As we approach the midpoint of 2024, Indiana is gearing up for a host of new laws that will come into effect on July 1. During this year’s legislative session, Indiana lawmakers passed 172 bills, with some taking immediate effect upon being signed by Governor Eric Holcomb, while others are slated for later implementation.
Here are some of the key laws going into effect next month:
- SEA 9 – Lowering Health Care Costs: This law aims to reduce health care costs by enhancing transparency in market consolidation, promoting competition, and preventing anti-competitive corporate mergers.
- SEA 146 – Youth Employment: Allows 18-year-olds to sell and serve alcohol in restaurant or hotel dining rooms under certain conditions. Employers must report the number of minors they employ or face civil penalties.
- SEA 190 – Supporting Disaster Victims: Increases the maximum financial assistance available from the Indiana State Disaster Relief Fund and expands the usage of these funds to support victims of tornadoes and floods.
- SEA 202 – Oversight of Public Colleges: Requires public universities to report their diversity committee budgets and allows students to report professors who do not adhere to criteria for free inquiry, expression, and intellectual diversity.
- HEA 1021 – New ‘Green Alert’ Program: Introduces a Green Alert system, similar to Amber and Silver alerts, to help locate missing at-risk Hoosier veterans.
- HEA 1086 – Happy Hour in Indiana: Permits bars and restaurants to offer happy hours and carryout cocktails.
- HEA 1142 – Honoring First Responders: Establishes the “Hoosier First Responder Medal of Honor” to recognize first responders for exceptional service and bravery.
- HEA 1183 – Land Protections: Prohibits companies owned by foreign adversaries from purchasing land within 10 miles of a military base or any farmland in Indiana.
For a comprehensive list of all laws passed during Indiana’s 2024 legislative session, click here.
