House Bill
HB 1044
Insurance coverage for public safety employees.
In plain English
Limits what a public safety employee pays for group health insurance to the active-employee rate if the employee became disabled on or after January 1, 2020, and receives a Class 1 or Class 2 impairment benefit. Requires a written request before June 1, 2026, or within 90 days after disability benefits begin, whichever is later. Applies the same rate to surviving spouses and dependents of employees who die in the line of duty, and makes other changes.
Written by AI from the official digest below, and checked only by automated rules. If they differ, the official digest and bill text control.
Official digest
Provides that a public safety employee who: (1) becomes disabled on or after January 1, 2020; (2) receives a Class 1 or a Class 2 impairment benefit; and (3) is eligible for group health insurance coverage for the public safety employee and the public safety employee's spouse or dependents; must pay no more than the amount that the public safety employee would have been required to pay if still serving as a current active public safety employee employed by the local unit public employer. Specifies that the public safety employee must file a written request for insurance coverage with the employer before June 1, 2026, or within 90 days after the public safety employee begins receiving disability benefits, whichever is later. Specifies that if a public safety agency closes, merges, or otherwise ceases to exist, the local unit public employer that caused the public safety agency to cease to exist, shall continue to provide certain insurance coverage. Provides that a surviving spouse or dependent of a public safety employee who dies in the line of duty must pay the same amount that the public safety employee would have been required to pay if still serving as a current active public safety employee employed by the local unit public employer for coverage selected by the surviving spouse or dependent under the group health insurance program.
Latest action: Public Law 38, February 26, 2026Full text and history at iga.in.gov
Authors and sponsors
Jim Pressel, Kyle Walker, Michael Crider, Fady Qaddoura
Co-authors and co-sponsors: Ethan Lawson, Lori Goss-Reaves, Michelle Davis, Lonnie Randolph, Andrea Hunley, Shelli Yoder
Roll-call votes
3 recorded votes, oldest first. Third-reading votes decide whether a bill passes a chamber; amendment votes and procedural motions are listed too.
House · Jan 20, 2026
Third reading: vote to pass
Roll call text: HB 1044 - Pressel - 3rd Reading
Passed
92 yes0 no8 did not vote
Republicans: 64 yes, 0 no, 5 did not voteDemocrats: 27 yes, 0 no, 3 did not voteIndependents: 1 yes, 0 no
How each member voted
Yes (92)
- Alaina Shonkwiler (R)
- Alex Burton (D)
- Alex Zimmerman (R)
- Andrew Ireland (R)
- Beau Baird (R)
- Becky Cash (R)
- Ben Smaltz (R)
- Blake Johnson (D)
- Bob Behning (R)
- Bob Heaton (R)
- Bob Morris (R)
- Brad Barrett (R)
- Bruce Borders (R)
- Carey Hamilton (D)
- Carolyn Jackson (D)
- Cherrish Pryor (D)
- Chris Jeter (R)
- Chris Judy (R)
- Chris May (R)
- Chuck Moseley (D)
- Cindy Ledbetter (R)
- Cory Criswell (R)
- Craig Haggard (R)
- Craig Snow (R)
- Dale DeVon (R)
- Danny Lopez (R)
- Dave Hall (R)
- David Abbott (R)
- Doug Miller (R)
- Earl Harris (D)
- Ed Clere (I)
- Ed DeLaney (D)
- Ed Soliday (R)
- Ethan Lawson (R)
- Garrett Bascom (R)
- Greg Steuerwald (R)
- Gregory Porter (D)
- Hal Slager (R)
- Heath VanNatter (R)
- Hunter Smith (R)
- J.D. Prescott (R)
- Jack Jordan (R)
- Jake Teshka (R)
- Jeff Thompson (R)
- Jim Lucas (R)
- Jim Pressel (R)
- Joanna King (R)
- John Bartlett (D)
- Julie McGuire (R)
- Julie Olthoff (R)
- Justin Moed (D)
- Karen Engleman (R)
- Kendell Culp (R)
- Kyle Miller (D)
- Kyle Pierce (R)
- Lindsay Patterson (R)
- Lori Goss-Reaves (R)
- Lorissa Sweet (R)
- Mark Genda (R)
- Martin Carbaugh (R)
- Matt Commons (R)
- Matt Hostettler (R)
- Matt Lehman (R)
- Matt Pierce (D)
- Maureen Bauer (D)
- Michelle Davis (R)
- Mike Andrade (D)
- Mike Aylesworth (R)
- Mike Karickhoff (R)
- Mitch Gore (D)
- Peggy Mayfield (R)
- Phil GiaQuinta (D)
