Senate Bill
SB 119
Grooming.
In plain English
Bars sexually violent predators and offenders against children from working or volunteering at facilities or events that mainly offer entertainment or programming for children under 18. Adds entering those places to the crime of unlawful entry by a serious sex offender. Renames "inappropriate communication with a child" as "sexual grooming," 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
Adds a facility or event that provides entertainment or programming primarily directed toward a child less than 18 years of age to the list of facilities at which a sexually violent predator or an offender against children may not work or volunteer. Adds entering a facility or location holding an event that provides entertainment or programming primarily directed toward a child less than 18 years of age by a serious sex offender to the crime of unlawful entry by a serious sex offender. Renames the offense of "inappropriate communication with a child" to "sexual grooming", and provides (in addition to the current elements of the offense) that a person commits the offense if the person engages in a pattern of repeated or continuous contact with an individual whom the person believes to be a child less than 14 years of age, with the intent to condition the individual to be less resistant to future sexual conduct or sexual activity. Specifies that "computer network" includes cellular telephones.
Latest action: Public Law 111, March 5, 2026Full text and history at iga.in.gov
Authors and sponsors
Dan Dernulc, Rick Niemeyer, Liz Brown, Julie Olthoff
Co-authors and co-sponsors: Brett Clark, Rodney Pol, Mike Young, Lonnie Randolph, Blake Doriot, John Bartlett, Becky Cash
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.
Senate · Jan 27, 2026
Third reading: vote to pass
Roll call text: SB 119 - Dernulc - 3rd Reading
Passed
46 yes0 no3 did not vote
Republicans: 37 yes, 0 no, 2 did not voteDemocrats: 9 yes, 0 no, 1 did not vote
How each member voted
Yes (46)
- Aaron Freeman (R)
- Andrea Hunley (D)
- Blake Doriot (R)
- Brett Clark (R)
- Brian Buchanan (R)
- Cyndi Carrasco (R)
- Dan Dernulc (R)
- Daryl Schmitt (R)
- David Niezgodski (D)
- Ed Charbonneau (R)
- Eric Bassler (R)
- Eric Koch (R)
- Fady Qaddoura (D)
- Gary Byrne (R)
- Greg Goode (R)
- Greg Taylor (D)
- Greg Walker (R)
- 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)
- Randy Maxwell (R)
- Rick Niemeyer (R)
- Rod Bray (R)
- Rodney Pol (D)
- 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)
Did not vote (3)
- Chris Garten (R)
- J.D. Ford (D)
- Vaneta Becker (R)
House · Feb 24, 2026
Third reading: vote to pass
Roll call text: SB 119 - Olthoff - 3rd Reading
Passed
98 yes0 no2 did not vote
Republicans: 68 yes, 0 no, 1 did not voteDemocrats: 29 yes, 0 no, 1 did not voteIndependents: 1 yes, 0 no
How each member voted
Yes (98)
- 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 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)
- Dave Heine (R)
- David Abbott (R)
- Doug Miller (R)
- Ed Clere (I)
- Ed DeLaney (D)
- Ed Soliday (R)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- Vernon Smith (D)
- Victoria Garcia Wilburn (D)
- Wendy Dant Chesser (D)
- Wendy McNamara (R)
- Zach Payne (R)
Did not vote (2)
- Earl Harris (D)
- Todd Huston (R)
Senate · Feb 25, 2026
Final vote: concurrence or conference report
Roll call text: SB 119 - Dernulc
Passed
48 yes0 no2 did not vote
Republicans: 39 yes, 0 no, 1 did not voteDemocrats: 9 yes, 0 no, 1 did not vote
How each member voted
Yes (48)
- Aaron Freeman (R)
- Andrea Hunley (D)
- Brett Clark (R)
- Brian Buchanan (R)
- Chris Garten (R)
- Cyndi Carrasco (R)
- Dan Dernulc (R)
- Daryl Schmitt (R)
- David Niezgodski (D)
- Ed Charbonneau (R)
- Eric Bassler (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 (2)
- Blake Doriot (R)
- Rodney Pol (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.