, 2026Coauthored by Representative McGuire
38. January 6, 2026Authored by Representative Behning
39. January 6, 2026First reading: referred to Committee on Education

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