- Ragen Hatcher (D)
- Randy Novak (D)
- Robb Greene (R)
- Robin Shackleford (D)
- Ryan Lauer (R)
- Shane Lindauer (R)
- Sheila Klinker (D)
- Steve Bartels (R)
- Sue Errington (D)
- Tim O'Brien (R)
- Tim Wesco (R)
- Tim Yocum (R)
- Tony Isa (R)
- Tonya Pfaff (D)
- Vanessa Summers (D)
- Vernon Smith (D)
- Victoria Garcia Wilburn (D)
- Wendy Dant Chesser (D)
- Wendy McNamara (R)
- Zach Payne (R)
Did not vote (8)
- Chris Campbell (D)
- Dave Heine (R)
- Elizabeth Rowray (R)
- Ethan Manning (R)
- Jenny Meltzer (R)
- Reneé Pack (D)
- Ryan Dvorak (D)
- Todd Huston (R)
Senate · Feb 17, 2026
Third reading: vote to pass
Roll call text: HB 1044 - Walker K - 3rd Reading
Passed
45 yes0 no5 did not vote
Republicans: 37 yes, 0 no, 3 did not voteDemocrats: 8 yes, 0 no, 2 did not vote
How each member voted
Yes (45)
- Aaron Freeman (R)
- Brett Clark (R)
- Brian Buchanan (R)
- Cyndi Carrasco (R)
- Dan Dernulc (R)
- Daryl Schmitt (R)
- David Niezgodski (D)
- Ed Charbonneau (R)
- Eric Koch (R)
- Fady Qaddoura (D)
- Gary Byrne (R)
- Greg Goode (R)
- Greg Taylor (D)
- Greg Walker (R)
- J.D. Ford (D)
- Jean Leising (R)
- Jeff Raatz (R)
- Jim Buck (R)
- Jim Tomes (R)
- Justin Busch (R)
- Kyle Walker (R)
- La Keisha Jackson (D)
- Linda Rogers (R)
- Liz Brown (R)
- Lonnie Randolph (D)
- Mark Spencer (D)
- Michael Crider (R)
- Mike Bohacek (R)
- Mike Gaskill (R)
- Mike Young (R)
- Nick McKinley (R)
- Randy Maxwell (R)
- Rick Niemeyer (R)
- Rod Bray (R)
- Ron Alting (R)
- Ryan Mishler (R)
- Scott Alexander (R)
- Scott Baldwin (R)
- Shelli Yoder (D)
- Spencer Deery (R)
- Stacey Donato (R)
- Sue Glick (R)
- Travis Holdman (R)
- Tyler Johnson (R)
- Vaneta Becker (R)
Did not vote (5)
- Andrea Hunley (D)
- Blake Doriot (R)
- Chris Garten (R)
- Eric Bassler (R)
- Rodney Pol (D)
House · Feb 19, 2026
Final vote: concurrence or conference report
Roll call text: HB 1044 - Pressel
Passed
93 yes0 no7 did not vote
Republicans: 65 yes, 0 no, 4 did not voteDemocrats: 27 yes, 0 no, 3 did not voteIndependents: 1 yes, 0 no
How each member voted
Yes (93)
- Alaina Shonkwiler (R)
- Alex Burton (D)
- Alex Zimmerman (R)
- Andrew Ireland (R)
- Beau Baird (R)
- Becky Cash (R)
- Ben Smaltz (R)
- Blake Johnson (D)
- Bob Behning (R)
- Bob Heaton (R)
- Bob Morris (R)
- Brad Barrett (R)
- Bruce Borders (R)
- Carey Hamilton (D)
- Carolyn Jackson (D)
- Cherrish Pryor (D)
- Chris Campbell (D)
- Chris Judy (R)
- Chris May (R)
- Chuck Moseley (D)
- Cindy Ledbetter (R)
- Cory Criswell (R)
- Craig Haggard (R)
- Craig Snow (R)
- Dale DeVon (R)
- Danny Lopez (R)
- Dave Hall (R)
- Dave Heine (R)
- David Abbott (R)
- Earl Harris (D)
- Ed Clere (I)
- Ed DeLaney (D)
- Elizabeth Rowray (R)
- Ethan Lawson (R)
- Ethan Manning (R)
- Garrett Bascom (R)
- Greg Steuerwald (R)
- Gregory Porter (D)
- Hal Slager (R)
- Heath VanNatter (R)
- Hunter Smith (R)
- J.D. Prescott (R)
- Jack Jordan (R)
- Jake Teshka (R)
- Jeff Thompson (R)
- Jenny Meltzer (R)
- Jim Lucas (R)
- Jim Pressel (R)
- Joanna King (R)
- John Bartlett (D)
- Julie McGuire (R)
- Julie Olthoff (R)
- Karen Engleman (R)
- Kendell Culp (R)
- Kyle Miller (D)
- Kyle Pierce (R)
- Lindsay Patterson (R)
- Lori Goss-Reaves (R)
- Lorissa Sweet (R)
- Mark Genda (R)
- Martin Carbaugh (R)
- Matt Commons (R)
- Matt Hostettler (R)
- Matt Lehman (R)
- Matt Pierce (D)
- Maureen Bauer (D)
- Michelle Davis (R)
- Mike Andrade (D)
- Mike Aylesworth (R)
- Mike Karickhoff (R)
- Mitch Gore (D)
- Peggy Mayfield (R)
- Phil GiaQuinta (D)
- Ragen Hatcher (D)
- Randy Novak (D)
- Reneé Pack (D)
- Robb Greene (R)
- Robin Shackleford (D)
- Ryan Dvorak (D)
- Ryan Lauer (R)
- Shane Lindauer (R)
- Sheila Klinker (D)
- Steve Bartels (R)
- Sue Errington (D)
- Tim O'Brien (R)
- Tim Wesco (R)
- Tim Yocum (R)
- Tony Isa (R)
- Tonya Pfaff (D)
- Vanessa Summers (D)
- Wendy Dant Chesser (D)
- Wendy McNamara (R)
- Zach Payne (R)
Did not vote (7)
- Chris Jeter (R)
- Doug Miller (R)
- Ed Soliday (R)
- Justin Moed (D)
- Todd Huston (R)
- Vernon Smith (D)
- Victoria Garcia Wilburn (D)
Source: Open States, compiled from the Indiana General Assembly's official roll calls. The official record at iga.in.gov controls. Spot an error? Let us know.